Our website is in Portuguese, as Ecobacterias is based here in Portugal, but we’ve added this English summary to help the growing number of expats braving the wilds of Portugal, where mains sewage connections are often out of reach!

We supply a septic tank treatment made from natural bacteria and enzymes. Their role is to speed up the natural biological processes. By accelerating the speed of biological material in the septic tank, you will decrease the build-up of solids and keep your tank running smoothly. With regular use, our treatment helps minimise the need for pumping the tank, keeps drainage fields flowing freely and prevents unpleasant odours and blockages.

Our septic tank activator is called Ecofossa and is supplied in 1kg pots. For a typical family of up to 5 people, 1kg of our product is enough to treat a septic tank for a year. Each pot includes a measuring scoop. To use, simply drop a scoop into your toilet and flush. This carries the beneficial bacteria and enzymes directly into your septic tank. The recommended dosage is 1 scoop a day for the first 5 days (to get the bacterial population established) and then one scoop every 2 weeks to maintain the bacterial population in the septic tank.

The most important rules for using a septic tank are that you minimise the usage of bleach (as it will kill all bacteria it comes into contact with and we need them to live in a septic tank) and to avoid flushing any inorganic solids (the main enemy here is wet wipes and sanitary pads, which will just build up in the septic tank until they are pumped away). It is also a good idea to try and avoid too much oil and grease going into the septic tank, so try and clean off the worst of the grease from pans and so on before they go into the washing up. Oil and grease have a very high organic load, so they force the bacteria to work very hard to digest them, which can potentially overload the septic tank system.

The most common reason to use a septic tank activator like ours is to reduce the frequency that a septic tank needs to be pumped out. A well-maintained septic tank with a healthy bacterial population can run for years without needing pumping out, but a problematic septic tank can need pumping a few times every year. By dosing our septic tank treatment, you can pre-empt this problem and save a lot of money in pumping fees.

The other major problem is slow drainage fields, where the solids from the septic tank can block the porosity of the soil into which the septic tank drains and so not allow the septic tank to empty itself naturally. Our bacteria will help to resolve this problem, but it can take a few months to work as these solids will be deep inside the septic tank system and it will take a while for the bacteria to get there and do their work. The other potential problem of smell from septic tanks can also be minimised by ensuring a healthy bacterial population by dosing our product.

You can order our septic tank activator here. We accept Multibanco or MBWay. The price is €32.60, which includes transport and tax. We normally deliver with the courier MRW, but we can use CTT if required. If you would like to pay by bank transfer or have any questions, please contact Charles at charles@ecobacterias.com.