Here at BooneyLiving.com we’re all about living out in the country and off the grid. This means that the likelihood of being connected to the city sewage system is pretty slim for most of us. While alternative sewage treatment systems such as composting toilets are “slowly” gaining favor in some parts of the world, most of us will have to make due with a standard below ground septic system.
If these systems aren’t properly maintained, they can stop functioning properly which could lead to costly repairs or the need to have our septic tanks pumped more often. Many of us who are following the off the grid path have heard that only special septic system safe toilet paper should be used.
I decided to do a bit of research and find out if there is any truth to this belief that you need to use special toilet paper in septic systems or if it’s just an old wives tale. Strangely enough, I wasn’t able to find much “real research” on the matter but I did find one source of credible information which was InspectAPedia®. This site is kind of the Wikipedia of environmental issues and building inspection.
The folks at InspectAPedia® claim to have done some testing and according to their tests, it’s not necessary to buy special septic tank toilet paper since regular toilet paper won’t hurt the system at all. That being said, I believe that there are other issues than just the ability of the toilet paper to break down that should be considered.
Important Characteristics of Septic System Safe Toilet Paper
When you flush any kind of toilet paper down your toilet, it makes a short journey to your septic tank. This is where it will live out the remainder of its life. That is until you eventually have your septic tank professionally pumped out. The issue then is how much space does the toilet paper that you are using take up in your tank and how fast does it disintegrate in water.
Keep in mind that your septic tank collects and stores water, human waste, and toilet paper. There aren’t any grinders or agitators in the tank to break this mixture down. The decomposition process is left solely in the hands of the bacteria that lives in the tank. If you overwhelm the colony of bacteria that call your septic tank home by filling it up faster than they are able to decompose things, you’re tank will fill up faster than you would like it to resulting in additional maintenance expenses for you to pay.
If the toilet paper you are using is of the triple ply super deluxe quilted variety, it stands to reason that this paper will be more bulky and consequently use up more space in your septic tank. All septic tanks need to be pumped from time to time but if you can take precautions that result in your tank filling up slower, you won’t have to have this done as often.
How To Test Your Favorite Brand of Toilet Paper
If you’re the “Mr. Wizard” type, you can do an easy test to learn more about your favorite brand of toilet paper.
- Place a few sheets of your favorite brand of toilet paper into a clear glass.
- Now place a few sheets of toilet paper that is advertised to be “septic system safe” in another clear glass.
- Next get your stopwatch out and be ready to start it.
- Then fill each glass up about half way with water and start the timer.
- Pay close attention to a couple of things. One is how long it takes the paper to dissolve in the water. The other is how much space the wet toilet paper takes up in the glass after you have given it plenty of time to dissolve and you have poured the water from the glass.
If your favorite brand doesn’t dissolve in the water and you pour the water out and the paper is still mostly in tact and quite bulky, you probably shouldn’t use that toilet paper in your septic tank or you could find yourself having to call the pumping company more often than you would like.
Other Factors to Consider
Choosing the best toilet paper for septic tanks isn’t only about how fast it will break down. In my opinion it’s about making responsible decisions for the earth. I’m not talking about what happens after the paper is in the septic tank. I’m talking about what happens long before that. Did you know that the nice and fluffy toilet paper that is about as thick as a blanket is made from “virgin wood pulp”? In order to make the softest toilet paper, manufacturer’s don’t use recycled paper products. This means that new trees have to be cut down just so we can have the luxury of a comfy feeling toilet tissue.
Instead of worrying about what happens after the paper is flushed when buying toilet paper for septic tanks you should be worrying about whether or not the product is made from recycled paper products. This is one place where it really makes a lot of sense to use recycled products. There is some evidence that toilet paper made from recycled paper may actually break down in your tank faster as well.
Another issue to consider is that if more of us use toilet paper for septic systems that is made from recycled paper, this will send the message to the manufacturers that using recycled paper in their manufacturing process is important to us. This may lead to them placing less of an emphasis on the triple quilted super soft products and more of an emphasis on being responsible with the raw materials they use.
The next time someone asks you, “what toilet paper is best for septic tanks?” you can tell them to buy the cheapest brand that is made from recycled paper products. By doing so you’ll be helping them save a buck or two and helping to reduce the number of trees that are harvested for the sole purpose of manufacturing fluffy toilet paper.
If you’re still curious about how you can take care of your septic system, please consider reading this article: Be Nice To Your Septic System and It Will Be Nice To You.