Updated: May 18, 2022
By Cornell Cooperative Extension

Household Chemicals and Your Septic System

The average American household generates 55 to 75 gallons of waste water per person per day. Sources include toilets, showers, sinks, dishwashers, and washing machines. The diversity of sources means that household wastewater contains a variety of biological and chemical constituents found in sewage, food waste, and assorted household products that are washed or poured down the drain. For nearly one quarter of American households, these constituents immediately enter a septic system when waste water leaves the home.

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