Why Septic Systems Are Great For Rural and Off-Grid Living 

Why Septic Systems Are Great For Rural and Off-Grid Living

If you hang out on Homestead Twitter or browse YouTube for off-grid living videos, then you’ve noticed a trend… 

People are moving to beautiful rural properties and renovating or building homes for themselves and their families. Many of these folks are starting homesteads, preparing or “prepping” for emergencies, or just love rural living. 

A good amount of these folks live in areas that are very rural. Which means that it’s too expensive and impractical for them to get their homes connected to a public sewage system. This leaves them with 3 options to deal with sewerage: septic systems, composting toilets, and even outhouses (they’re adventurous people). 

Outhouses 

Outhouses are little buildings with a toilet seat covering a pit or bucket. No plumbing. Wow, right? One good thing about outhouses is that they’re very affordable; however, we get the sense that most people find this option to be smelly, unhygienic, and inconvenient. We think it’s better to leave this technology in the 1800s, where it belongs. 

Composting Toilets 

Composting toilets are similar and different from outhouses. Similar because one of the most common types of composting toilets is just a toilet seat with a container underneath. They’re different because they’re located inside a house versus outside. Also, unlike outhouses, you can find composting toilets that are pricey and technologically advanced. 

To get rid of bad smells, many people will cover their waste with sawdust directly after using the bathroom. However, some people complain that it continues to smell even after this treatment. Another thing people don’t like is that when your waste container gets full, you have to empty it… No calling in a professional waste-bucket-emptier. What’s more, you’ll need to find a spot on your land to dump all that waste. 

Septic Tanks

From a homeowner’s perspective, toilets attached to septic systems look, feel, and function exactly like your average toilet system. From a plumbing perspective, they’re very different: instead of your sewage going into your municipalities sewerage pipes, it goes into a large underground tank. According to the EPA, these tanks need to be pumped out or emptied every 3 – 5 years. As for their lifespan, they typically last 15 – 40 years. All those numbers are great because it means once you install a septic systems, you don’t have to constantly worry about it. 

We think If you’re part of the homesteading movement, prepper community, or you just love rural living, we recommend that you install a septic tank. It’s an affordable and hassle-free solution for your waste management needs! 

BBB Septic 

BBB Septic has been in business for 25 years! During this time we’ve strived to provide excellent customer service, great septic design, professional installation, maintenance and repair services to Northwest Arkansas. If you’re ready to get started, call us at 479-225-9800 or click here.

BBB Solutions: Halloween Edition

Halloween can be a scary time of year for maintaining septic systems, what with all the candy wrappers,
pumpkin guts, and seasonal decor winding its way through pipes, causing clogs and creating
backups. Save the scares for the trick-or-treaters and check out our list of top three things to not
flush this Halloween season.

Candy Wrappers

As you ready your household for trick or treating, make sure you talk to your kiddos about
proper candy wrapper disposal. Since candy wrappers don’t dissolve or break down easily, they
are better off in the trash than they would be clogging up your drain or polluting your water
treatment center.


Pumpkin Pulp

Garbage disposal making scary sounds? Pumpkin pulp may be your culprit. Slimy, stringy, and
sticky, this gunk might as well be made to clog up pipes and wreak havoc on garbage disposals.
Instead of sending your pumpkin carving leftovers down the drain, try adding it to your compost
or just dispose of it with the rest of your trash.

Costume Pieces / Decorations

That mummy costume is pretty spooky, but don’t go trying to flush all of that TP or you’ll be in for
a worse fright – the dreaded backed up toilet. This goes for abandoned costume pieces and
leftover Halloween decor, too, ghouls and gals.

For septic solutions or to join our maintenance program, contact us here.

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Bbb Solutions: Septic Care Tips To Remember This Summer

The Down Low On The BBB Septic Maintenance Program

Regular upkeep and maintenance not only protects your property, but your health and your wallet as well! By scheduling regular septic maintenance for your home or business septic system, you don’t have to worry about your septic system turning into a big, messy – and likely costly – mess.

Regular pumping, cleaning lateral lines when needed, adjusting flow equalization and removing debris are all part of keeping your septic system functioning at top efficiency, and with our septic maintenance program, you get all of this and more!

