We thought we’d compile a few of the most frequently asked question about each of the products. After 8 years on the road talking to people at field days and markets we fielded a LOT of questions on septic system operation and the ways to get rid of slime and algae out of ponds, troughs and dams.

By no means a complete list, but it is representative of the problems country people are experiencing with their septics.

SEPTIC SYSTEMS

No matter how well I clean my toilet with bleach, it never seems to stop smelling!

This comes up more than you’d think. These are intelligent people with a lot of practical skills but without an understanding of how a septic works it is a logical train of thought.

No septic system should smell! If it does, there’s really only one reason; not enough good bacteria!

Cleaning products such as bleaches and “blue loo” type products should be avoided. Their job as an anti-bacterial is relevant in city sewage systems, but death to a home septic tank. Your septic is a living organism with billions of microorganisms processing your waste with only their ability to create enzymes at their disposal. If you kill your “good” bacteria, then your system becomes a cesspit with no capacity for actual treatment of your waste. They smell because of the putrification of the organic material in your waste.

The answer to most septic smell issues is to give it a maintenance dose of good quality treatment bacteria and avoiding harsh cleaning chemicals. SEPTIC CLEAN contains strains of bacillus bacteria that are specially cultured to produce the specific enzymes that treat human waste. All treatment systems, whether they are the old single tank and a trench, or the newer aerated wastewater treatment plants need help with an application of good bacteria. Our bodies don’t produce the good stuff in sufficient quantities to maintain the treatment process anymore. Some of the reasons include; medications, some spicy foods, or excessive alcohol consumption can degrade the quality of your natural bacteria and so your septic suffers accordingly. Incorrect cleaning products probably cause the most damage to wastewater treatment and should be researched before use.

A member of our family is on heavy cancer medication. How can I save my septic?

Cancer medications, including chemotherapy, are among the hardest things for a septic system to deal with. They completely destroy the treatment bacteria that keeps your septic alive and so often you’re left with only one option until your family member has recovered. Seal the access hatches on the top of the tank and have you tank pumped as the smells occur.

After the treatment has completed, have the tank professionally pumped and cleaned then part fill with water and “seed” the tank with SEPTIC CLEAN which will quickly bring the bacterial balance back to full operating levels.

What cleaning products should I avoid?

Unfortunately what we call cleaning products, your wastewater system may class as poisons. Like humans, some poisons kill us while others will just make us sick and the same will happen to the bacteria in your wastewater system. You must use environmentally friendly and no anti-bacterial products.

Your wastewater system is a living eco-system and relies on good bacteria to work effectively. Any product used that kills bacteria is harmful to your system. If you wish to use some of the harsher cleaning products, it is suggested that you use a bucket and discard the contents in the garden after use. This also applies to disinfectant, surface sprays, wipes and any chlorine or bleach based cleaners.

How do I get rid of black mold in my shower?

It’s natural to reach for the bleach when we encounter black mold in a shower recess! But unfortunately, bleach in its liquid state is death to the biology of a septic system. Fortunately, after exposure to air and organic material, like mold, it breaks down to a natural salt compound, which is almost harmless to septics.

So, the idea is to block off your shower drain and clean off the black mold, allow the area to air dry allowing the sodium hypochlorite to break down to salts. Polish off the residue with a paper towel or microfiber cloth and the job’s done!

DAMS

We have a lot of slime in our dam. But we have fish and other aquatic animals that we need to protect. How do we make it a nicer environment for them?

Dams are a very complex ecosystem that depend on a number of symbiotic things occuring otherwise slime, algaes and noxious weeds can take over making it a toxic enviroment for marine life and stock. High nutrient inflow from cattle yards or fertilised paddocks create food for algal growth and left unattended can create a stagnant body of water unfit for irrigation or livestock watering.

Rectification options include emptying, allowing to dry out, then digging out the bottom sludge with an excavator and disposal – a costly and disruptive process and one which includes the loss of the water.

A second, and more practical and cost effect method, is to treat the waterbody with a combination of aeration and beneficial bacteria. This method eliminates the need to empty the dam and disturb the bottom structure. DAM CLEAN is a formula of 6 strains of bacillus bacteria specially cultured to produce the enzymes that consume the excess nutrients and organic sludge in the water that is the food source for the slime and algae. The use of bacteria has the added benefit of, over a period of 12 months, consuming the organic sludge at the bottom of the dam. The process breaks the nutrient cycle that perpetuates the aglaes, weeds and slime that creates the unproductive nature of bad quality dam water.

The use of aeration devices not only encourages the proliferation of natural bacteria, but also provides a productive environment for the added bacteria from DAM CLEAN. Aeration devices can be as simple as a pump driven cannon of water shot across the surface of the dam, up to solar driven fountains and diffuser plate aerators.

Pumps that aggressively stir up the bottom of the dam should be avoided as they disturb the natural habitat of aquatic life and slow the bacterial digestion of sludge.