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

Septic Backup or Alarm in St. Albans? Get Help Fast

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

Keep the problem from getting worse

The fastest way to limit damage is to stop sending water into the system. Ask everyone in the house to hold off on showers, flushing and laundry. If wastewater is surfacing outdoors, keep the area clear. If the power went out and you have a pump system, the chamber may simply have filled while the pump was off. Limit water use until power returns and the pump catches up, and call if the alarm keeps sounding.

What usually goes wrong

Most emergency calls in places like St. Albans 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.

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.

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 Somerset County

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

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in St. Albans

Most mapped soils near St. Albans 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 48 inches of precipitation a year means saturated ground is common, and backups often follow long stretches of rain. About 4 months below freezing each year also bring the risk of frozen lines, especially in shallow pipes or homes left empty.

Local conditions in St. Albans that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central St. Albans, the USDA soil survey rates 87% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 13% 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.

St. Albans averages about 48 inches of precipitation a year, and October is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 4 months a year, with January averaging 15°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 St. Albans means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around St. Albans as 35% well drained, 19% somewhat excessively drained, 12% moderately well drained, 11% poorly drained, 10% excessively drained, 8% somewhat poorly drained, 6% very poorly drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 25% 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 St. Albans

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

Nickerson Septic, Plymouth, ME, 13.4 mi
Frost Septic & Sons LLC, Levant, ME, 19.2 mi
Central Me Septic-Portable, Skowhegan, ME, 19.6 mi
Gonya's Septic, Charleston, ME, 20.2 mi
Halls Septic, Charleston, ME, 21.8 mi
Burns Septic Systems, Hudson, ME, 23.0 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

We also cover emergency septic service in these towns near St. Albans:

Palmyra, 5.9 mi
Corinna, 6.4 mi
Hartland, 7.3 mi
Newport, 9.2 mi
Dexter, 9.4 mi
Pittsfield, 11.1 mi

About St. Albans, ME

St. Albans is in Somerset County, Maine. About 2,123 people live there, across 44.8 square miles of land (about 47 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in St. Albans

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