Valley Springs, California septic maintenance company? Foothill Sanitary Septic; driven by our philosophy to never waver in our integrity and honesty and commitment to provide outstanding workman ship, will not perform an inspection without pumping the tank first. The cost of a tank replacement could range between $4,500 to $8,000, so we make sure the job is performed correctly. If we can’t provide a complete evaluation, it is not reasonable or proper to do so. We inspect for signs of any inflow and infiltration. All tanks, risers, inlets and outlets must be water tight as per code. Firstly, if a tank is not water tight, waste water can leave the tank and go straight into the ground without any treatment. Secondly, if waste water can go out, then ground water can come in (this is what is known as I&I).

Never drain your pool or hot tub water into your septic tank system. Chlorine from your pool or hot tub can break down the important solid-busting bacteria in your system, just like household chemicals can. Additionally, adding a large influx of water into your septic tank can cause your drain field to flood. Perform an inspection of your septic tank on a regular basis. The frequency of a septic tank inspection depends on the manufacturer – it can range from three months to three years. Some septic tanks can be inspected by the consumer while others need to be inspected by a technician. In any case, be sure to have your septic tank system evaluated on a frequent basis to catch any minor repairs before they become costly ones.

The most common cause of a failed system is overloading it. This can be caused by the consecutive use of high-volume activities such as laundry, showering, and running the dishwasher. Space out their usage as well as follow water conservation efforts year round. This is particularly important during heavy rain, which can quickly overwhelm a drainfield on its own. Also common are blockages, which can cause pipes to be clogged and the drainfield to overflow. To prevent this, avoid flushing anything besides the three Ps (pee, poop, and toilet paper). “Flushable” wipes and FOG (fats, oils, grease) clog pipes so should be thrown in the trash. Avoid the use of a garbage disposal which can improperly break down debris.

An Evaporative System is used when the soil cannot treat the waste water before it percolates to the water table. This occurs usually in rocky or sandy soils which drain to fast or where the soil absorption is very poor as you would find in heavy clay soils. An evaportanspiration (ET) bed treats the water by using evaportranspiration, which is the loss of water in the soil by both evaporation and transpiration from the plants growing there. The evaportranspiration bed is shallow and can be lined with a liner or unlined. A liner is required if the soil drains so fast the water can’t be treated before it hits the water table. In clay soils the ET can be unlined which also allows disposal through some absorption in the soil. These are often called evaportransition/absorption beds (ETA). Read more information at types of septic system.

Don’t build any structures on top of the drain field. Drain fields work because of evaporation. Any structures, including raised decking, will inhibit the rate of evaporation and slow or even stop the process. Don’t allow excess water to enter the drain field. Runoff from roof drains, sump pumps, and other rainwater drainage systems should be directed away from the drain field. Excess water in the drain field can slow down and even stop the wastewater treatment process. If your septic system is giving off an unpleasant odor or you see visible sewage in the drain field, you’ll know right away there is a septic problem. However, there are a few other signs that many people don’t immediately recognize as a problem.

Kevin Gause is the owner of Foothill Sanitary Septic and Operation Manager for Foothill Portable Toilets which is owned by Leslie Gause. Kevin has over 20 years experience in solid and liquid waste transporting and 17 years experience in handling all aspects of septic, grease and portable toilet services. Kevin’s commitment is to provide all services with the utmost integrity and honesty. By providing quality workmanship and performing the job the way it should be done, customer satisfaction is achieved. Our first-time customers continually become our long term customers time and time again, choosing us for all their septic and portable toilet needs. This commitment is prevalent throughout the company.

Save money by renting a backhoe and installing your own septic system! Stamped, engineered, septic system plans are typically not necessary unless your property percolation test was extreme (greater than 60 minutes per inch or less than 5 minutes per inch); or the site has seasonal groundwater; or there is bedrock or unsuitable soil less than four feet below the proposed leach field; or if the ground slope is in excess of 30% in the area of the proposed leach field. Engineered systems require a local professional engineer to approve (stamp) your site’s septic tank and leach field plans. See more details at Foothill Sanitary.