Why is my septic system failing?

That is the question we hear most often on the job. Here is how your septic system actually works, why failures happen, and what you can actually do about it. If you are already seeing high water in the tank or slow drains, septic repair starts with a look at the system, and the quote goes in writing.

How your system works

When you flush, wastewater travels out of your house and straight into your septic tank. As it enters, it hits a baffle that slows the rush of water down.

From there, the waste starts to separate into three layers:

Layer	What it is	Where it sits
Scum	Fats and oils	Floats to the top
Sludge	Heavier organic solids	Sinks to the bottom
Liquid layer	Water with suspended particles that have not settled yet	The middle

The birth of the bio-mat

Eventually, some of those suspended solids flow out of the tank and into your drain field, coating the area where the system meets the soil. This layer is called a bio-mat.

Under normal conditions, healthy bacteria eat away at this bio-mat, allowing water to pass through and absorb safely into the surrounding earth.

Why systems fail

Trouble starts when the bio-mat gets too thick for water to filter through. As water pools up, it cuts off the oxygen supply your bacteria desperately need to survive. Without oxygen, the bacteria slow down, the bio-mat gets even thicker, and the cycle snowballs until, eventually, your toilets start backing up.

Can you fix it?

When we are out pumping tanks, we always look for early warning signs of high water levels. If we catch it early enough, we can sometimes reverse the damage.

Even better, studies show that installing a proper effluent filter can actually improve the health of a struggling system over time. Instead of slowly getting worse every year, a filtered system can actually get a little better, meaning in five years you could still be running the same system instead of buying a brand-new one.

The bottom line: while it takes many years for a system to reach that tipping point, once you spot the first signs of high water, you usually only have about five years (or less) before a total failure. When a field is past saving, the answer is a new septic system, and we tell you which it is before anything is quoted.

Frequently asked questions

What are the first signs that a septic system is failing?

High water in the tank is the earliest sign we see, usually at a pump-out and well before anything shows in the house. Later come slow drains and, eventually, toilets that back up. If you see any of these, call (574) 254-7667 and we look at the system.

What is a bio-mat?

A bio-mat is the layer of suspended solids that leaves the tank and coats the soil where the drain field meets the ground. In a healthy system, bacteria eat away at it and water passes through. When it grows too thick, water pools, the bacteria lose their oxygen, and the field stops absorbing.

Can a failing drain field be saved?

Sometimes. If high water is caught early, usually during a pump-out, the damage can be reversed in some systems. An effluent filter installed in the tank can improve a struggling field over time. Once the field is past that point, repair or replacement is the honest answer, and we tell you which before quoting.

Does an effluent filter really help?

Studies show a proper effluent filter can improve the health of a struggling system over time instead of letting it get a little worse every year. It keeps more suspended solids in the tank and out of the drain field, which is where the bio-mat forms. The filter gets cleaned at each pump-out.

How long do I have once the water runs high?

It takes many years for a system to reach the tipping point, but once you spot the first signs of high water you usually have about five years, sometimes less, before a total failure. That window is the time to fix what can be fixed, starting with a look at the tank and the field.

Is this what ASAP Poop charges for a repair?

No. This post explains why systems fail, not what a repair costs. Every system and every drain field is different, so we look at yours and put the repair quote in writing before any work starts. Call (574) 254-7667 to set up a visit.