What You Need to Know About Toilet Paper and Septic Tanks

If you have a septic tank as part of your home’s waste management system, you may be concerned about putting toilet paper in it. What effect does toilet paper have on your septic tank, and what should you do about it?

The Truth About Toilet Paper and Septic Tanks

The truth is toilet paper is designed to be flushed, and there is no evidence that your septic tanks will have any difficulty filtering out standard toilet paper. You may continue to buy your favorite toilet paper and flush it with impunity, provided you don’t try to flush too much all at once. However, if you are still concerned or skeptical that toilet paper cannot hurt your septic tank, there are a few steps you can take.

Disintegrating Toilet Paper

There are some brands of toilet paper that simply disintegrate upon contact with water. Just toss them in the bowl, and they are gone in seconds. Using this type of toilet paper will give you nothing to worry about when it comes to your septic tank.

Judicious Use of Paper

Instead of wadding up a big ball of toilet paper every time you use the bathroom, just tear off five or six sheets of paper, fold them over once and use them that way to make sure you’re not sending any large chunks of paper down at once.

Throw the Toilet Paper Away

There’s no law that says you have to flush your toilet paper down the toilet. You can get a dedicated trash bin with a cover designed specifically for toilet paper and instruct all household members to throw all the toilet paper in that bin.

Recycled Toilet Paper

Some people prefer to use recycled toilet paper because they think it will be better for the tank than some of the soft, fluffy brand-name toilet papers. There is no actual evidence of this. However, it certainly can’t hurt the septic tank, and it’s better for the environment, so you might as well use it.

Maintaining Your Septic Tank

Since you obviously care about your septic tank, you want to make sure it and all your plumbing is in good working order at all times. If you’re in the greater Syracuse area, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Greater Syracuse can help. We offer a no-charge plumbing checkup, meaning we’ll check your pipes for free and make sure everything is in good shape. If it’s not, we can tell you what we need to do to fix it and give you a fair estimate so you know what to expect. To get started, just give us a call now or contact us online.