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

Septic Backup or Alarm in Kankakee? Get Help Fast

A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Kankakee 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 Kankakee and Bradley, Bourbonnais, Limestone will call you back to find out what is happening and when a crew can get there.

First steps during a septic backup

Turn off anything that uses water, including the washer and irrigation. If a toilet or floor drain is overflowing, do not keep flushing to try to clear it. Keep people and pets away from any sewage and wash hands well if you come in contact with it. Check whether the problem is in one fixture or the whole house, since that helps the company tell a clogged line from a full tank.

Why septic systems back up

Wastewater backs up when it cannot move forward. That can happen at the pipe leaving the house, inside the tank, at the outlet filter or out in the drain field. A single slow drain usually points to a clog near that fixture. Every drain slowing at once points to the tank or beyond. The technician's job is to find which part stopped flowing and fix that, not just empty the tank.

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.

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.

Choosing help in an emergency

Even in a hurry, a few questions are worth asking. Is the company licensed where you live and insured? Will they explain the cause before recommending major work? Do they handle repairs and replacements, or only pumping? the Kankakee County health department can confirm whether a permit is needed for repairs in Kankakee.

While you wait for help in Kankakee

If sewage is backing up in a Kankakee home, stop using water right away. Do not run the washer, dishwasher or showers. Keep children and pets away from any wet area in the yard. Open windows for air if there is an odor indoors, and have the tank lid location ready for the crew.

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Kankakee

Most mapped soils near Kankakee 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. June is usually the wettest month in Kankakee, 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 Kankakee that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Kankakee, the USDA soil survey rates 98% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 2% as somewhat limited and 0% as not limited. The most common drainage class is 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.

Kankakee averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with January averaging 24°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 Kankakee means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Kankakee as 36% well drained, 25% poorly drained, 15% somewhat poorly drained, 13% moderately well drained, 4% excessively drained, 4% somewhat excessively drained, 2% very poorly drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 42% 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 Kankakee

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

Eubanks Sewer Service, Bradley, IL, 3.4 mi
H & S Septic-Sewer, Bourbonnais, IL, 4.5 mi
Outback Sewer & Septic Service, Kankakee, IL, 6.8 mi
Bode Excavating & Construction Inc, Herscher, IL, 7.8 mi
Bruns Newbury Sanitary Service, Crete, IL, 25.5 mi
Sullivan Septic & Sewer, New Lenox, IL, 26.7 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

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

Bradley, 4.4 mi
Bourbonnais, 5.7 mi
Limestone, 5.8 mi
Chebanse, 7 mi
St. Anne, 9.4 mi
Manteno, 10.2 mi

About Kankakee, IL

Kankakee is in Kankakee County, Illinois. About 23,503 people live there, across 15.1 square miles of land (about 1,552 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Kankakee

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