Septic Tank Pumping Mistakes FAQs-2

Septic Pumping Mistakes to Avoid

Returning "Water" to the Septic Tank after Pumping Q&A

Septic pumping scam claims to remove "just the sludge"

We live in a remote location where pumping costs are up $3000 per visit (large capacity system). Due to this we are trying to keep the visit to one truck and to maximize pump truck volume.

We have been wondering if pumping out liquid into a separate vessel, having the sludge removed then pumping the liquid back in is an effective way of managing this.

Essentially just removing sludge instead of lots of liquid too. Thoughts? Any insight appreciated. On 2021-03-16 by Cliff

Reply by (mod) -

@Cliff,

In my opinion what you describe is a common septic pumping scam - one that risks serious damage to a drainfield as we pump agitated effluent containing a high level of small floating solids back into the septic tank and thus out into the drainfield where the field becomes clogged sooner than otherwise.

That's in part because the return liquid isn 't being adequately filtered.

**IF** you could find a septic pumper truck that could actually filter the effluent sufficiently to make it safe to discharge into the drainfield, then what you want might be technically feasible. That's not going to be a standard septic pumper truck.

Is it correct that I do NOT need to re-fill the septic tank with water after pumping?

I had my septic pumped out and was told I did not need to refill with water. Is that correct? On 2021-02-16 by Don Jlou

by (mod) - the septic tank will re-fill on its own as you use water - but watch out for floating-up plastic or fiberglass tanks!

Don

You should give an extra $50. in THANKS to your septic pumping company for being impeccably honest and working with your own interest in mind.

What your septic pumper told you: (it's not necessary to "re-fill" a septic tank after pumping) is absolutely correct. Dead right. Spot-on.

In normal use, wastewater from your home will re-fill the septic tank in a few days - depending on the size of the tank and the amount of water you use in your home.

There's plenty of bacteria remaining in the septic tank after pumpout and cleaning and plenty more bacteria entering the tank in your wastewater, so that's never a concern.

No septic tank refills are needed nor are any septic treatments or additives needed for a conventional septic tank and drainfield system.

In fact your question is the opposite of a very troubling practice that has been reported by some other readers who described a less-honest septic pumping "service" that pumped out their septic tank and then pumped stirred-up effluent right back into the tank before leaving the job.

That practice is charging for doing almost nothing useful at all, and worse, risks destroying the drainfield by returning ground, agitated septic solids into the tank in a form that flows out into and clogs the drainfield.

I commend your septic pumping company.

But that's not quite the whole story:

Watch out: if your septic tank is a lightweight plastic, HDPE, fiberglass or similar material, when the tank is empty and IF the tank is buried in a wet soils area, there is risk that the tank can float up out of the ground.

So IF such a septic tank is pumped out and is in wet soils and IF the building is not going to be occupied and in use (so that the tank is refilled in a few days) THEN there is a floating up risk.

Still I wouldn't return sewage effluent to the tank as floating solids moving out into the drainfield will ruin it. Instead I'd prefer to add some clean water to the tank.

See OIL or SEPTIC TANKS FLOATING UP 

My septic tank was cleaned out, then received about two feet of wastewater - the level never dropped. Is something wrong?

I had my septic tank emptied and left the lid off so I could monitor what was going on . soon there was 2 feet of liquid in it ..

I then left town for 2 weeks and when I came back , the 2 foot level had not dropped at all.

If this tank is a 2 compartment tank does that mean that the water level must get a lot higher to spill over to the part of the tank that heads to the leach field ?

Also, if that is true then by putting in liquid that would help clear up my leach lines wouldn’t do any good until the level is much higher ?

can you give me any comments about this please ? thanks for the help. P.D.

Reply: warning about fraud and about septic field destruction by returning agitated fine solids in "water" returned to the septic tank by the pumper truck

A competent onsite inspection of the septic tank by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem with the tank, its baffles, piping, or the septic drainfield. That said,

Watch out: you should never leave the lid off of a septic tank. Doing so risks killing someone. Anyone, adult or child, who falls into an open septic tank is likely to die very quickly due to asphyxiation from methane and other gases in the tank.

Details are at SEPTIC SYSTEM SAFETY WARNINGS

Now, a properly functioning septic tank is water tight. The liquid or sewage or wastewater level in the septic tank won't drop below the tank outlet opening unless the tank is damaged and leaking. A normal septic tank is always full of waste up to a level just below the outlet opening.

