Sewage question???

You likely have a septic tank and leach field. You need to keep the leach field in good repair i.e. free of debris and plants, especially those with deep roots and/or which provide lots of shade. The septic tank needs to be pumped of paper regularly or you will end up with sewage coming from your toilets and sinks into your house. The definition of "regularly" depends on the size of your tank and the number of people in your house. Some people pump annually, some every couple of years, some less frequently. In my opinion, the minimal cost to pump your septic tank every year or two is worth it to avoid inopportune unpleasantness, by which I mean sewage backing-up into the house on a Friday evening of a long weekend. Lastly, never put anything but body waste and toilet paper in your toilet. This is a hassle for women, but I know several people who have had expensive septic problems from flushed tampons.

meowruff,
Thanks for the question...can I add one? I've inhereted my family house and have no clue as to where the leach field and septic are. Who could I ask about this since I can't get the 'blueprints' for it (house was orig. built maybe in the late 40's-early 50's)?

I don't know how to determine a leach field without a dye test. A dye test involves flushing dye tablets down your toilets and drains, and then running water until the dye surfaces on your leach field. These tests use a lot of water and are commonly performed in locations with well and septic; I have never heard of the test being done with cistern water because so much water is expended during the test. Perhaps if you call one of the individuals who pumps septic tanks, they can point you in the direction of someone who can ascertain the location of a leach field without using up your cistern water. I know in the states the location of a leach field is frequently part of the county records (building permit), but VI bureaucracy being what it is, I wouldn't count on being able to get leach field location information from the VI government.

meowruff, SunshineCruzan,

Just some basics for you, to get you familiar with septic systems.... there is lots of info online... here is just the first site that I came across:

http://extension.umd.edu/environment/Water/files/septic.html

Realize that the leach field is typically on the order of 30 ft by 60 ft (it's not 5 ft by 5 ft). So, if your land has only one grass clearing on this scale then it's probably the leach field.

Thank you for all of the information. I looked online and found much of the same information, but I also know that there are many "special" ways things are handled here. But, I appreciate the assistance.