Hi, we bought a house about four and a half years ago that had been hooked up to city sewer a few months before that. It has the septic tank emptied but still in place. Is it safe to plant a vegetable garden after all this time? It had been on septic for about 25 years with multiple owners/renters.
Depends on what the previous owners put into the septic tank. Normal biodegradable wastes will be OK by now, but if they ever put any persistent poisons in (e.g. stuff to stop roots clogging the piping; also some detergents, soaps, toilet cleaners, etc.), they could cause problems.
