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Educate yourself on your system, how it is designed and how it works, and any controls and alarm systems it may have
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Educate yourself on proper septic maintenance, understand what to expect from your service provider
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Educate yourself on the signs of problems and how to troubleshoot those problems, so you know when and who to call for the appropriate service
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Educate yourself on your counties requirements, keep records of service and repairs so that you have documentation regarding the operation and maintenance of your system
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Have your septic system pumped and inspected on a regular schedule - approximately 2-3 years depending on usage, number of people in the home, size of tank, age of system and type of system
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Only put septic friendly material down the drain and just because it says "Septic Safe" does not mean that it should go into the system, some things are very hard to break down and digest and are better suited for compost or the garbage can
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Limit the number of wash loads to 2 or less per day and spread those out during the day, one in the morning and one in the evening
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Fix and repair any and all leaking faucets or running toilets immediately
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Limit the amounts of hazardous chemicals that are put into the system - chemicals like cleaning products, anti-bacterial products, paint, gasoline, pesticides, etc.
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Use liquid detergents - powder detergents have a base of clay, which clogs the pours of your leach field
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Use drier sheets as opposed to liquid softeners - liquid softeners add grease and soap residue to your system
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Keep the leaching field clear of vegetation - mow the grass and weeds over the field regularly and do not plant trees, shrubs, gardens, etc. over or on the field
