Septic System Disasters: Cautionary Tales from the Tank
Happy SepticSmart Week! While this is a fun week for those who work with and care about septic systems, it exists because not every septic system user knows how to properly maintain their systems. Simple mistakes in basic septic care can lead to disastrous consequences that can cost a lot of time and money to fix, and possibly seriously endanger human and environmental health.
To demonstrate just how much seemingly simple decisions can turn things south for a septic system, we collected a set of stories from our partners in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SepticSmart Week planning committee that we are sharing below. These brief stories clearly illustrate how a failure to follow the SepticSmart tips can turn disastrous.
First, here are the SepticSmart tips that all septic users need to follow, per the EPA:
- Think at the Sink: What goes down your drain has a big impact on your septic system. Avoid harsh chemicals and use cleaners or detergents in moderation.
- Don’t Strain Your Drain: Use water efficiently and stagger use of water-based appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, to avoid a backup of your septic system into your house.
- Keep It Clean: If you have a well, many things can contaminate your drinking water, such as a failing septic system. Test your well water regularly.
- Shield Your Field: Tree and shrub roots, cars, and livestock can damage your drainfield.
- Protect It and Inspect It: Regular septic system maintenance can save homeowners thousands of dollars and protect public health.
- Don’t Overload the Commode: A toilet is not a trash can. Disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, cat litter, and much more can damage your septic system.
- Pump Your Tank! Ensure your septic tank is pumped at regular intervals as recommended by a professional, and/or local permitting authority.
•
The “Flushable” Wipe Myth
We’ve all seen them on store shelves: the wipes labeled as “flushable.” They seem convenient, but the truth is that these wipes do not break down like toilet paper, and they wreak havoc on municipal sewers and private septic systems alike. One Michigan homeowner discovered how detrimental “flushable” wipes can be for a septic system after they noticed slow drains throughout their house during a wet spring.
A quick look into the septic tank clearly showed that sewage had risen above the normal operating level, an early sign of trouble. The issue lingered into the summer, leading the homeowners to call in a licensed septage hauler, who found something surprising: The outlet baffle and sludge levels in the tank were perfectly fine. But a single flushable wipe had blocked the vent on the outlet baffle — which restricted air flow and prevented the tank from draining properly.
The homeowners figured a guest must have flushed the wipe, which was then shot straight across the tank onto the vent by the sewage ejector pump. Luckily, this issue was caught in time to prevent permanent damage. And remember, this was only a single wipe — imagine what happens when wipes are consistently flushed!
The SepticSmart Takeaways: Think at the Sink and Don’t Overload the Commode! “Flushable” means the wipe can go down a toilet drain, but not necessarily that it should. Only flushing human waste and toilet paper will prevent significant clogs and damage to all wastewater systems! To address this issue, Michigan has passed a state law that bans manufacturers from marketing such wipes in Michigan as “flushable.”
Source: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
The Canal House Catastrophe
One group of college roommates got more than they bargained for when they rented a seemingly perfect house in Hilo, Hawai‘i. The house was tucked right next to a quiet canal with tropical vibes, was walking distance to town, and most importantly had decent rent. A few months into the lease, the roommates noticed a strange smell coming from the basement bathroom. Then, the toilet backed up and flooded the entire area — an outcome very few college students are prepared to handle.
Once the landlord brought in a plumber, it was discovered that the septic system was way out-of-date and hadn’t been pumped for an undetermined period of time. Unfortunately, these are perfect ingredients for a septic mess. The home’s owner covered the repairs and put the tenants up in a hotel in the meantime. While unpleasant, the roommates did learn a valuable lesson in why being SepticSmart matters and why renters need to know exactly who is responsible for septic maintenance when they sign the lease!
The SepticSmart Takeaways: Pump Your Tank and Protect It & Inspect It! When septic systems are ignored and not pumped on a regular basis, the results can cause very real health risks and property damage.
Source: Hawai‘i State Department of Health
The Importance of Knowing Your Drainfield Location
“Measure twice, cut once.” A manufactured home community in Vermont once learned how crucial this old bit of wisdom is to septic maintenance after a site survey conducted by engineers revealed that a significant portion of the drainfield had not been maintained due to an oversight in recording the system dimensions.
You can see the consequences in the image above: Trees and brush completely overtook sections of the drainfield as roots searched for water and invaded the field’s pipes. The arrows in the image point to roots blocking the distribution box exits, which drastically cut the flow of effluent into the drainfield. If this hadn’t been discovered, eventually the system would have backed up and created serious public health hazards. Thankfully, though, this community was able to act in time to have local contractors replace the damaged pipes and install new distribution boxes.
Additionally, encroaching trees and vegetation were removed, and the area was reseeded. This helps to ensure that proper maintenance will continue over the entire drainfield area and lowers the risk of future root invasion problems. The photo above shows the freshly repaired drainfield!
The SepticSmart Takeaway: Shield Your Field! In order to do so, you need to know exactly what the field dimensions are, so get out there and measure them right!
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
Too Much for the Tank: A Costly Lesson in Home Renovations
A septic company in Nebraska once got a call from a homeowner who had purchased their home only less than a year prior. Their septic system had just failed and the quoted replacement was going to be very large and very expensive: It was estimated at over $25,000! The homeowner did not understand why this had happened or why the expansive new system was necessary — the failed system had been less than five years old.
After some conversation, it was discovered that the new homeowner had added a full basement apartment for their in-laws, which included an extra bathroom, a laundry room, and a full kitchen. In addition, they had also added not one, but two full house reverse osmosis systems to the property, both of which were emptying into the septic tank. The 1,500 gallon septic system was completely overwhelmed by all of these new influent sources that it was not equipped to handle. None of the system was salvageable, and the required larger system was installed in a different area of the property.
The SepticSmart Takeaways: Don’t Strain Your Drain! Septic tank capacity follows a strict formula, typically depending on the number of bedrooms and occupants of a house, but additional elements like reverse osmosis systems and multiple laundry rooms can overwhelm a tank too. Check out our past blog post on tank pumping for information on determining the correct tank size for a household.
Source: National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association
A Tough Way to Discover the Drainfield Matters Too
Another family in Nebraska were having septic system issues and eventually were told their drainfield needed to be replaced. They called the Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy and asked for an inspection to verify if that was true. The inspector found that everything was fine with the tank — everything was properly secured, and the homeowners had made an effort to conceal the tank with lawn decor items that were not heavy but prevented anyone from walking on or mowing over the tank lid. Then, they moved on to the drainfield.
The drainfield was located at the edge of the field, just past the tree line at the edge of the lawn. The homeowners had been so careful about their septic tank, but it was immediately obvious that tractors and farming equipment were being turned around right over the top of the drainfield. There were deep tire marks everywhere. The inspector had to tell them that yes: they very much needed to have their drainfield replaced. And they would need to be just as careful about taking care of their drainfield as they were about their tank!
The SepticSmart Takeaway: Shield Your Field! It’s just as important to take care of every part of a septic system as it is to take care of the tank. There is potential for serious septic catastrophes at every point of the system.
Source: National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association
•
We hope the various capacities for septic system horror stories is clear based on these stories. But don’t let homeowners forget: Following the seven simple SepticSmart tips can prevent a good deal of such stories from happening. Share this compilation of quick tip videos explaining how to best follow each rule, and you’ll be doing an important part of spreading the SepticSmart Week message!
This blog post was created by DecentralizedWastewater.org, a program of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which is a subgrantee of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (a partner of the Decentralized MOU). This post reflects the views of the contributors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the federal government.