Is sewage in the house dangerous?

Sewage can carry bacteria and viruses. Keep people and pets away, wear gloves if you must touch anything, and clean affected areas thoroughly after the problem is fixed. Large spills may call for a professional cleanup company.

Why did my system back up after heavy rain?

Saturated soil can stop a drain field from absorbing water, and surface water can seep into tanks and lids. The system may recover as the ground dries, but repeated problems after rain point to a drain field or drainage issue that should be inspected.

Should I call a plumber or a septic company?

If only one fixture is slow, a plumber may clear the clog. If several drains are slow or backing up, or there is an alarm or odor near the tank, call a septic company.

Does fixing a septic emergency need a permit?

Pumping and small repairs usually do not. Larger repairs and drain field or tank replacement often do. Check with the Maricopa County health department, or ask the septic company to handle permits for you.

Septic Backup or Alarm in Phoenix? Get Help Fast

A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Phoenix home, an alarm is sounding on your pump tank, or wastewater is pooling in the yard. The first goal is to stop adding water and get a septic company on the way.

Request a call and a company that serves Phoenix and Glendale, Paradise Valley, Youngtown will call you back to find out what is happening and when a crew can get there.

What to do right now

Stop using water. That means no laundry, dishwasher, showers or flushing until the problem is found, because every gallon has to go somewhere. If sewage has come up into the house, keep children and pets away, avoid touching it without gloves and open windows for ventilation. If your system has a pump and an alarm, do not keep silencing and ignoring it. Note what you see, when it started and anything that changed recently, then call a septic company.

Why septic systems back up

Backups usually happen because the tank is full, the pipe from the house is blocked, or the drain field has stopped accepting water. A failed pump in a pump chamber, a broken baffle that let solids into the outlet, and heavy rain that saturates the yard are other common triggers for an emergency call.

When the septic alarm sounds

A high water alarm means water in the pump tank or aerobic unit has risen above normal. Press the silence button, cut back on water and check whether the breaker for the pump has tripped. If the alarm comes back on or the breaker trips again, call for service, because the pump may have failed.

How an emergency call usually goes

The crew will ask what happened, then find and open the tank. If it is full, pumping it gives the house room to drain again. With the tank empty they can see whether the inlet is blocked, whether a baffle failed, or whether water is flowing back from the drain field, which points to a bigger repair.

Keeping your system out of trouble

Regular pumping and inspection are the best insurance against a surprise backup. Install risers so the tank is easy to reach, which makes service faster in an emergency. Fix leaking toilets and faucets, since constant trickles add up. Plant only grass over the drain field and keep trees at a distance. A maintenance plan from a local company can put all of this on a schedule.

Questions to ask when you call

Ask how soon a crew can arrive and whether there is an extra charge for after-hours service. Ask whether they can pump and diagnose on the same trip. Confirm they work on your type of system, especially if you have a pump, aerobic unit or mound. After the visit, ask for a written summary of what failed, what was done and what still needs attention.

Emergency septic help around Phoenix

Septic emergencies in Phoenix and nearby towns such as Glendale, Paradise Valley, Youngtown are often handled by the same local companies that do routine pumping, and many keep a truck available after hours. When you call, give the address, describe what is backing up and mention any alarm so they bring the right equipment.

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Phoenix

Soil conditions vary around Phoenix, so the cause of a backup can be anything from a clogged line to a saturated drain field. A technician will check both. With only about 10 inches of precipitation a year, rain is rarely the trigger here. Heavy water use and clogs are more common causes.

Local conditions in Phoenix that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Phoenix, the USDA soil survey rates 45% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 29% as somewhat limited and 26% as not limited. The most common drainage class is well drained. Conditions vary from lot to lot here, so a site evaluation is the only way to know how well a particular yard will handle a drain field.

Phoenix averages about 10 inches of precipitation a year, and February is usually the wettest month. December is the coldest month at about 52°F on average, so freezing is rarely the main concern here. Heavy rain and saturated ground are the bigger factors for drain fields.

Sources: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access; NASA POWER long-term climatology. Soil ratings describe mapped soil types near the city center and do not replace a site evaluation of your property.

What the soil around Phoenix means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Phoenix as 87% well drained, 8% excessively drained, 5% somewhat excessively drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, so it helps to know where your tank lid and cleanout are before you need them.

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access

Septic companies near Phoenix

These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Phoenix, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.

AAAA Westwood Service, Glendale, AZ, 5.3 mi
American Pumping Service Inc, Glendale, AZ, 6.6 mi
A American Septic Service, Phoenix, AZ, 9.2 mi
Fred's Pumping Service, Phoenix, AZ, 10.2 mi
PSC, Phoenix, AZ, 10.8 mi
Rooter Hero Plumbing & Air, Phoenix, AZ, 13.2 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

We also cover emergency septic service in these towns near Phoenix:

Glendale, 6.3 mi
Paradise Valley, 7.5 mi
Youngtown, 12.4 mi
Tolleson, 12.8 mi
El Mirage, 13.7 mi
Scottsdale, 15.3 mi

About Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix is in Maricopa County, Arizona. About 1,650,070 people live there, across 518.3 square miles of land (about 3,183 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Phoenix

Is sewage in the house dangerous?: Sewage can carry bacteria and viruses. Keep people and pets away, wear gloves if you must touch anything, and clean affected areas thoroughly after the problem is fixed. Large spills may call for a professional cleanup company.
Why did my system back up after heavy rain?: Saturated soil can stop a drain field from absorbing water, and surface water can seep into tanks and lids. The system may recover as the ground dries, but repeated problems after rain point to a drain field or drainage issue that should be inspected.
Should I call a plumber or a septic company?: If only one fixture is slow, a plumber may clear the clog. If several drains are slow or backing up, or there is an alarm or odor near the tank, call a septic company.
Does fixing a septic emergency need a permit?: Pumping and small repairs usually do not. Larger repairs and drain field or tank replacement often do. Check with the Maricopa County health department, or ask the septic company to handle permits for you.