Septic questions and answers

We are based in Dripping Springs and work across the western Hill Country: Driftwood, Wimberley, Henly, Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Spicewood, Southwest Austin and Johnson City. Our focus is homes on septic, which usually means rural properties, acreage and subdivisions outside city sewer. If you are not sure whether we reach your address, call and we will tell you.

Look for spray heads in the yard, a control panel or alarm box mounted on the house or a post, and a chlorinator tube near the tanks. If you have those, you have an aerobic system. A conventional system usually has only a tank lid or two and an underground drain field with nothing visible above ground. Your county permit records can also tell you what was installed and when.

Stop using water right away: no flushing, showers, laundry or dishwasher. Keep children and pets away from the affected area. If you have an aerobic system and the alarm is on, check the breaker. Then call for emergency service. Backups usually mean a full tank, a blocked line or a failed pump, and all of them get worse the more water goes down the drain.

Yes. Saturated ground cannot absorb effluent, and surface water can seep into tanks through loose lids or cracks. After big Hill Country storms, it is common to see alarms, slow drains or pooling over the field. Cut back on water use for a few days, keep gutters and runoff away from the system, and call for service if problems last after the ground dries.

Contact us to describe the job. For repairs and replacements, we generally need to see the system before giving a firm price, because the cause and the ground conditions make a big difference. For routine pumping and maintenance, we can usually give you an idea of cost over the phone once we know the tank size and access.

Many tanks need pumping every three to five years, but the right interval depends on tank size, how many people live in the home and how the system is used. Homes with garbage disposals, frequent guests or short-term rental use fill up faster. Aerobic systems also need their tanks pumped when inspections show sludge building up. The safest approach is to have sludge levels measured and set a schedule from that, instead of waiting for a backup.

Flushable wipes (they are not septic safe), paper towels, feminine products, grease and cooking oil, coffee grounds, cat litter, paint, solvents and medications. Large amounts of bleach or antibacterial cleaners can also kill the bacteria the system depends on. Normal household cleaning in normal amounts is fine. When in doubt, put it in the trash.

For most homes they are not necessary. A healthy system gets all the bacteria it needs from normal household waste. Additives do not replace pumping, and some products can stir up solids and push them into the drain field. If you are thinking about an additive because of a problem, have the system inspected first, since the cause is usually something an additive cannot fix.

If your lids are buried, risers are usually worth it. They bring the access openings up to the surface, so pumping and inspections are faster and you are not paying for digging every visit. Many newer systems are installed with risers already. Riser lids should be secure and childproof, since an open tank is a serious safety hazard.

For the first two years, yes. New aerobic systems in Texas come with an initial two-year maintenance contract with a provider licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). After that, the system must still be maintained. Most owners renew a contract, and some counties, including Hays, let homeowners who complete approved training maintain certain systems themselves. Your permitting office tracks this, and lapsed maintenance can cause problems at inspection or sale.

On most aerobic systems, the alarm means either the air pump has stopped or the water level in the pump tank is too high. Common causes include a tripped breaker, a failed aerator, a stuck float, a failed pump or a lot of water entering at once after heavy rain or several loads of laundry. Check the breaker first and cut back on water use. If the alarm does not clear within a few hours, call for service.

Most spray systems use calcium hypochlorite tablets made for wastewater use. Pool and spa tablets are usually trichlor, a different chemical that is not approved for septic chlorinators and can be dangerous if mixed with calcium hypochlorite. Some systems use liquid chlorine or other disinfection methods, so follow the instructions for your unit or ask your maintenance provider.

The pump may not be running, the timer or float may be faulty, the heads may be clogged with debris or chlorine residue, or a line may be broken. Many systems spray at night on a timer, so first check that they run during the scheduled time. If they still do not spray, or water is pooling around a head, the system needs service.

It is not always required by law, but it is strongly recommended, and many lenders require one. VA, FHA and USDA loans often call for the septic system to be evaluated. Even with a conventional loan, an inspection during your option period can uncover a failing drain field or broken aerobic unit before you are responsible for it. Schedule early, because pumping and access can take time.

Most residential inspections take a few hours on site, depending on how easy the tank lids are to find and open and whether the tank needs pumping as part of the inspection. Older properties with buried lids and no records can take longer. Written findings usually follow shortly after. Plan the visit early in your option period so there is time to act on the results.

Find out what type of system you have, where the tank and dispersal area are, and when it was last pumped. Pull the permit records from the county if you can. For aerobic systems, make sure a maintenance contract is in place in your name. A baseline inspection and pumping gives you a clean starting point and a record for the future.

The rules come from TCEQ, but permits are issued locally by an authorized agent. Most of Hays County is handled by Hays County Development Services. Unincorporated Travis County is handled by Travis County, and the City of Austin handles septic within its own jurisdiction. Blanco and Burnet Counties have their own offices. Some cities have their own programs too, so always confirm with the office that covers your address.

It varies widely. A new system can run from several thousand dollars for a simple conventional design to well over twenty thousand for an engineered aerobic system on a rocky, sloped lot. Site evaluation, design, permit fees, rock excavation, the size of the home and the dispersal method all affect the price. The only reliable number comes from a site-specific design and estimate.

Possibly, but you must meet setback distances from tanks, lines and the dispersal area, and adding bedrooms may require a bigger system. Many counties require a review or permit modification before the work starts. Locate the system and check setbacks before you design the project, because moving a spray field or tank is expensive.

A well-maintained conventional tank can last for decades, and drain fields often last twenty years or more when they are not overloaded. Aerobic units have parts that wear out sooner, like air pumps, effluent pumps and spray heads, but those can usually be replaced without replacing the whole system. Regular service is the single biggest factor in lifespan.