What Not to Flush: Protecting Your Septic System

How Muskoka’s Terrain Impacts Septic System Design and Maintenance

Muskoka’s landscape is stunning, but it also creates some unique challenges for septic systems. If you own a cottage or home in the region, understanding how the terrain affects your system can help you avoid costly issues.

1. Granite Bedrock = Limited Soil Depth

Part of what makes Muskoka beautiful is our natural landscaping that starts south of Gravenhurst and follows through up North of Huntsville. The natural granite bedrock that runs along our neck of the woods is beautiful and vast, but it can make things a little tricky when planning out your septic situation at home.

It starts with shallow soil. Homes and cottages in the Muskoka area have been dealing with building on and around bedrock for decades, so it’s not a new thing we’re dealing with. Though, it can still cause challenges when designing a home. The work around when dealing with shallow soil depths is most likely to have a smaller holding tank installed. They work similarly to a septic but without the drainage, meaning they need to be emptied a lot quicker as they fill up faster.

This can also mean that you have to do some more creative design to be able to get the system in. If you do manage to have a septic tank installed, you may run into drainage problems. An ideal drain field for a septic tank would be a grassy lawn in your back yard. This isn’t always possible in Muskoka due to bedrock and lake placements, making it tricky to design your drainage plan.

2. Sloped Properties Affect Drainage

One of the most iconic parts of Muskoka is our access to lakefront and the beauty that comes with having a cottage on the lake. Typically, this involves a slope down towards the water on the lake facing side.

This can be part of the challenge when planning your septic situation, when looking at water run off. Towards the lake can be tricky and messy if there were to be a problem with your tank. At Call of The Wild, we know the landscapes and we have deep appreciation for our Muskoka lakes and take great care to ensure all of our trucks never spill a drop of sewage anywhere, especially not near the lakes.

The other issue with sloped properties can be the soil erosion that comes with having a property with a slope on it. Your best practice is to try planting grass if you can on your downhill slope. Each blade of grass has a tiny root system that shoots down into the earth and creates a netting-like web underground. When it rains, the grass holds tight to the soil and reduces the amount of soil erosion in the sloped area.

3. High Water Tables

Similarly to the flushable wipes, pads and tampons do not break down. They are filled with micro plastics and are made to absorb as much liquid as possible, so not only will they cause massive clogs in the system, but they’ll also never break down in your septic tank.

While this might be the easiest route to dispose of your products, it’s simply incorrect. Sanitary products always belong in the garbage, if you’re concerned about smell then you can roll it up with the wrapper in toilet paper before throwing it in the trash.

4. Remote Locations Limit Access

Muskoka is home to some beautiful geography as mentioned throughout this post, but they can also come with their unique challenges. Some of the obstacles we run into the most are steep driveways which are typically no problem in the summer become icy huge hills that are practically impassible in the winter months.

We also have a lot of sites that are down long windy forest roads that are tough to navigate in a Honda Civic, let alone a large septic pumping truck. Luckily, our drivers are the best of the best and can maneuver the trucks in and out of tricky spots and make it look easy.

When you book with us, it’s always helpful to let us know any extra information about your property while we’re on the phone. This makes sure we can send a slightly smaller truck if that means we can get access to your property or letting us know to look out for landmarks as to where to turn or where your septic lids are. We’re always happy to have too much information than not enough.

Final Thoughts

Muskoka’s terrain is part of what makes it special, but it also means your septic system needs thoughtful design and regular care. If you’re unsure how your property’s landscape affects your system, we’re always happy to take a look. Give us a call or send us an email today!