2 Home Upgrades To Cut Down On The Amount Of Water That Flows Into Your Septic Tank

If your home is equipped with a septic tank, it is a good idea to focus on cutting down on your water usage. The more water that you use on a daily basis, the more water that is going into your septic tank, which can increase the rate at which your septic tank needs to be cleaned and pumped out. Here are two home upgrades that can help you cut down on water usage. 

#1 Install A High-Efficiency Toilet

One of the biggest and most impactful home upgrades you can make is installing a high-efficiency toilet. A significant amount of the water waste that flows into your septic tank comes from your toilet, so it makes sense to upgrade your toilet if you want to reduce your water usage. 

By installing a high efficiency toilet, it is estimated that a family or home with four individuals can save around 16,000 gallons of water by switching from an older toilet to a newer higher-efficiency toilet that only uses 1.6 gallons per each flush. That is a significant reduction in the amount of water that goes through your septic tank every year. 

On the low end, installing a efficiency toilet, including labor, costs around $450 dollars, up to around $857 on the high end. If you install the toilet yourself, you can cut around $200 off of the cost. 

#2 Install A High-Efficiency Shower Head

According to the American Water Works Association Research Foundation, the third highest source of water consumption in most homes is the shower. Without reducing your shower time, you can greatly cut down on the amount of water that is used during your showers by installing a high-efficiency shower head.

These types of shower heads disperse the water in a more spreads out manner and have larger shower heads that typical standard shower heads. Even though the head of the shower is physically larger, it is designed to use less water while still maintaining the same level of water pressure that you previously enjoyed.  You will still feel like you are getting drenched with water without wasting so much in the process. 

On average, installing a high-efficiency shower head will reduce the water you use every minute by 2 gallons, so if you usually take 10 minutes showers, you'll save 20 gallons every time you shower just by installing a smarter shower head. 

Even if you hire someone to install a shower head for you, it should only cost between $69-$187 dollars. 

You can reduce the water that flows into your septic tank on a daily basis significantly by installing a high-efficiency toilet and shower head in your bathroom. These two upgrades will allow you to reduce your water consumption and ease the burden on your septic tank.  Contact a company like The Outhouse for more tips.