An ample supply of clean, safe water is something that we all take for granted. While events such as the current drought can, will, and do have devastating implications for agriculture, livestock, and wildlife, they also serve as a wake-up call to all of us that we should do everything possible to protect our water. This begs the question; what arc we doing as individuals to protect our community's water?

I recently learned that DHEC has listed 31 of their monitoring locations throughout Spartanburg County as being impaired with fecal coliform bacteria. While fecal coliform occurs in nature, these elevated levels are commonly used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an indicator of water quality. An area of special concern is the role that improperly maintained, or /ailed, onsite wastewater disposal systems (septic) play in these impaired waters.

There are three main reasons for properly maintaining your system. The first, and perhaps most compelling to some, is cost; poor maintenance can result in repairs or even replacement of a system. These repairs or replacements can cost thousands of dollars, but periodic inspection and pumping will only cost about $150 to $250.

The second reason is the health of your family, community and environment. If a system is not properly maintained, the untreated sewage may seep into wells, groundwater and surface water bodies. This can contaminate the water we all use for drinking and recreation.

The third reason is the health of our local economy. Spartanburg County will have a hard time recruiting and retaining businesses and employees to live and work in our community. Contamination affects quality of life, recreational opportunities, and can lower property values and economic vitality.

It should be mentioned thai having your septic system inspected and the lank pumped out regularly is the single most important action that you can take to protect your system, In order to determine the optimum frequency for having your tank pumped out, have your system professionally inspected on a yearly basis. In addition to this, there arc of course several basic items of daily practice that homeowners should keep in mind-

We should conserve water whenever possible, This of course applies to everyone, whether you are on a septic system or tied into (he municipal sewer system that is maintained by your tax dollars. This means only washing full loads of laundry and running the dishwasher only when completely full. Repair leaking faucets and toilets as soon as possible. It may seem like just a small amount of water lost through leaks, but it really adds up over time. Make sure that the area above your septic drain field does not receive excess water from runoff from your roof, drive way, etc. Keep thorough records of maintenance or repairs of your system just like you would with your vehicle. This can be very useful, especially if you sell your home.

Do not install any impervious surface above your drainfield such as a sidewalk or drive way. Do not compact the soil above your drainfield by driving on it or over it. This could lead to very messy, expensive problems later. It is not recommended to plant anything besides grass on your drainfield due to the threat of root systems interfering with the drain lines. Very importantly, do not use a garbage disposal, or try to limit the use of one. Garbage disposals add a lot of solid waste to your tank, as much an 50 percent, and will shorten the time between pump-outs. Please refrain from poisoning your system and the groundwater by pouring chemicals or other hazardous substances down the drain. Those substances will most likely kill the beneficial bacteria in your tank that handle the all important task of decomposing the waste at the bottom of your tank.