Preferred service member benefits include:

  • Regularly scheduled maintenance checks and services.
  • Emergency service priority with no overtime charges!
  • Hassle free repairs with a 10% discount on any necessary parts and labor charges that aren’t included in our covered repairs.

Ready to join the BBB Septic maintenance program or need more information? Contact us here.

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Septic Safe Resolutions

BBB Solutions: Septic Care Tips To Remember This Summer

Summer is a busy time of year between the grilling parties, get-togethers, and seasonal home projects – and not just for you, but your septic system too. Whether your septic system is for your residence or your business, you know it requires proper care and maintenance to keep it running smoothly, and with summer being such a lively season this is doubly true. In addition to
its regular care, here are three things to keep in mind to ensure optimal septic performance:

As Always, Be Wary What You’re Putting Down Your Pipes

While you might already know what your septic system can and can’t handle, your house guests might be a little less in the know. Before your guests start flushing harsh chemicals or other materials, make sure you give them a rundown of what can and can’t go into the septic tank.

Consider A Pre-Party Septic Pump

Planning a summer get-together? That’s great! Just be wary: more guests = more flushing. To get ahead of any issues, go ahead and plan out a pre-party pump out of your septic system.

Be Mindful When Landscaping

It’s the perfect time of year for landscaping, but make sure you’re being mindful of your septic tank’s location and proximity to what’s being planted as well as to any heavy equipment. After all, you don’t want roots getting into your system or for that heavy equipment to end up parked on your tank!

Ready to start your septic system design and installation process? Have questions? Give us a call at 479-225-9800 or contact us here.

BBB Solutions: Septic System Design and Installation

Designing and Installing Your Septic System: An Introduction 

When we start to plan a septic design, our team begins the process by meeting with you to develop a full understanding of your septic system design needs. This includes asking questions like: “What do you intend to build on the property?” and “How many bedrooms will there be in the home?”. 

From there, our team will conduct a soil test, commonly referred to as a “perc test”. The soil test will determine if the area is able to support a septic system absorption field (otherwise known as a lateral field or as leach lines). 

With these results, the BBB Septic team can design a proper system built to suit your property’s unique needs. This design is then submitted to the health department, which then issues a permit that allows us to move forward with the installation and maintenance of your system.

Onsite Wastewater FAQ

For your convenience, we also gathered a couple of commonly asked questions regarding onsite wastewater. To read the full FAQ, check out this post from the Arkansas Department of Health!

Q: What is the minimum lot size for a septic system? 

A: There is no minimum lot size. The space required for a sewage system is determined by the suitability of the soils at the site, the number of bedrooms in the home, and the 100 foot set back from the water wells.

Q: Why soil pit tests? 

A: The soil pits determine the depths to any rock, any impervious soil layers, and the anticipated level of ground water in the wet periods of the year. This information results in sewage system design that overcomes the soil’s limitations.

Ready to start your septic system design and installation process? Have questions? Give us a call at 479-225-9800 or contact us here.

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Bbb Solutions: Septic Care Tips To Remember This Summer

Signs Your Septic Tank Is Damaged Or Failing

A failing septic system is many a homeowners worst nightmare. In addition to costly repairs and replacements, septic system failures can cause serious and unpleasant damages. 

To avoid having to install a brand new septic system, we advise regular maintenance, as well as a general understanding of both the signs and causes of damage. 

Common Signs of Septic Damages or Failure 

Water Or Sewage Backing Up Into Your Home 

Water or sewage backing up from kitchen or bathroom drains are a sure indicator that there is a problem with your septic system, and can negatively impact both your home and health. 

Slow Bathroom Or Kitchen Drains 

When dealing with slow drains it may be tempting to turn to drain cleaners, but these harsh chemicals can further damage your septic system, particularly if there is an underlying issue. 

Bad Odors Inside Your Home Or Near Your Septic System

Smelling rotten eggs? It’s likely that you’re smelling septic gasses, and while this is not always a sign of failure it is certainly a sign that something is amiss with your system. 

Pooling Or Standing Water In Your Yard

Where there’s a smell there’s a source, and if you’re smelling septic odors a pool of water in your yard may be the culprit. Be sure to check near your septic drainfield for standing water and call a professional to find the source of the damage. 

