Proactive and competent owners can easily clean their filters by opening the lids, removing the filters, and hosing them off. Owners should ensure their own safety and not attempt if uncertain as the tanks are confined spaces which can pose a danger, and that sewage gases or material may escape when lids are opened. Best practice when handling biological waste is to wear safety goggles, gloves, and to protect their clothing.

Needs Cleaning

Needs Cleaning

After Cleaning

After Cleaning

Owners will notice the foam appears dry from the exterior, but the interior of the foam is still damp enough. The bacteria retreat into the centre of the foam blocks where there is still dampness and go dormant rather than die out. Once new sewage is reintroduced, the entire foam volume will become a livable environment for the bacteria again and treatment should kickstart on its own. For situations where this may not happen, we can provide a bacterial product we call septic jumpstart which can be dumped into the Biofilter dosing tank. This additive introduces additional bacterial colony to the foam media.

The best location for the control panel to your septic system is for it to be located outdoors, on the exterior of the building near the septic system or alongside other utility panels such as your water, hydro, or gas meter. If the septic system is located a distance from the nearest building, some owners will install the control panel on a post located next to the septic system. Panels should not be located indoors, or have locks on the panel doors.

As a living organism, the bacteria is likewise affected by the cold and if your system is healthy, there should be no concerns of bacteria dying off; the bacteria in the system will adjust to the lack of use and slow its digestion, but will be ok until spring when the system is started again.

To promote healthy bacteria growth to increase performance of your system we recommend using a biological additive to enhance the existing bacteria. On request, our technicians can provide an additive to the system on a service visit, or owners can purchase consumer grade biological additives. The product EcoEthic has been shown to work well with our systems.

The compaction of soil covering your septic system’s components may occur with the use of heavy equipment, vehicular traffic, gazebos, patios, or storage and placement of large and heavy items such as swimming pools, playgrounds, and skating rinks can cause compaction to the soil covering the system. Compacted soil cuts off or limits the oxygen supply to the micro-organisms in the soil. These micro-organisms are essential to maintaining soil and ground integrity and the disbursement of discharged effluent. This may result in less-than-optimal functioning of the disposal bed, or even loss of functioning altogether. In the winter, owners should be aware that ATVs and snowmobiles, excessive snow loads from plowed driveways and parking lots, or backyard skating rinks, can cause compaction which drives frost into the system.

When you purchase a Waterloo Biofilter Systems Inc. wastewater treatment system there is a limited manufacturer’s warranty that will cover manufacturer defects in components such as pumps, floats, and the Biofilter medium; please refer to your owner’s manual for details. Travel and labour fees to repair any warrantied parts is not covered under warranty and owners will be billed at the service callout rates. Waterloo Biofilter Systems Inc. offers an extended pump warranty for a total of five years of coverage which is available for purchase at the time the pump is purchased.

The frequency of septic tank pump outs will vary from system to system and there is not set frequency. The Ontario Building Code requires septic tanks be pumped out when the sludge and scum measurements combined reach a measurement that is 1/3 of the operating capacity of the septic tank. During your regular service inspection, the technician will advise is the sludge and scum has reached 1/3 of the operating capacity and requires a pump out, or if they recommend the septic tank be pumped out for another reason, such as the presence of debris or an unhealthy tank environment.

Products marketed as “flushable” are not suited to privately owned and maintained wastewater treatment systems. Flushable products are typically targeted at consumers who use municipal wastewater treatment where there are active mechanical devices being used to break down degradable products quickly and efficiently. The Waterloo Biofilter treatment system thrives on retention and breakdown of matter through bacteria; flushable products clog the system and prevent effective breakdown of biological waste.

Alarms in a septic system can be due to several reasons. If your control panel goes into alarm, you can call Waterloo Biofilter and request a technician come and diagnose the alarm and make repairs where needed. Waterloo Biofilter technicians did not install your system and cannot warrant any work done by the installer. Service visits to new installs with alarms will be billed at the applicable service callout rate. Alarms in a newly installed system can be related to several install related issues such as packing and installation debris being left in the tank and getting sucked into pumps, or floats that were wired incorrectly. Most installers want to have a good reputation and happy customers can boost their business so many installers will come back to correct their mistake if the owner calls them.