Thank You KiotiJohn !

[Highbeam]

I run both my water treatment system and my washing machine into my storm drains. All that water in a septic system doesn't allow the solids to ever settle. Then they end up in your dry well and leach field. When I bought my place, the previous owner dumped it all in the septic. The pipe from the septic to the dry well was completely clogged with solids from one end to the other.

I don't really know, but treatment backwash may also kill essential bacteria in the septic tank. I would think that salts especially would be harmful. Every year I dump 10 lbs of sugar right in the septic to boost bacteria growth. Keeping my fingers crossed, it's still working good after I replaced that clogged pipe 17 years ago.

Wow. Well, the water treatment backwash load is special and I would also not put that into the septic. It is the accepted proper method to route all other sewage to the septic tank which includes the wash machine. The modern septic tank has been designed to allow ample residence time for the sewage to properly seperate into floaters and sinkers so that these things will not leave the tank and head for your leechfield.

The previous owner of your home failed to pump his tank and the sludge filled up and left the tank. Lack of maintenance which hopefully didn't ruin your system. The best and only thing you can do is keep it pumped before the tank fills with sludge. Alternatively, you could add an effluent filter which will plug up if sludge tries to head from the tank to the drainfield. These are required in my area.

Don't dump anything special like sugar or yeast into your septic tank. Every load of poo you add has plenty of fuel and bacteria to do the job and keep all the bugs alive and well.