Everyone uses running water and flush toilets in their home or work place. The water running down the drain and toilet goes to either a private or community septic system or a public sewer system. If you have a septic system, you have a personal responsibility to maintain it and protect your investment. If you are on sewer, you pay a monthly bill, and someone else manages a treatment plant for your community. No matter how human waste is handled, there are steps you can take to protect your personal investment or the investment your community has made in a treatment plant.