If you have a septic system, be especially careful what you put down the drain. An overabundance of household chemicals such as disinfectants and bleaches will kill the bacteria in your septic tank that are required for decomposition.

Reverse osmosis systems should not be used in conjunction with septic systems. For every 1 gallon of water purified through reverse osmosis, an additional 3 to 5 gallons typically goes into the septic tank. Similarly, garbage disposals add excessive amounts of solids to the wastewater, and are not recommended for use with a septic system.

If you are converting from a septic system to sewer service, instead of filling in the tank, consider cleaning it and converting it to a water reservoir for rainwater collected from the roof. The stored water can be used to irrigate the landscaping. If the old septic sytsem used an electric pump, that can be used to draw water from the tank to the garden.