BBB Septic Maintenance Program 

As with most systems, maintenance is key in avoiding future problems and damages. These preventative measures prolong the life of your system, protect your home, guard your health, and help to prevent septic failure. 

With the BBB Septic Maintenance Program, your septic care is automated and your system protected. As a preferred service member, you also receive a variety of perks that include regular maintenance checks and services, priority service, a 10% discount on repairs, regular septic pumping, and more. 

Learn more about our program here and please feel free to contact us at info@bbbseptic.com to request membership or additional details. 

Drainfield Red Flags

can't see drain field issues

Your septic system is rarely thought of, but it plays a vital role in your everyday life! From laundry to dishwashing, your septic system is in play.

An important part of your septic system is the drainfield. The drainfield is largely responsible for hosting and holding water from the septic tank that will eventually be absorbed into the surrounding soil. When you overload your system, or if your system isn’t working properly, the drainfield can become negatively affected. 

As a homeowner, it’s important to know and recognize the signs of drainfield problems and fix the issue.

Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Drainfield Red Flags 

  1. Sewage Odors: Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, sewage odors are a big, smelly, red flag.  
  1. Standing Water or Wet Spots: Keep an eye out for anything slimy, standing water, or recurring wet spots in your yard. 
  1. Slow Flushing Toilets: Annoying AND problematic. Slow flushing toilets are definitely a sign that something isn’t working properly. 
  1. Slow Drainage In Sink or Tubs: This is another red flag that something in your septic system isn’t working properly, whether it be a drainfield issue or a clogged pipe. 

Common Causes and Culprits  

The most common cause of drainfield problems is improper maintenance, but other culprits include soil compaction from parked vehicles, tree roots damaging or breaching your drainfield, and excessive grease in your septic system. 

So, What’s The Big Deal?

Drainfield problems, if not treated in a timely manner, can result in both indoor and outdoor water damage. If any of that toxic sewage enters your home, you’ll also be dealing with potential health hazards, mold, and mildew.  

Get Ahead of Drainfield Problems 

A regularly and properly maintained septic system means you can rest easy! Not sure how to care for your home’s septic system? Contact the pro’s here at BBB!  

Finding The Source: Five Common Causes For Septic System Damage

Out of sight, out of mind – right? Not quite the case when it comes to your septic system. 

Though your pipes, drains, and tanks lay neatly tucked away, they remain vital parts of a larger system that works to ensure your household is running smoothly, and therefore requires the same care and maintenance as your other everyday appliances. 

Without proper care and maintenance, your septic system becomes increasingly susceptible to damage. Septic damage often makes itself known by way of messy leaks and unpleasant overflow, but what causes the damage in the first place? 

Here are five common causes of septic damage to be aware of: 

Improper Disposal of Non-Biodegradable Materials 

“What do non-biodegradable materials have in common with (most!) canceled public figures?

They’re problematic.” 

Non-biodegradable items such as sanitary wipes, paper towels, band-aids, cotton swabs, and kitty litter are all bad news for your septic system. These materials don’t easily break down and are likely to collect, which can cause troublesome clogs as well as messy backflow. 

If the material you’re considering flushing isn’t biodegradable, or if it falls on our list of top five things to stop putting down your garbage disposal, we urge you to consider proper or alternative methods of discard; for example, some food waste materials that are bad for your garbage disposal can be repurposed into compost! 

Exceeding Capacity 

Many a good septic system has fallen victim to overuse, be it from general water inefficiency or a sudden increase in use (more house guests = more water usage).

It’s important to remember that every septic system has a capacity limit, and when you overload your system, solids don’t adequately settle and necessary bacterial activity becomes limited. This clogs the drain field and can lead to other issues, including reduced septic tank efficiency or a complete septic system breakdown. 

For better water efficiency, try being mindful of your tank capacity, your daily water usage from laundry and dish cleaning, and go easy on those extra long showers. 

Chemical Damage 

With time, or in excess, household cleaners and other seemingly benign chemicals (ex: detergent, drain cleaners, nail polish remover, paint thinners, varnishes, etc.) can be harmful to your septic system. 

These chemicals have varying effects including corrosion of drains, clogging of pipes, killing of necessary bacteria, and potentially damaging the ecosystem or water supply. 

