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

Emergency Septic Service in Des Moines, IA

A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Des Moines 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 Des Moines and Pleasant Hill, Windsor Heights, Carlisle will call you back to find out what is happening and when a crew can get there.

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.

What usually sets off an emergency

Most septic emergencies start quietly. A tank goes years without pumping, wipes and grease collect in the outlet, or roots slowly fill a line. Then a holiday with guests, a week of laundry or a storm pushes the system past its limit and the water has nowhere to go but back into the house.

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 visit usually goes

The first priority is to get wastewater moving so you can use your plumbing again, which often means pumping the tank or clearing a line. Next the technician looks for the underlying cause. Some fixes happen on the spot, like replacing a float or cleaning a filter. Others, like replacing a drain field, need a follow-up visit, permits and a written estimate.

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.

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 Polk County health department can confirm whether a permit is needed for repairs in Des Moines.

While you wait for help in Des Moines

If sewage is backing up in a Des Moines 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 Des Moines

Most mapped soils near Des Moines 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 Des Moines, 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 Des Moines that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Des Moines, the USDA soil survey rates 89% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 11% 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.

Des Moines averages about 35 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 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 Des Moines means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Des Moines as 46% moderately well drained, 35% well drained, 11% poorly drained, 6% somewhat poorly 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 Des Moines

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

A J Plumbing, Des Moines, IA, 3.8 mi
Rogers Septic Maintenance & Repair, Des Moines, IA, 5.7 mi
Cook Plumbing Corp-West Des, West Des Moines, IA, 5.8 mi
A1 Complete Septic Tank Service, Pleasant Hill, IA, 6.0 mi
Thompson & Son Septic Tank Service, Des Moines, IA, 6.1 mi
Best Portable Toilets, Des Moines, IA, 6.5 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

We also cover emergency septic service in these towns near Des Moines:

Pleasant Hill, 5.7 mi
Windsor Heights, 5.7 mi
Carlisle, 7.1 mi
Norwalk, 7.6 mi
Altoona, 8.5 mi
West Des Moines, 9 mi

About Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is in Polk County, Iowa. About 210,381 people live there, across 88.2 square miles of land (about 2,386 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Des Moines

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