Backing up? Do these four things.
Then call us. Emergencies take priority over everything else on the schedule. Call, and we will tell you honestly when we can get there.
If a tank lid is broken or missing, cover it before you do anything else.
Cannot talk right now?
Send this and we will call you straight back.
Before we get there.
These four things cost nothing and genuinely limit the damage.
Stop running water
No laundry, no dishwasher, no showers, no flushing if you can avoid it. Every gallon you add makes the mess bigger and the clean-up worse.
Keep everyone away from it
Standing water outside is untreated wastewater. Keep children and pets clear of it, and do not walk through it and back into the house.
Cover a broken lid immediately
If a tank lid is cracked or missing, put something solid and heavy over it right now. People and animals fall into septic tanks and it is fatal.
Call us and describe it
Tell us what you are seeing and what was running when it started. That is usually enough for us to know what truck and what parts to bring. If only one fixture is slow, have a plumber check inside the house first — a septic problem shows up in every drain, not one.
A backup is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Pumping the tank clears almost any backup temporarily. That is exactly why a company that only pumps and leaves will be back at your house in six weeks charging you again.
The cause is one of five things: a full tank, a blocked line, a failed pump, a shifted distribution box, or a drain field that has stopped absorbing. We do not pump tanks, so we have no reason to pump it and drive off. We find out which of the five it is, and tell you.
Emergency questions
If yours is not here, just call us — we would rather answer it than have you guessing.
What counts as a septic emergency?
Sewage backing up inside the house, wastewater surfacing in the yard, or a broken or missing tank lid. Those three need a call now. Slow drains, gurgling and a sounding alarm are urgent but not same-minute.
Do you charge more for emergency calls?
After-hours work costs more than a scheduled visit — that is true of every trade. We will tell you what the call-out is before we come, not after.
It is 2am. Should I call or wait until morning?
If it is backing up into the house or surfacing outside, call. If it is a slow drain and you can stop using water, morning is fine and it will cost you less.
What if I cannot afford it right now?
Tell us. There is often a stopgap that makes the situation safe and buys you a couple of weeks, and we would much rather do that than have you living with sewage in the yard.
Do not sit on it.
Septic problems get more expensive every day they are left. A phone call costs nothing and we will tell you honestly how urgent it is.