Septic Inspections and Pumping: Setting a Schedule That Fits Your System

A septic system that gets looked at on a schedule rarely surprises anyone. One that gets ignored tends to announce itself on a holiday weekend. The difference comes down to two habits: regular inspections and pumping at the right interval for your household. Here's how both work, and what to keep on file so the next person who services your system isn't starting from zero.

Inspections every 1 to 3 years

Washington Wastewater Solutions' own guideline is that a septic tank should be inspected regularly, typically every 1 to 3 years. Where you land in that range depends on the size of your tank, the size of your household and your local regulations. Some local authorities require more frequent inspections, so it's worth asking your county health district what applies to your parcel.

What an inspection actually checks

An inspector starts with the tank. That means looking for leaks, cracks, corrosion or other damage to the tank itself, and checking the inlet and outlet baffles and the distribution box if your system has one. The drainfield gets a look too. Saturation, pooling water or odours around the field are signs it isn't absorbing effluent the way it should.

• Tank condition: leaks, cracks, corrosion and wall damage.
• Inlet and outlet baffles: present, attached and doing their job.
• Distribution box: level, intact and splitting flow evenly.
• Drainfield: soggy spots, standing water, smells.
• Pump, floats and alarm, where your system has them.

When the inspection is done, the inspector may suggest a maintenance plan, including recommended pumping intervals and any other tasks that keep the system in good working order. That plan is the useful part. It's built from what's actually in your tank, not from a calendar.

How pumping intervals get set

You'll hear a rule of thumb that tanks need pumping every three to five years. It's a starting point, not a promise. A big family with a lot of laundry fills a tank faster than two people in a small house, and a garbage disposal adds solids that a tank has to hold. The better approach is to have the solids and scum layers checked at an inspection, then set the interval for your tank from what's found there and adjust it as the household changes.

Pumping itself starts with finding and exposing the access lids, which are usually buried under soil or landscaping near the house. A vacuum truck then pulls out the solid waste, sludge and scum. If your lids are hard to reach, ask about access risers. They bring the lids up to grade, and they make every future inspection and pumping faster and cleaner.

Keep in mind that pumping only deals with the tank. It tells you nothing about the drainfield, which is why pumping on its own, with no inspection, can leave you guessing about the part of the system that costs the most to replace.

Keep a septic file

After pumping, the service typically gives you a receipt or documentation with the date of service, the volume pumped and any observations or recommendations. Keep every one. Over a few visits, those pages show how fast your tank fills and whether anything has changed, and they save a technician from having to rediscover your system each time.

• The system design or site plan and the permit, if you have them.
• Every pumping receipt and inspection note, in date order.
• A simple sketch showing where the lids, the tank and the drainfield sit, with distances from the house corners.
• The date each pump, float or alarm was last serviced or replaced.
• Photos of the lids and risers before they get covered by new landscaping.

If you bought your home and nobody handed you any of this, start the file with your first inspection. A good one hands you the sketch and the notes.

When to call sooner than the schedule says

Schedules assume nothing changes. Slow drains, gurgling pipes, a sewage smell, a wet patch over the field or an alarm going off all mean it's time to call now, not at the next interval. A new baby, a long stretch of houseguests, or a move from a part-time cabin to a full-time home also changes how fast the tank fills.

To book an inspection or talk through pumping for your system, call the Selah office at (509) 367-3384 or use the contact page. The office is open Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 3 PM.