Protect Your Septic: 4 Steps To Take During Home Chemotherapy Treatment
If someone in your family is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at home, you'll need to take extra precautions with your septic system. With standard sewer systems, waste is flushed through to the municipal water treatment facility. However, with a septic system, the waste remains inside the tanks. Here are four steps you should take while your loved one is undergoing chemotherapy at home.
Change Your Habits
Chemotherapy can put additional strain on your septic system, especially where the bathroom and washing machine are concerned. Chemotherapy can cause diarrhea, which will put additional strain on your septic system. To make sure that your septic drains don't get clogged from the extra use, be sure to switch to a septic-safe toilet paper. This type of toilet paper breaks down easier, which can reduce the risk of clogs and backups. If you're currently using antibacterial soaps and detergents for laundry, you should discontinue their use until after treatment. Chemotherapy drugs will fight against the good bacteria that your septic tank needs to process the waste. The continued use of antibacterial soap will further destroy the good bacteria levels. To help your septic system process the waste, hold off on the antibacterial detergents until after treatment.
Inform Your Septic Service Provider
If your loved one is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at home, you'll need to inform your septic tank cleaning service provider. They'll need to take extra safety precautions when servicing your septic system. This is particularly important during the time period that treatment is being received.
Have Your Tank Serviced
Once chemotherapy treatment has ended, it's important that you have your septic system serviced. Both tanks should be completely emptied and cleaned out with a high-pressure nozzle. You should also have your drains cleaned at the same time. That way, all remaining drug residue can be safely removed from your drains and septic system. It's also a good idea to have the septic filters cleaned at the same time. If chemotherapy is resumed at a later date, the system should be cleaned after the completion of each cycle.
Don't Flush Leftover Medication
During treatment, you should avoid flushing medications down the toilet, including those left over after treatment. Medications should never be flushed down the toilet, but chemotherapy drugs can be particularly harmful to your septic system. Not only that, but if the liquid from the septic system leaks into the soil, it could contaminate your yard. To protect your septic system, talk to your doctor about the best way to discard the unused chemo drugs.
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