According to NHDES, whether you want to or not, you should be thinking about your septic system in the spring.

Property owners are responsible for maintenance, and septic tanks should be inspected annually and pumped every two to three years.

If accumulated solids aren’t regularly removed from the tank, they’ll enter the leaching field, and ultimately the system will fail, says DES.

A failed system dumps pollutants such as nutrients, chemicals, bacteria and viruses into the ground or surface water. And if you have a well? well water for your drinking water supply.
A failed septic system can cause other onerous events to occur, such as a raw sewage backing up into your home. The costs of septic system failure are formidable. The price tag for replacement of a leaching field can average $7,000 to $15,000. A homeowner should remember that the simple costs of septic system maintenance, including the routine pumping of the septic tank, are far more economical than repairing or replacing the system.

To learn more about your septic system, the Department of Environmental Service has a free video called “Septic System Management for Homeowners”on its website.