If you have a failing septic system, try a tune-up.

We started having problems with our septic this fall.  There is a wet spot in the yard and it has even backed up into the laundry room a few times.  The pumper says our system is shot and needs to be replaced, but it is only 11 years old and we are hoping there is something we can do before paying this guy to dig up our yard.  Thank you in advance for your help.  Donna P. 

This is the standard answer I give to people when they are having problems with their system.  It starts with the obvious and cheaper things first.  In many cases, homeowners get back to me a few months after trying these tricks with the news that their system is now functioning.  These things may help you also.

When most septic systems fail, the tank doesn't fail, the drainfield and the soil around the drainfield fails, and what causes this failure is when solids like lint, grease, toilet paper, etc. plug the pores of the soil/drainfield.  Now water will no longer migrate through the soil and it pools in the area of the system and/or backs up into the house.

Assuming you have a good system, meaning it is a system that will function, but has failed because the soil has plugged, there are a few things you can do to try and correct it before you holler uncle and go for a full replacement.

The first is what I call a tune-up on the system...this is where you have the tanks pumped and inspected (through the inspection cover...not the inspection pipe), then the contractor installs an effluent filter in the tank to prevent any more (larger) solids from reaching the soil. You should then have them jet (clean) the lines in the drainfield if need be. Sometimes gunk can plug 1 or 2 lines causing the effluent to overload the remaining drainfield and the contractor can get a good idea if the drainfield lines need it when they look in the d-boxes (the pipes will full of gunk). 

And as long as they are working on the system you can also have them put a riser on the tank…this will make it easier for future pumping/inspections (and cheaper because they will not have to charge you a digging fee).  You can cover the riser with a www.fakerock.com or some decorative structure like a fake, old-fashioned well-house or windmill. 

However these risers are a safety issue!  The old method was to use concrete.  But the gasses in your tank will eat the concrete causing it to get weak.  In the 1990’s many contractors started using plastic risers and covers, but the problem with plastic is they can get easily damaged when hit with a lawn mower.  There have been several cases over the last few years where a child has stepped on a cover and because the concrete  has rotted away from underneath or the plastic damaged and the cover will no longer "lock" in place, it spins on it’s axis, the kid slides into the tank and the cover slams back shut (see http://www.septicprotector.com/Deathpage.html to read about a few of these cases).  This is where some type of cover is critical…it will protect the cover from damage as well as keep it out of sight from those curious little ones.           

Then you want to treat the drainfield with a dose of Septic Scrub.  Without getting into windy explanations of the chemical processes that take place in a septic system, Septic Scrub (about $250 from www.arcan.com  1-888-35ARCAN) is an environmentally safe peroxide-based treatment that can eliminate the buildup of sulfides in the field.  At the same time it can oxygenate the field allowing the aerobic bacteria to repopulate and help it continue to regenerate.  You pour this treatment right into the distribution box over four days.  And this is one of the few environmentally friendly cleaners available. 

Some contractors may have this stuff already so ask them what they would charge you for it.  Keep in mind, they are going to have to come back four days in a row so they will have to get paid for it.  But if you are a trouper you can do it yourself. 

Also, don't let them talk you into using their secret formula handed down from his grandfather!!!  Although illegal in most areas of the country, some contractors still use harsh acids to clean out drainfields.  These acids may clean the drainfield, but where does that acid go…down into your drinking water supply.  Lots of birth defects and high rates of cancers in areas where these pinheads practice this.            

Sodium (particularly if you have a water softener) can be hard on soils almost turning it into concrete.  You can try a gallon or two of Septic Seep (1-800-372-9637) into the distribution box. This can help condition the soil and reverse any damage caused by sodium (about $40 a gal.  Get 2 gals and try it).  But if you are going to try these treatments, do the Septic Scrub first, and then wait a few weeks before the Septic Seep (the two products can interact lessening their effectiveness).   

From there you install a filter on your washing machine (1-888-873-6505 or http://www.septicprotector.com/Productsandservices.html) to keep the fine solids out of the system and start conserving water and chemicals.

The whole idea is to give the system a chance to heal itself. A septic system is a living organism and has the potential to breakdown some of the solids that have accumulated in the drainfield soil and start working again. But you will have to take it easy on the system for a few months to give the healing process a chance to work. 

Depending on local labor rates (how much the contractor charges to pump the tank, install the effluent filter, jet your lines, install a riser, etc) and the costs of the filters and treatments, you are looking at dropping $700 to $1,500, but keep in mind, the filters and risers are a one-time purchase and you will want them regardless.  Think of it like your car; every now and then you need to get new tires and brakes.  No one likes to spend the cash but it needs to be done.        

If that doesn’t do it you may need to take it a step further and do what I call a super tune-up and this is where you have the soil fractured (Terralifted) as well. Terralifting is a machine that drives a 1" steel probe into the soil in and around the drainfield. Air is then injected under extreme pressure (300 psi). What this controlled explosion does is create thousands of tiny fractures in the soil...these fractures will allow the soil to drain and the bacterial colonies can re-populate. I have used this process in several research projects and it works like a charm. Again you will want to go a little easy on the system until the bacterial colonies re-populate. The big advantages of Terralifting the system is the low cost ($800 to $2,000) vs. a new system and you don't have your yard all dug-up...in fact you usually can't even tell they were there.

Now lets say you get your system working...what you want to do is identify what caused the system to fail in the first place and change those practices to prevent another failure...or you will be back in the same boat again. This is why you want to install washing machine and effluent filters to keep the solids out of the drainfield. You will also want to start having the tank inspected and pumped (when necessary) on a regular schedule.

Of course in some cases these things will not work because you don't have a proper system in the first place.  If your system failed because it is too small, was installed in an underground water table or if you have an old cesspool system (that are outlawed in most areas of the country because they do not do a very good job of treatment) you need a new system, and you find that out when the contractor first does the inspection. 

And in some cases, even if the system does meet code, it may not be worth getting it going again because the tank may be getting weak and ready to cave-in or the pipe in your drainfield is Orangeburg (cardboard soaked in tar) and is going to collapse eventually.  In cases like this you may as well replace the system with modern components.   

Good luck and let me know what you find out...Jim