What To Do When Things Go Wrong With Your Septic System

What Is a Septic System?

Don’t Panic if Your Toilet Won’t Flush

1. 1

   Put a Halt to Hairballs in the Shower

   Put a screen over the drain to prevent hairballs from forming and blocking the drain, and clean the screen as often as needed.

2. 2

   Avoid Yuck in the Yard

   If it smells like sewage, it probably is. Don’t touch it, don’t let your kids play in it and don’t let your pets drink it. Call your local septic installer or septic tank pumper for assistance.

3. 3

   Don’t Rush the Flush

   Put personal care products, wipes and other nondegradable items in the garbage. Even with an effluent filter in your septic tank, you can still plug it with the wrong things going into the toilet.

4. 4

   Tackle the Tank

   Every three to five years, have your tank pumped by a licensed septic tank pumper. Follow the pumper’s recommendations based on how much sludge they pumped out to help your tank work its best. If you have more than one tank, both should be pumped.

5. 5

   Skip the Sewage Blues

   If your sink drain is moving slower than a sloth, try a plunger. It may be something you dumped from breakfast — like fat, oil or grease. Wipe pans with fat, oil or grease in them before rinsing with hot water or washing.
   Want to know where your septic is located or how old it is? Contact your local health department. Have questions about which onsite septic treatment systems or effluent filters are certified? Visit our wastewater listings database.