Odds are, if you live in a rural part of the U.S., you’re not going to be connected to a municipal water and sewer system — and that means your water will come from a well and your bodily waste will get deposited into a septic tank. It’s the latter that we’re going to talk about here. Because while septic tanks do the job of breaking down human waste pretty well on their own, sometimes they need help, and that’s where we find ourselves, as homeowners, asking about the best septic tank treatments.
Septic tanks utilize good bacteria and enzymes to break down human waste and toilet paper (those are the only things that should be flushed down a toilet if you have a septic system!). Think of it almost like re-digesting the solids before sending it to a distribution box (D-box) and then out into a leaching field. Every home is going to be a little different in terms of what it needs to make this happen — the size of the home (and subsequent size of the septic tank), the layout of the land, and other things are factors.
If something isn’t working right, then you can get stuck with clogs and the buildup of gasses. A good septic tank treatment can add millions or billions of active bacteria to the septic tank to help restore its balance and get it working properly again. After all, septic repairs are not cheap — I had to get my leaching field redone a few years ago, and it cost several thousands of dollars.
Regardless of whether you use a septic tank treatment, it is worthwhile to get your tank inspected by a professional every three to five years. Likely, it’ll need to be pumped, though we’ve been able to go even longer without requiring pumping. It all depends on how big your family is compared to the tank size and whether you carefully adhere to not putting anything besides waste and toilet paper down the drain (things like cat litter, feminine hygiene products, and paper towels don’t break down naturally and can cause clogs).
If you do need to give your septic systems a little boost, here are 5 of the best septic tank treatments that we’ve come across:
Green Gobbler Septic Saver Pacs
The Green Gobbler Septic Saver is formulated to digest grease, fats, oils, paper, and organic matter to keep your sewer line and septic tank clear. It also helps to reduce odors — no matter how obnoxious they are! Each bag of Septic Saver contains six water-soluble packs; to use, simply drop and flush one pack into your downstairs bathroom toilet once a month for preventive septic tank maintenance.
Green Gobbler offers 30-day money back guarantee.
Rid-X Septic Tank Treatment Enzymes
This is the brand you’ll see advertised most on television, and in our experience, these enzyme pacs work well! Rid-X helps to prevent septic backups by continuously breaking down household waste — the natural bacteria and advanced enzymes start working immediately to attack paper, protein, oils, and grease. One pouch of is a one-month dose for septic tanks between 700 and 1,500 gallons. To use, just place a pouch in your toilet and flush.
Instant Power 1868 Septic Shock
Septic Shock clears clogged, foul-smelling septic systems and helps to digest soap, paper and grease. Pouring two liters (one container) directly into the toilet and flushing adds millions of beneficial bacteria to the process.
This product contains lipase (grease), protease (protein), cellulose (paper), and alpha amylase bacterial/enzyme strains to dissolve system clogging matter.
Bio-Tab for Septic Systems
This environmentally safe septic tank treatment is a non-corrosive and non-poisonous product that will not harm plumbing or septic systems. Each container has a year’s supply (14 no-mess tablets), with a handy calendar on the lid to track your monthly usage. Bio-Tab is composed of organisms deemed safe by the EPA and is non-toxic to humans and animals.
Walex Bio-Active Drop-Ins Septic Additive
This once-monthly package is safe for all types of plumbing and is eco-friendly — simply drop in the toilet and flush. Each packet releases billions of bacteria and septic specific enzymes per dose to help prevent backups and to work to dissolve solids. Use of Bio-Active restores the biological population of good worker bacteria and enzymes, which reduce solids. Each box has 12 packets — a year’s supply.
This article was originally published March 21, 2021, and was updated November 30, 2022.
