Septic Tank Pumping in the Four Corners: What to Know

A septic system is one of those things you don't think about until it makes you think about it. When it's working you never see it, and when it isn't, you find out in the yard, the bathroom or both. The good news is that most septic trouble is preventable with one thing: pumping the tank before it's full. Here's how the system works and how to know when yours is due.

What's going on inside the tank

Everything that leaves your house through the drains runs into a buried tank. Inside, the wastewater separates into three layers. Heavy solids settle to the bottom and become sludge. Fats, oils and light solids float to the top and form a layer of scum. Between those two sits a middle layer of relatively clear liquid. Bacteria in the tank break down some of the solids, but not all of them, so the sludge and scum layers slowly grow.

The clearer middle layer flows out of the tank into the drain field, also called the leach field: a set of perforated pipes buried in the soil. The soil does the final treatment as the water soaks in. This is why the tank has to be kept from filling up with solids. Sludge or scum that carries over into the drain field clogs the soil and the pipes, and a clogged drain field is the expensive part of a septic system to fix.

How often to pump

A common rule is every two to three years, though the real interval depends mostly on two things: the size of the tank and how much the system is used. A large tank serving two people can go longer than a small tank serving a family of six. A household with a garbage disposal, a lot of laundry or frequent guests will fill the tank faster. A commercial property sees the same effect: event venues and commercial offices put heavy and uneven loads on a system, and they tend to need a schedule built around actual use, not a calendar rule of thumb.

If you've just moved into a home with septic and don't know when it was last pumped, assume it's overdue and have it checked. Ask the previous owner for records if you can.

Signs the tank is due

• Slow drains throughout the house, not just one sink.
• Gurgling sounds in the pipes when you flush or run water.
• Sewage odors indoors or near the tank and drain field.
• Wet, spongy or unusually green patches of grass over the drain field, especially when the weather has been dry.
• Toilets that flush slowly or back up.
• Standing water or soggy ground near the tank lid.

Any one of these deserves a call. Several at once means you've waited past the point where pumping is routine. If sewage is coming up in the house or yard, treat it as an emergency, keep people and pets away from it, and call right away.

Protecting the drain field between visits

Pumping handles what builds up inside the tank. What you send into it matters too. A few habits keep a system healthy for years:

• Spread laundry across the week instead of doing five loads on Saturday, so the tank isn't flooded all at once.
• Keep grease, coffee grounds and food scraps out of the sink.
• Flush toilet paper and human waste only. Wipes labeled flushable do not break down the way paper does.
• Don't drive or park on the tank or drain field, and keep deep-rooted trees away from the lines.
• Fix leaking toilets and faucets, since a steady trickle can overload the field.

Harsh chemical cleaners and a lot of bleach can upset the bacteria in the tank. Use them sparingly.

What a pump-out looks like

A vacuum truck pulls up, the crew locates and opens the tank lid, and the hose removes the sludge, the scum and the liquid. A good crew will look at the tank's condition while it's empty, checking the baffles and the inlet and outlet. They'll tell you if something looks cracked, corroded or backed up, which is information you'd never get otherwise. The visit is usually quick, and then you're set for another stretch.

Make sure the lid is easy to find. If you don't know where the tank is, tell the crew what you do know and they can often locate it. Marking the lid with a flag or a small stone saves time at every service.

Septic service from the Flora Vista office

American Waste Removal serves the Four Corners area from our Flora Vista office, with septic tank pumping for homes, event venues and commercial offices. To schedule a pump-out or to ask about a tank you're not sure about, call the Four Corners line at (505) 334-4018. For an emergency, such as a septic system backing up, call (505) 344-0177 at any hour.