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.

How fast can someone come out in Edina?

Response time depends on the company's schedule and where you are. Tell them it is an emergency and describe what you see so they can prioritize and bring the right equipment.

Is SepticTank.com the company that comes out?

No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Edina. That company provides the service and sets its own prices and availability.

Emergency Septic Service in Edina, MN

Septic emergencies usually show up as a backup in the lowest drain, a sewage smell that will not go away or a high water alarm. Each of these means wastewater has nowhere to go, and it will only get worse with more water use.

Use the form or call to reach a local septic company working in Edina. Tell them what you are seeing so they can bring the right equipment on the first trip.

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.

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.

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.

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 Hennepin County

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

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Edina

Most mapped soils near Edina 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 Edina, and backups tend to rise when the ground stays soaked. 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 Edina that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Edina, the USDA soil survey rates 95% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 5% 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.

Edina averages about 33 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 4 months a year, with January averaging 13°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 Edina means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Edina as 52% well drained, 15% very poorly drained, 12% somewhat excessively drained, 7% poorly drained, 7% excessively drained, 4% moderately well drained, 3% somewhat 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 Edina

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

Bixby Septics, Prior Lake, MN, 13.2 mi
Mckinley Sewer Service & Supply, Prior Lake, MN, 13.4 mi
Volkenant Inc, Maple Plain, MN, 16.7 mi
Smilies Sewer Service, Minneapolis, MN, 20.5 mi
Schirmers Wastewater, St Michael, MN, 24.2 mi
Duane's Septic Service, St Michael, MN, 24.3 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

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

Hopkins, 3.2 mi
Richfield, 4 mi
St. Louis Park, 4 mi
Bloomington, 4.8 mi
Minnetonka, 5.5 mi
Eden Prairie, 5.6 mi

About Edina, MN

Edina is in Hennepin County, Minnesota. About 53,348 people live there, across 15.5 square miles of land (about 3,452 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Edina

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.
How fast can someone come out in Edina?: Response time depends on the company's schedule and where you are. Tell them it is an emergency and describe what you see so they can prioritize and bring the right equipment.
Is SepticTank.com the company that comes out?: No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Edina. That company provides the service and sets its own prices and availability.