What is one consequence of excessive use of water in a septic system?

Excessive use of water in a septic system can lead to an increased risk of tank overflow. When a septic tank is overwhelmed with water, it may not have enough capacity to handle the incoming wastewater. This can result in the tank filling up too quickly, leading to an overflow situation where untreated sewage spills out of the tank and into the surrounding environment. This not only poses a risk to public health but can also contaminate groundwater and surface water.

Other outcomes of excessive water use, such as quicker leach field saturation and reduced microbial activity, are related but do not directly result in the immediate and critical issue of overflow. While quicker saturation can affect the system's operation and efficiency over time, they are not as direct and immediate as the risk of overflow that excessive water creates.