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.

Is SepticTank.com the company that comes out?

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

Septic Backup or Alarm in Corpus Christi? Get Help Fast

A septic backup does not wait for a convenient time. Maybe sewage is coming up through a drain in your Corpus Christi 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 Corpus Christi and Port Aransas, Ingleside, Aransas Pass will call you back to find out what is happening and when a crew can get there.

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.

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.

Avoiding another septic emergency

Regular pumping, an effluent filter cleaned at each visit, and care about what goes down the drains prevent most emergencies. Fix leaking toilets and faucets, keep roof water away from the tank and field, and know where your tank lid is so a crew can reach it quickly if something does go wrong.

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.

Emergency septic help around Corpus Christi

Septic emergencies in Corpus Christi and nearby towns such as Port Aransas, Ingleside, Aransas Pass are often handled by the same local companies that do routine pumping, and many keep a truck available after hours. When you call, give the address, describe what is backing up and mention any alarm so they bring the right equipment.

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Corpus Christi

Most mapped soils near Corpus Christi 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. September is usually the wettest month in Corpus Christi, and backups tend to rise when the ground stays soaked.

Local conditions in Corpus Christi that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Corpus Christi, 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 poorly 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.

Corpus Christi averages about 34 inches of precipitation a year, and September is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 60°F on average, so freezing is rarely the main concern here. Heavy rain and saturated ground are the bigger factors for drain fields.

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 Corpus Christi means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Corpus Christi as 35% poorly drained, 28% somewhat excessively drained, 22% very poorly drained, 15% somewhat poorly drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 72% 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 Corpus Christi

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

Amw Construction LLC, Aransas Pass, TX, 11.6 mi
S & G Septic Tank Service, Corpus Christi, TX, 16.8 mi
Yepez Septic Tank, Robstown, TX, 31.3 mi
Prados Backhoe, Kingsville, TX, 47.7 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

We also cover emergency septic service in these towns near Corpus Christi:

Port Aransas, 6.9 mi
Ingleside, 8.3 mi
Aransas Pass, 11.9 mi
Portland, 13.4 mi
Gregory, 13.7 mi

About Corpus Christi, TX

Corpus Christi is in Nueces County, Texas. About 316,595 people live there, across 162.3 square miles of land (about 1,951 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Corpus Christi

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.
Is SepticTank.com the company that comes out?: No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Corpus Christi. That company provides the service and sets its own prices and availability.