As for the comment about the tanks not failing, sometimes the baffles inside the tank can fail and if that happens the tank will need to be replaced even if everything else about it is ok. Some of the older concrete tanks have been known to have the baffle inside disintegrate because of poor design where the baffle was too close to the intake and the incoming rush of water ate away at it, or the material used was poor to begin with.
COMMUNITY FORUM
One other thing that no one has mentioned, water softners! Do Not let your softner flush run into your septic system. It wont hurt the tank or bacteria, but it will destroy the septic field. The salt used to regenerate the softner can bind with the clays in the soil and make it virtually impenetrable. I doesnt happen right away, may take a few years, but it will definately shorten the life of the field.
