The Daily Yonder Straight Talk About Rural Septic Systems Instagram has a "#septicsystem" hashtag with 15.4K posts. Okay, they're not as glamorous as pictures of heritage breed chickens. But they remind us of a rural reality: We have to manage our own waste. Share this: A hatch to a septic system spreading underground hides under a blanket of snow. (Photo: Donna Kallner) One day last summer when I was working the U.S. Census, I visited a cluster of homes on a narrow road made narrower by pick-ups parked on both sides. It’s the kind of congestion normally associated with family reunions and graduation celebrations. But this time, what inspired the party atmosphere was a neighbor getting a new septic system.