To avoid or stay ahead of chemical damage, dispose in minimal amounts and keep up with your recommended septic maintenance schedule. 

Accidental External Damage

Gardening and landscaping are great ways to upgrade your outdoor space, just make sure you (or your hired professionals!) have a good lay of the land. After all, it’s easy to accidentally hit a pipe or septic tank if you’re unfamiliar with where the septic system is laid, and if you need help figuring it out – give us a ring! 

Natural Causes 

Speaking of external damage, nature sure can take its toll! Common culprits include plant and tree roots, and cold weather. 

Plant and tree roots seek out water sources, and if planted too closely to your drain field they may invade your pipes or tank. We recommend not planting your flowers, shrubs, and trees too close to your drain field, or choosing plants that have shallow roots. 

Now, while cold weather is rather unavoidable, you can work proactively to get ahead of it and avoid the possibility of frozen pipes and drains altogether! Our pros are happy to give your system a good look to ensure all parts of your system are well insulated. 

Raw sewage can be extremely hazardous to your health, so if you’re experiencing leaks, overflow, or other septic issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us! 

Lou & Swirly Say: Follow These Septic System Do’s & Don’ts

What you do or don’t do for your septic system can make all the difference! To prolong your systems lifespan and avoid costly septic damage, review these do’s and don’ts and share them with your household. 

Septic System Do’s 

Septic System Don’ts 

  • DON’T let water run unnecessarily. 
  • DON’T expand the size of your residence without adjusting your septic system. 
  • DON’T park over your drainfield. 
  • DON’T use septic tank additives without consulting a professional. 
  • DON’T put non-biodegradable materials down the drain. 
  • DON’T wash chemicals like paint thinners, oils, weed/insect killer down the drain.
  • DON’T flush pharmaceuticals down the drain. 

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Power Outages and Your Septic System: What Homeowners Should Know

Power Outages and Your Septic System: What Homeowners Should Know

Q: What effect does a power outage have on my septic system, STEP system, or sewer system?

A: If you have a completely standard gravity system, it will function normally. However, if your system has a pump and/or alarm system, your sewer system could be heavily affected, depending on how long the power is off. Read more below.

More About Pump + Alarm Systems

In some cases, septic tank outlet water, otherwise known as “effluent”, has to be pushed uphill to the designated absorption area. This “absorption” area, can also be referred to as “lateral lines” or the “lateral field”.  If there exists a pump as a part of the wastewater system and the power goes out, the warning system that exists to alert that there is a problem also functions on electricity and will not work. 

Reasons for having a pump and alarm as a part of the system include: 

  • The absorption area is uphill from the tank location
  • A spider valve or hydro-splitter is used for distribution of the effluent
  • The city sewer hook-up is actually a city STEP system
  • The city sewer hook-up requires a pump (as with the Bella Vista Village Wastewater System)
  • The home has plumbing in a basement below the septic tank inlet and a pump is required to push everything from the lower area up to the tank

In all of these situations, there will be some storage for wastewater available; the storage capacity is generally from 200-250 gallons. Account for 50-75 gallons of water usage per person each day– it doesn’t take long to fill up that storage area! Once that capacity has been reached, the wastewater will begin to back up into the pipes and eventually will end up in the home if water is continually used– a situation neither the homeowner nor septic companies want to deal with. 

The Bottom Line

If you find yourself in the situation, use water sparingly and pay attention to warning signs. Additionally, take these steps to extend the capacity: 

  • Loosen or remove the cap on the main line cleanout, which is usually a 3″-4” white cap located just outside the foundation of the house
  • Loosen the lid to the pump chamber and/or septic tank.
    • They are usually fastened with a series of screws that will require a regular Phillips or Allen head screwdriver, or possibly a hex bolt head, sized 7/16”, 1/2” or even 9/16”
  • NOTE: When loosening the cleanout cap or the lids, the idea is to allow the extra wastewater to relieve itself outside (as opposed to inside the house). This may be a bit messy, but a mess outside is far better than one inside!

At BBB Septic, we hope to provide you with the best information to keep your home’s septic system functioning properly– especially in times of emergency. If you live in the Northwest Arkansas area and have any further questions regarding power outages and your septic system, please reach out via phone or email. 

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