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.

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

Emergency Septic Service in Aurora, IL

When a septic system fails suddenly, homeowners in Aurora need two things: to keep the problem from spreading and to get a qualified crew on site. Most emergencies trace back to a full tank, a clogged line or a failed pump.

A local company that works across Kane County can find the cause, pump the tank if needed and get your plumbing working again.

First steps in a septic emergency

Turn off or stop using every source of water you can: no showers, laundry, dishwasher or flushing. Keep children and pets away from any sewage, indoors or out, and do not try to open the tank yourself. If an alarm is sounding, silence it and leave the breaker on unless it keeps tripping.

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.

What to expect when the truck arrives

Expect the technician to start at the tank, not inside the house. Pumping usually relieves the backup right away, and the crew will then look for the cause: a clog, a broken part or a field that is no longer draining. Ask them to explain what they found before any larger repair is scheduled.

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.

A septic backup in Kane County

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

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Aurora

Most mapped soils near Aurora 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. May is usually the wettest month in Aurora, and backups tend to rise when the ground stays soaked. About 3 months below freezing each year also bring the risk of frozen lines, especially in shallow pipes or homes left empty.

Local conditions in Aurora that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Aurora, the USDA soil survey rates 100% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 0% 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.

Aurora averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, and May is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with January averaging 22°F, so tank lids and shallow lines benefit from a layer of snow or mulch rather than being cleared bare.

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 Aurora means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Aurora as 34% moderately well drained, 26% somewhat poorly drained, 15% well drained, 14% poorly drained, 10% very poorly drained, 2% somewhat excessively drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 50% 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 Aurora

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

A & P Grease Trappers Inc, Batavia, IL, 6.6 mi
Dupage Septic Service, West Chicago, IL, 8.7 mi
Reid Septic, Geneva, IL, 8.9 mi
A & P Grease Trappers, West Chicago, IL, 9.1 mi
Harley Sanitary Service, Elburn, IL, 10.0 mi
Russell & Abraham Ltd, West Chicago, IL, 10.4 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

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

North Aurora, 4.1 mi
Montgomery, 4.6 mi
Batavia, 5.9 mi
Oswego, 6.1 mi
Warrenville, 6.6 mi
Naperville, 6.7 mi

About Aurora, IL

Aurora is in Kane County, Illinois. About 177,563 people live there, across 45.1 square miles of land (about 3,941 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Aurora

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