let's face it, onsite sewerage treatment system (septic system) designers, installers, and maintenance people don't get a lot of respect. but they do provide indispensible services to those of us living in rural areas. so, while (not unlike real estate agents) they may not be the most generally well respected or glamorous of careers (i've never seen a septic tank pumper or a real estate agent interviewed on oprah or an evening talk show in between brad pitt and steven spielberg) their services are critical to a healthy rural ecosystem. understandably for many folks raised in an urban environment the disposition of household waste is, like may things, a "black box" concept. when in goes down the drain, it's gone. but, it hasn't disappeared from the cosmos. it's gone somewhere with all the attendant impacts on the cosmos. so, for all you naïve urbanites or newbie ruralites who were ever curious about household waste disposal, just plain curious, mystery lovers, or simply wanting to be responsible rural citizens and good neighbors, below are some links to a primer on where, why, and how it goes, a mystery to challenge even sherlock holmes.

on a more practical real estate related note, in kitsap county, washington a new kitsap county board of health ordinance, effective september 1, 2008, requires that " ... all developed properties that utilize an onsite sewerage treatment system ('septic system') have the system inspected and evaluated through the kitsap county health district prior to conveying the property to a new owner ...". so, that means if and when you sell your property in kitsap county you do have to give your system some attention.    

for a primer on onsite sewerage treatment systems check out the following. the source for both is the kitsap county washington health district web site.

homeowners' guide to onsite sewerage treatment systems: http://www.kitsapcountyhealth.com/environmenta_health/onsite/docs/om_manual.pdf

inspection and evaluation of onsite sewerage systems for property conveyance - frequently asked questions: