• Soft spots in the soil around the septic tank or disposal field

• Septic odors in or around the house

• Patches of unusually vibrant vegetation above the leach field

• Strange noises and gurgling in the plumbing lines

• Slow draining plumbing fixtures

• Complete backup of the plumbing in the house

If you fail to pump your tank on schedule, the solids will accumulate in the tank, reducing the tank’s holding capacity. Finally, the solids will reach the pipe that feeds into the drain field, causing a blockage.

Once your outlet pipe or leach field pips are clogged, homeowners may see some of the following symptoms:

• Smell of sewage in the yard

• Swampy areas over the drain field

• Bright green, healthy grass over the drain field

• Waste water backing up into the house.

• Lowest drains in the house become slower

It doesn’t take long for these problems to become critical. Most homeowners find that the only way to solve this problem is to call in a professional.

The average household septic system should be inspected at least every three years by a septic service professional. Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years.

These are the major factors that influence how often to pump your septic system:

• Household size

• Total wastewater generated

• Volume of solids in wastewater

• Septic tank size

A septic system failure causes untreated sewage to be released and transported to where it should not be. This may cause sewage to come to the surface of the ground around the tank or the drainfield or to back up in pipes in the building. The sewage could also find its way into groundwater, surface water or marine water without us ever seeing it. The sewage carries pathogens and other dangerous contaminants. Exposure to these pathogens and contaminants can make people and animals sick. They can also contaminate water sources and make them unsafe for drinking, swimming, shellfish harvesting and agricultural uses.

Your septic tank is home to an array of microbes, including various kinds of bacteria, nematodes, and fungi. Since solid materials need to remain within the septic tank to prevent clogging the drainage field and causing serious backup, they must be removed with the use of septic pumping trucks. What may be surprising is how infrequently pumping is needed (typically only once every 3-5 years).

This infrequency is all thanks to the vast colonies of microorganisms living within the tank. These work non-stop to break down waste materials, converting much of the solids into liquids that join the stream of effluent and gases that simply dissipate through the soil or leach field. A healthy bacterial environment is vital to maintaining septic system health. Without it, you would be faced with frequent maintenance and nasty, inconvenient issues.

Just as your own body processes the solids and liquids you eat and drink, these helpful bacteria further digest and break down the organic waste deposited into the septic tank. Naturally occurring and able to thrive both with and without oxygen, these sturdy microbes work together to further process our waste before it can be sent out of the tank and into the drainfield.

The very act of using the septic tank as intended encourages bacterial growth. You do not need to purchase septic tank bacteria. Instead, use the tank for its intended purpose and let bacterial colonies take over. Under their direction, solid waste is transformed into liquid or gaseous waste, thereby creating more space in your tank to prevent overfilling. These tiny microbes keep your system running as smoothly as possible.

To maintain the bacteria balance in your septic tank, it is imperative to have it regularly pumped and inspected. Solids that are not digested by the bacteria will start to accumulate in your tank, which will need to be pumped out. An inspection is also necessary every three years or so to make sure all your system components are in good shape.

A septic system is a dedicated on-site wastewater treatment structures, typically relied on by properties situated in rural areas with no centralized sewer system access available. These systems use a combination of nature and reliable technology to treat wastewater from the household’s plumbing coming from its bathrooms, kitchen drains and laundry. Simple yet effective, these tank-and-soil absorption systems remove solid matter from wastewater and send the treated wastewater into the ground, where filtration, helpful microbial activity, and time all work together to render clean water safe for release to the environment.

Over time, sludge will build up in the bottom of the tank. Even though bacteria does help control the amount of sludge in the bottom of the tank, these bacteria cannot break down sludge fast enough to completely eliminate sludge and keep the tank clean. When the tank is pumped, the sludge is removed and the tank is emptied.

On the day of your appointment, a licensed technician will come to your home and locate the lid of your septic tank. Then, using specialized equipment, they will remove the lid and place a vacuum pump inside. That pump will suck up any liquid, solid waste, or sludge that’s sitting in your septic tank.

After the tank has been thoroughly cleaned out, they will flush out all of the outlets and filters that connect to the drain field before replacing the lid.