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.

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 Washington County health department, or ask the septic company to handle permits for you.

Emergency Septic Service in Davisboro, GA

A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Davisboro 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 Davisboro and Sandersville, Louisville, Tennille 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.

What usually goes wrong

Most emergency calls in places like Davisboro trace back to a full tank, a clog, a pump failure or a saturated drain field. Systems that have not been pumped in many years are the most likely to fail suddenly, often after a busy weekend of guests or laundry. Older systems with clay pipes are more prone to root intrusion and cracks.

If your septic alarm is going off

An alarm on a pump chamber or aerobic unit usually means the water level is too high. Many alarms have a silence button; press it, then cut back on water use. Check that the pump's breaker has not tripped. If the alarm comes back on after a few hours, the pump, float switch or control panel may have failed and needs service. Do not open the pump chamber yourself, since it contains wastewater and electrical equipment.

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.

Avoiding another septic emergency

Regular pumping, an effluent filter cleaned at each visit, and care about what goes down the drains prevent most emergencies. Fix leaking toilets and faucets, keep roof water away from the tank and field, and know where your tank lid is so a crew can reach it quickly if something does go wrong.

What to ask an emergency septic company

Ask when they can be there and what the trip will cost, including any after-hours or weekend fee. Ask if they will pump the tank and look for the cause on the same visit, and whether they can handle a repair if one is needed. Confirm they serve your address before they head out.

A septic backup in Washington County

If a backup happens in Washington 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 Washington County health department may need to be involved in the repair.

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Davisboro

Soil conditions vary around Davisboro, so the cause of a backup can be anything from a clogged line to a saturated drain field. A technician will check both. June is usually the wettest month in Davisboro, and backups tend to rise when the ground stays soaked.

Local conditions in Davisboro that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Davisboro, the USDA soil survey rates 53% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 47% as somewhat limited and 0% 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.

Davisboro averages about 44 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 45°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 Davisboro means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Davisboro as 73% well drained, 12% poorly drained, 6% somewhat poorly drained, 6% excessively drained, 3% 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 Davisboro

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

Frost Drilling, Harrison, GA, 6.3 mi
Chambers Construction & Septic, Sandersville, GA, 9.1 mi
Ron's Jons Sewer & Drain LLC, Warthen, GA, 14.0 mi
Claxton Septic Tank, Swainsboro, GA, 32.1 mi
American Septic Tank & Potties, Dublin, GA, 33.3 mi
Burnley Sanitary Sewer & Drain, Thomson, GA, 35.0 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

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

Sandersville, 11.9 mi
Louisville, 12 mi
Tennille, 12.5 mi
Wadley, 14.2 mi
Wrightsville, 18.8 mi

About Davisboro, GA

Davisboro is in Washington County, Georgia. About 1,939 people live there, across 3.1 square miles of land (about 636 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Davisboro

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.
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 Washington County health department, or ask the septic company to handle permits for you.