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

Emergency Septic Service in Fircrest, WA

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 Fircrest. Tell them what you are seeing so they can bring the right equipment on the first trip.

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.

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.

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.

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 Pierce County health department can confirm whether a permit is needed for repairs in Fircrest.

A septic backup in Pierce County

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

Local conditions behind septic emergencies in Fircrest

Most mapped soils near Fircrest 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 60 inches of precipitation a year means saturated ground is common, and backups often follow long stretches of rain.

Local conditions in Fircrest that affect emergency septic service

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Fircrest, 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 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.

Fircrest averages about 60 inches of precipitation a year, and November is usually the wettest month. December is the coldest month at about 36°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 Fircrest means for emergency septic service

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Fircrest as 44% moderately well drained, 31% somewhat excessively drained, 16% very poorly drained, 5% poorly drained, 5% well drained. Backups and wet spots are most common after heavy rain, and with 21% 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 Fircrest

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

Richard L Wilkerson & Associates, Tacoma, WA, 4.9 mi
Al & Art's Septic Service, Tacoma, WA, 6.1 mi
Bailey Sewer & Septic & Drain, Tacoma, WA, 6.6 mi
Sterling Septic & Plumbing LLC, Puyallup, WA, 8.3 mi
Drainage Works, Puyallup, WA, 10.4 mi
Septic Solutions-Pierce County, Puyallup, WA, 11.0 mi

Emergency Septic Service in nearby towns

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

University Place, 1.8 mi
Tacoma, 3 mi
Lakewood, 4.6 mi
Ruston, 4.7 mi
Steilacoom, 5.6 mi
Fife, 7.7 mi

About Fircrest, WA

Fircrest is in Pierce County, Washington. About 6,932 people live there, across 1.6 square miles of land (about 4,379 per square mile).

Emergency Septic Service questions in Fircrest

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