Your septic system requires regular maintenance, which includes inspecting and pumping it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you should inspect your septic system at least every three years. The EPA also recommends that you pump your septic tank every three to five years.

If your septic system fails to receive routine maintenance, you could have an emergency situation. Discover septic system emergencies that need resolving right away.

1. Sewage Backup

You know you likely have sewage backup if you notice a smelly black liquid in your toilets and drains. Other indications of sewage backup include having more than one slow-running drain in the house, noticing lots of green grass over your septic system, and seeing wastewater on the ground near the septic system.

Sewage backup is dangerous, which is why it is a septic system emergency. Sewage backup contains bacteria and harmful microorganisms, such as coliform, Enterococcus, and Escherichia coliform (E. coli). These microorganisms enter the body through hand-to-mouth contact, skin-to-skin contact, and contaminated dust.

If these microorganisms get into your body, you have an increased risk of getting the following diseases:

• Gastroenteritis. The stomach and intestines become irritated and inflamed.
• Hepatitis. The liver becomes inflamed, which can result in jaundice.
• Weil's Disease. The symptoms include fever, jaundice, and a continual and harsh headache.
• Allergic Alveolitis. The alveoli in the lungs become inflamed, causing breathlessness and a dry cough.
• Occupational Asthma. This respiratory disorder causes breathlessness and tightness in the chest.

Other health risks of coming into contact with microorganisms in sewage backup include damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as skin or eye infections.

2. Drainfield Failure

Your drainfield is a very important part of your septic system. Also known as a leach field, the drainfield eliminates and manages waste and impurities that come from the water released from the septic tank.

One of the primary functions of the soil in the drainfield is to absorb water. Drainfield failure occurs when the soil can no longer absorb water. If your drainfield fails, your entire septic system will likely fail.

The following signs are indicators that your drainfield no longer works as it should:

• The drains in your sinks, tubs, and toilets drain more slowly than usual.
• You have high water levels inside your septic tank.
• Puddles of water are over the drainfield area.
• Lush green grass or weeds grow over the drainfield area.
• You smell sewage or toilet odors near the drainfield.

Another sign the drain field has stopped working is something called reverse flow. This is when water runs back to the septic tank after it has been pumped.

There are many reasons that a drainfield stops absorbing water and begins to fail. One is that the soil in your drainfield is made mostly of clay. When sodium from detergents, soaps, and household cleaners enters clay particles in the soil, it causes a chemical bond, which results in hardpan. When the soil becomes too hard, it can no longer absorb water.

Crushed or broken drainfield pipes also lead to failure. Repeatedly driving a vehicle or heavy equipment over the drainfield is one of the most common causes of damaged pipes. Improper septic tank maintenance and tree root intrusion are also detrimental to the drainfield.

If you notice sewage backup, drainfield failure, or any other septic system issue that requires emergency service, contact Upstate Septic Tank, LLC. We have provided septic service to clients throughout the greater Greenville area for over 40 years. We look forward to meeting with you and fulfilling all your septic service emergency needs. Please let us know how we can help you today.