Septic systems rarely fail without warning. Most of the time the house tells you something is wrong well before sewage shows up where it should not. Learning the signs gives you time to schedule service instead of dealing with a backup.
1. Slow drains everywhere
One slow sink is usually a local clog. When sinks, tubs and showers throughout the house all drain slowly, the problem is more likely downstream in the main line, the tank or the drain field.
2. Gurgling pipes and toilets
Gurgling sounds when you flush or drain water mean air is being forced through a line that is partly blocked or a tank that is full.
3. Sewage odors
A rotten-egg smell near the tank, over the drain field or inside the house is a sign that something is not flowing the way it should.
4. Water backing up
Water coming up in the lowest drain in the house, often a basement floor drain or shower, is a serious sign. Cut back on water use and call for service.
5. Wet spots or pooling over the drain field
Soggy ground or standing water over the field, especially when it has not rained, can mean the field cannot absorb what is being sent to it.
6. Unusually green grass
A strip of lush, bright grass over the drain lines can mean extra wastewater is reaching the surface.
7. It has been years
If you cannot remember the last time the tank was pumped, or you bought the house and never got records, assume it is due. The common guideline is every three to five years for a typical household.
What to do next
Reduce water use: hold off on laundry and long showers, and fix any running toilets. Do not add chemicals or additives hoping to fix the problem. Then call for service. Pumping the tank and looking at it while it is empty is the fastest way to tell whether the issue is the tank, a line or the drain field.
