Things You Need to Know About Your Septic System!!!

If you live or are looking to purchase a property in the county, then you need to know a little bit about septic systems. When buying or selling a home you need to make sure that your home has a large enough septic system. If your home has 4 bedrooms and a septic system that is only functional for 2 bedrooms, then you cannot sell your home as a 4 bedroom house, which can drastically reduce the price of your home.

Here are some other things you need to know about your septic system:

1) What type of septic system do you have?
2) Where is it located?
3) Where is the repair area located?
4) Is the septic system working properly?
5) Has it been maintained in the past?
6) How do you recognize a failing septic system?
7) What maintenance is needed in the future?


Here are some signs of possible septic system problems:

1) Sewage backing up into your toilets, tubs, or sinks.
2) Slowly draining fixtures; particularly after it has rained.
3) The smell of raw sewage accompanied by extremely soggy soil over the drainfield.
4) Sewage discharged over the ground or in nearby ditches or woods. Note, in the LPP system
sewage may come to the ground surface when the pump is turned on and then disappear
after the pump turns off.
5) Broken or cracked white pipes that stick out of the ground in a LPP system.
6) An alarm flashing (red light) or beeping in the house, garage, crawl space, or in the yard
indicating a pump is not working properly.
7) An increase in infections or illnesses associated with swimming in lakes or rivers next to the
system.
8) Water test results indicating the presence of biological contamination or organic chemical
contamination in the groundwater under the system.

More information can be found by contacting your county's Department of Public Health or Environmental Health Division.