Emergency Septic Service in Auburndale, FL
A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Auburndale 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 Auburndale and Lake Alfred, Polk City, Winter Haven will call you back to find out what is happening and when a crew can get there.
Limit the damage while you wait
The fastest way to limit damage is to stop adding water. If sewage has reached a floor, keep people out of the area, open windows for air and avoid using fans that spread odors through the house. Take photos for your insurance company before cleanup starts, 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.
High water alarms explained
A high water alarm tells you wastewater is rising above where it should be in a pump or treatment tank. The cause might be a stuck float, a failed pump, a tripped breaker or more water coming in than the system can handle. Silencing the alarm is fine, but the underlying problem still needs attention. Tell the septic company what type of system you have and the brand on the control panel if you can see it.
Finding the real problem
A careful technician works from the house outward: the line to the tank, the tank itself, the outlet and filter, any pump chamber, then the distribution box and drain field. A camera may be used to look inside pipes. Knowing exactly where the failure is keeps you from paying for work that does not solve the problem.
Preventing the next emergency
Most emergencies are preventable. Pump the tank on a regular schedule, have the effluent filter cleaned, and keep grease, wipes and chemicals out of the drains. Spread laundry across the week rather than doing many loads in one day. Keep vehicles and heavy equipment off the tank and drain field, and direct roof and yard drainage away from them. If you have a pump system, test the alarm now and then.
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.
A septic backup in Polk County
If a backup happens in Polk County, the first priority is keeping sewage out of living space and away from people. After that, a pumper can relieve the tank and find the cause. If the drain field turns out to be failing, the Polk County health department may need to be involved in the repair.
Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Auburndale
Most mapped soils near Auburndale are rated very limited for septic absorption, so a drain field that is already working hard can back up quickly when something else goes wrong. About 50 inches of precipitation a year means saturated ground is common, and backups often follow long stretches of rain.
Local conditions in Auburndale that affect emergency septic service
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Auburndale, the USDA soil survey rates 90% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 10% as somewhat limited and 0% as not limited. The most common drainage class is moderately well drained. Soils like these often call for careful system design, such as a larger drain field, a mound or another engineered system, and a site evaluation before any new installation or replacement.
Auburndale averages about 50 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 59°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 Auburndale means for emergency septic service
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Auburndale as 21% moderately well drained, 21% poorly drained, 21% somewhat poorly drained, 20% very poorly drained, 9% excessively drained, 8% well drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 62% of the soil poorly drained the ground here can stay saturated for days, 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 Auburndale
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Auburndale, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- Septic Solutions Environmental Inc, Polk City, FL, 5.4 mi
- Atomic Septic Tank, Lakeland, FL, 7.4 mi
- Southeastern Septic LLC, Lakeland, FL, 8.0 mi
- Lee Kirk & Sons Septic, Lakeland, FL, 8.8 mi
- Mann Septic Tank Service, Bartow, FL, 10.7 mi
- Economy Septic System, Bartow, FL, 11.3 mi
Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns
We also cover emergency septic service in these towns near Auburndale:
- Lake Alfred, 4.5 mi
- Polk City, 5.3 mi
- Winter Haven, 5.9 mi
- Eagle Lake, 9.7 mi
- Lakeland, 10.3 mi
- Haines City, 11 mi
About Auburndale, FL
Auburndale is in Polk County, Florida. About 20,011 people live there, across 13.6 square miles of land (about 1,476 per square mile).
Emergency Septic Service questions in Auburndale
- Can I flush the toilet during a septic backup?
- No. Every flush adds water that has nowhere to go. Hold off on all water use until a septic company has found and fixed the problem.
- Will pumping the tank fix a backup?
- Often it gets the house draining again, but it may not fix the cause. If the drain field or a pump has failed, the tank will refill and the problem will return, so ask for a diagnosis along with the pumping.
- 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.
- Is SepticTank.com the company that comes out?
- No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Auburndale. That company provides the service and sets its own prices and availability.