A septic tank is commonly used in rural areas where there is no connection to the main sewerage system and, according to the American Ground Water Trust, around a third of American homes are serviced by a septic tank. The tank will be buried somewhere near your home and the waste is delivered to it via a pipe leading from the house. If you have a septic tank, it is important to keep it clean and in good order because if your tank develops a serious problem, it can be expensive to fix.
Unscrew the lid on top of the filter unit to expose the filter. Wearing the gloves and goggles, pull the filter out. Attach the hose to a faucet and hose down the filter until there is no waste left on it. Make sure that the water always is facing away from you as you do this. Replace the filter and screw down the lid.