# Is cleaning your septic tank a Utility Cost?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 17, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096 "2018-07-17T17:26:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096/1 "2018-07-17T17:26:42Z")

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I have a friend who bragged that after he installs solar panels his utility cost will be zero. (he forgot about phone/internet) Assume for a moment that is true for electricity (including his well pump and geothermal heat pump). I mentioned that since he is not on city sewer he has to pay for periodic septic tank cleanouts but he said that he didn’t consider that a utility cost.

While it is not a utility in the Public Utility sense, it is a cost to him for a service (sewage disposal) that is often provided by utilities.

I see arguments either way.

What say the SDMB?

Brian  
(also ignore trash)

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096/2 "2018-07-17T17:41:32Z")

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I’d consider it house maintenance, not utility.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096/3 "2018-07-17T17:53:02Z")

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It doesn’t require a permanent connection to an outside service so I wouldn’t call it a utility. There may be legal precedent on the meaning of ‘utility’ when it comes to lease and rental agreements. If a lease indicated a renter was responsible for utilities I’m not sure that would be interpreted to mean septic system maintenance.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096/4 "2018-07-17T18:02:41Z")

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If you heat with propane, is that a utility cost? (I’d lean towards yes)  
But I would not count replacing the well pump – even though that is a cost related to a service that is often provided by utilities (water).

Brian

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cleaning-your-septic-tank-a-utility-cost/818096/5 "2018-07-17T18:13:59Z")

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> [@Telemark](#):
>
> I’d consider it house maintenance, not utility.

Agreed.