Will Bleach Hurt My Clifton VA Septic System?

The question “will bleach hurt my Clifton VA septic system?” is one we get quite frequently from our customers, and it’s no great surprise why.  Everyone knows that bleach kills bacteria, and most people understand that their septic system requires bacteria in order to do its job and process waste.

Fortunately, the good news is that the short answer to the question “will bleach hurt my Clifton VA septic system?” is no, not really.  At least not in small to moderate quantities, but in order to answer the question fully, we’ll have to go into a bit more detail.

Every time you clean with bleach, bleach diluted with water, or a bleach-based cleaning product, it’s all going to go down the drain, and ultimately wind up in your septic tank.  There’s just no way to stop it.  Nothing you can do to prevent it.

Fortunately, studies have shown that it would take upwards of two gallons of straight, undiluted bleached poured directly down the drain to have a significant impact on the bacteria your tank needs to do its job well.  Don’t do that, and you should be okay.

Here’s the problem though:  Asking the question “will bleach hurt my Clifton VA septic system?” is a bit of a misdirection.  It gets you thinking about something that actually isn’t all that much of a problem except in the most extreme cases, and in doing so, it might cause you to take your eye off the ball.  To miss other potential hazards that are actually a lot worse and potentially more damaging.

What kinds of threats and hazards are we talking about?  Here are some examples:

• Excess water – this comes primarily from two sources: The rain gutters on your house, pushing too much water into your drain field, and leaky faucets or perpetually running toilets.  Too much water can overload your system.  The ground of the drain field can’t percolate the wastes away fast enough, and that can lead to big problems, including serious health hazards.
• Chemical Drain Cleaners – While it takes upwards of two gallons of bleach to cause serious harm to your tank, as little as a teaspoon of chemical drain cleaner can do real damage. This is to be avoided at all costs!
• Grease and/or cooking oil: This can lead to a phenomenon known as “grease capping” and is bad news, no matter how you slice it.  Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of it once you pour it down the drain is to have your tank pumped.

With proper care and maintenance, your septic system will provide you with years of mostly hassle-free service, but that’s not something you can do alone.  You need a trusted expert in the field.  We are the experts to call.  A locally owned and operated company, proudly serving the region since 1977, we’ll be there when you need us!