Household septic systems should be inspected annually by a licensed septic contractor and your tank could need pumping anywhere from annually to five years, depending on the number of people in the household and the size of the tank.

Known as emptying, syphoning or pumping; removing septic waste can vary in cost depending on the septic company, the size of the tank and how far the septic is from the septic pumping truck (may be restricted to a driveway for example).

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There are several ways to find your septic system lid, including:

Visual Inspection - look around your yard, look for very green patches of grass or wet patches.

Poke The Ground - poking the ground every few feet with a metal probe/locator tool can help find the septic lid (which can be from 4 inches to a foot deep).

Follow Piping - Go to your basement or crawl space, and then look for the main sewer line that leads to your septic tank. Look for a pipe that's roughly four inches in diameter, then go outside to look on the other side of the wall and follow the direction it’s pointing in.

Biodegradable toilet paper is the best type to use if you have a septic system as it will break down easier and faster than standard toilet paper.

Common signs a septic tank is full include slow drainage, bad odours, pooling of water, sewer backup, difficulty flushing toilets, gurgling sounds from pipes and an overly green or fast-growing lawn.

Once your septic is pumped out there’s nothing more you need to do aside from continue to use your toilets, showers, sinks and basins as normal.

If your septic tank is full soon after being pumped it could be a sign that your drainfield isn’t working properly and there’s back-up in the system that needs to be removed.

It’s best to have a trained septic system professional to inspect it asap.