In a two compartment septic tank the wall separating the two compartments will have an opening that allows liquid effluent to flow into the second compartment, keeping floating scum and settled sludge in the first compartment (mostly).

The entire tank, both compartments, will need to be filled with wastewater before any effluent will begin to flow out of the septic tank and into the drainfield or soakaway bed.

So when you observed about two feet of waste in the septic tank, then left the system unused, you'd expect to find exactly the same amount in the tank weeks later. Only a very slight drop in level might occur, less than an inch - caused by evaporation - because you left the tank open (and dangerous).

Please see SEPTIC TANK LEVELS of SEWAGE for details about how to interpret abnormal levels of sewage found in the septic tank (too high or too low).

Watch out: puming two feet of "water" back into your septic tank out of the septic pumper truck after your septic tank was emptied will NOT help "clear" the septic drainfield lines and in fact may speed the failure of the septic field because the truck is actually pumping back wastewater that has at the very least, a high level of fine floating solids that easily flow out into the drainfield, clogging the soils there.

Is it helpful to remove the sludge and then return the "water" to the septic tank?

Is there benefit to removing sludge, then returning just the water to the tank? Our septic cleaning company charges less if we will have the water returned to the tank. On 2022-04-26 by Barb Langer

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator (mod) - No, it's a very bad idea, risks septic system failure

@Barb Langer,

Thanks for a helpful question.

In my experience and OPINION, UNLESS the "water" being returned to the septic tank is very highly-filtered so as to be practically clear, the only benefit of doing so is helping the septic pumping company earn a profit and stay in business.

Watch out: The danger is the following:

The action of pumping solids and liquid effluent out of the septic tank agitates the waste and also macerates solids to a degree as they pass through the septic pump.

As a result the level of fine floating waste inside the pumper truck's tank will be very high - much higher than it was in the septic tank itself before pumping (usually).

If then that fine-particulate wastewater is returned to the septic tank it will readily flow right out of the tank and into the septic drainfield or soakaway beds.

There those particles quickly clog the surrounding soil.

The result can be a significant reduction in the life of the septic drainfield and thus a significant expense to the homeowner when the drainfield needs to be replaced sooner than otherwise would have been necessary.

So as my mentor-friend Tampa home inspector Mark Cramer says: ... it depends.

It depends on how thoroughly the ground, pumped, agitated septic waste in the pumper truck is filtered before it is returned to the septic tank.

Is there ANY filtering at all? If so of what sized particles?

Should we re-fill our septic tank with water after it has been pumped out and no one will be using the plumbing?

Should we refill our 1500 gal. septic tank with water after having it pumped if we are going to be out of town before it can refill normally?

There are only two of us in the house. Will it harm the float alarm switches if they stay dry too long? On 2018-08-25 by Terry

After having my septic tank pumped out would it be a good idea to fill it with fresh tap water instead of having the sewage from the toilet fill it? No laundry and limited dishwater used here. Thanks - On 2018-11-07 by C. Graham Northampton County VA.

Reply by (mod) - No need to re-fill the septic tank with water after pumping - with one exception

Regarding refilling a septic tank with tap water after pumping, that's not normally required. In normal household use a septic tank will re-fill with wastewater in 3 - days and is normally always "full" to the bottom of the outlet pipe.

See WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE for details.

Watch out: There is one exception: if your septic tank is plastic or fiberglass or steel AND if the septic tank is buried in an area of very wet soils such as too close to a stream or lake, rising groundwater can actually push one of these lightweight tanks back up out of the ground.

It's unsual, but it happens, as we illustrate at OIL or SEPTIC TANKS FLOATING UP 

Is it safe for someone to pump our septic tank waste and then put it in someone else's tank?

Is it safe for someone to pump the waste and put it in someone else's tank On 2017-05-28 by Connie -

by Mod - that makes no sense

Connie, the economics of moving your septic tank contents to another septic tank elsewhere would not make any sense whatosever, even if you could physically do so. You'd need a septic pumper truck to evacuate the first septic tank.

At that point the septic pumping contractor will pay a fee to dispose of the septage at an approved treatment facility or dumping location permitted where she operates.

Even if you physically could move your septic tank contents to someone else's septic tank, doing so would overload that tank with too much sewage at once, risking pushing solids into the drainfield and clogging and ruining it.