Sewage coming up in a drain, a toilet that will not flush, a pool of wet ground over the tank: an overflowing septic tank is unpleasant and unhealthy, and it will not fix itself. The good news is that the next hour can make the situation much better or much worse. Here is what to do, and what not to do.
What to do right now
- Stop using water. Do not flush, run taps, use the washing machine or take showers. Every litre you add goes into a tank that is already full.
- Keep people and pets away from the wet area. Children and pets are most at risk from contact with sewage.
- Do not open the tank cover or manhole yourself. Gases from a septic tank can be dangerous, and a full tank is heavy and messy.
- Do not try to pump it out yourself or pour the waste into a drain, drain pipe or open land.
- Call a desludging company and tell them it is an overflow so they treat it as urgent.
What to tell us when you call
- The address, and a pin on Google Maps or WhatsApp location if you can.
- Where the tank is and whether the cover is easy to reach.
- How wide the road or lane is, and whether a tanker truck can get close.
- Roughly how big the tank is and when it was last desludged, if you know.
- A photo of the problem. It helps us plan the right response.
How an emergency call-out works
We confirm the location and send a vacuum tanker. The hose is connected to the tank and the sludge and liquid are pumped out, then the area is left tidy. The waste is taken away by tanker for disposal at a licensed facility. Because we run our own tanker fleet, we handle the whole job ourselves.
Why septic tanks overflow
- The tank has not been desludged in years and is simply full.
- The tank is too small for the number of people now using it, for example after adding family members, rooms or tenants.
- Wet wipes, sanitary pads, cooking oil, grease or other items that should not go down the drain have built up.
- Heavy rain has flooded the tank or soakaway.
- Tree roots, a blocked pipe or a damaged outlet.
How to stop it happening again
- Desludge on a schedule. Many homes need it every 2 to 3 years, and businesses or busy premises often need it more often.
- Only flush toilet paper. Bin wipes, pads, diapers and cotton buds.
- Keep cooking oil and grease out of the sink.
- Spread out heavy water use, such as washing machine loads, across the week.
- Fix dripping taps and leaking toilets. Constant small flows add up.
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