Septic System Maintenance

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Service Pumping & Drain Co., Inc.™ has been providing fast, reliable service for over 80 years. Our customers know they can trust us to properly maintain their septic system, and with affordable rates and top-notch service, we have many customers who return to us year after year.

The proper maintenance we provide, including routine pumping, can help you maintain the efficiency and prolong the life of your septic system.
Our technicians pump the tank down to the bottom, removing the solids that can clog your leaching system if allowed to accumulate.
Our staff doesn’t push one particular maintenance schedule but works with you to figure out the best routine for your system based on the size of your tank, usage, and various other factors that can affect its performance.
Since remembering when to pump can be difficult, we’ll automatically send you a reminder when your system is due for maintenance.
We also keep your records on file so we’ll know the size of your tank and other important information when you call.

How Your System Works

Septic System Maintenance Household wastes travel through a main line into the septic tank. The bacteria that occur naturally in the waste work to break material down in the tank. Solids and heavier items settle to the bottom while liquids rise to the top for dispersion into the leach or drain field. The leach field consists of trenches, beds or galleries that disperse the liquid through the soil via natural filtration back into the ground water.

How Often Should You Pump?

How often a system should be pumped depends on several factors:
The size of the tank.
If washing machines, garbage disposals, water softeners, or other household waste and gray-water producing appliances are used.
If a person is taking large quantities of medication, which can affect the bacterial action in the tank.
The number of people using the tank.
Most tanks should be pumped from every 1 to 3 years. Solids must be pumped to ensure that they are not carried out into the leach field where clogging can occur. Clogging can cause a system to fail or function poorly. Common signs of failure include:

High surface or standing water in the leaching area.
Odor or slow drainage from household fixtures.
Lush vegetation or grass growth.
Sewage back-up into the home or workplace.

Septic Solutions for Restaurants

Septic Solutions for Restaurants

Restaurants regularly produce large volumes of fats, oils, and grease, all of which can solidify and create blockages if poured or washed down the drain. Commercial septic systems and grease traps allow restaurants to process excess food waste and keep grease out of municipal drainage systems. Infrequent septic system and grease trap maintenance can have several negative consequences, including:

Wastewater overflow into the restaurant’s sink drains and toilets
Exposure to harmful chemicals and disease-causing organisms from untreated wastewater
Costly and time-consuming septic system repairs
Kitchen downtime
Lowered safety ratings and damaged reputation

Cleaning and maintenance services for managing excess grease and food production waste from restaurants include:

Grease-handling services
Drain cleaning
Plumbing management

Pipelining
Pump repairs
Catch basin cleaning

Stormwater removal
Line jetting
Septic cleaning

Septic Solutions for Hospitals

Septic Solutions for Hospitals & Medical

Hospitals generate large volumes of waste through a number of essential daily activities, from dining and laundry services to medical processes. This makes them highly susceptible to overflows and blockages, which can contaminate sterile environments and expose healthcare workers, visitors, and vulnerable patients to infectious diseases. Given the sensitive nature of hospital activities, properly maintaining the building’s waste-generating facilities with an ongoing and industry-compliant septic maintenance program is critical for minimizing health risks and avoiding unplanned downtime.

Other risks associated with improper septic and plumbing maintenance in a hospital include:

Drain backups
Kitchen downtime

Expensive plumbing repairs
Failed compliance with federal guidelines and local health codes

Septic management and cleaning services used to keep hospital environments safe and compliant include:

Grease removal
Drain cleaning
Plumbing management

Pipelining
Catch basin cleaning
Stormwater removal

Line jetting
Laundry pit cleanouts
Septic cleaning

Septic Solutions for Colleges & Universities

Septic Solutions for Colleges & Universities

Like hospitals, university campuses generate large volumes of waste through various daily facility operations and activities. These waste-generating facilities must adhere to strict state and federal regulations in order to protect the health of staff, students, and visitors. In addition to managing waste in living, dining, and laundry facilities, campus parking lots require frequent and thorough storm drain maintenance to minimize flooding risks.

The following cleaning and maintenance services help universities efficiently and safely manage high volumes of waste:

Stormwater basin cleaning and stormwater management
Sewer cleaning
Plumbing
Drain cleaning
Responsible grease disposal service

Universities are often looking for more sustainable ways to manage and utilize grease and other forms of waste generated through campus activities. With our Beneficial Reuse & Recycling Facility, Service Pumping & Drain Co. helps colleges and other commercial establishments strengthen and expand their sustainability efforts. All separated fats, oils, grease, and residuals can be used to produce oils, digester additives, and compost/soil amendments. We also make sure all grease trap cleaning and maintenance services are thoroughly documented and waste is disposed of in a compliant and environmentally responsible manner. Benefits of our sustainable waste management approach include:

Decrease in harmful air emissions
Elimination of food vs. fuel debate

Reduced dependence on imported oil
Opportunity for green credits

We also provide comprehensive account-based services to help support daily campus activities and quickly respond to emergencies. Our technicians are available to provide service and support 24 hours a day, including weekends.

Explore Our Cleaning Services

Septic Cleaning Solutions for Businesses

Commercial septic systems, grease traps, and storm drains require thorough, personalized cleaning services to keep operations running smoothly and safely. Service Pumping & Drain Co. provides the following commercial cleaning services:

Septic Cleaning

Sewers and septic systems require routine cleaning and maintenance to avoid excessive sludge buildup, irreversible tank damage, and costly plumbing failures that compromise the safety of the facility. In addition to addressing existing issues, regular maintenance and inspections allow developing issues to be diagnosed and corrected before they lead to lengthy and expensive repairs.

Our septic tank cleaning and maintenance services include:

Cleaning and unclogging septic tanks, city main lines, and other wastewater collection systems
Regular system pumping and maintenance to identify issues and reduce the risk of sewer line or septic failure

Pipeline inspection videos to pinpoint and document core problems
High-pressure water jetting to safely remove blockages and hardening buildup

Grease Trap Cleaning

Commercial dining and food processing facilities rely on specialized plumbing devices known as grease traps to capture residues of food waste and grease before they enter the wastewater system. Excessive buildup of these residues can promote clogged pipes, microbial growth, and unpleasant odors. To avoid health violations and expensive plumbing issues, grease trap systems must be regularly inspected and cleaned.

Our grease trap cleaning and maintenance services include:

  • Pumping the grease trap to ensure a more thorough and longer-lasting clean
  • High-pressure water jetting to efficiently remove grease, oil, and wax from inlet and outlet pipes
  • Trap wall scraping and inspection to remove buildup and examine the baffles and cover for damage
  • Comprehensive and well-documented services to ensure compliance and safety
Storm Drain Cleaning

Storm drains naturally become clogged with soil, tree debris, and trash over time, which can lead to unsightly standing water, dangerous flooding, and significant property damage if neglected. Our routine and emergency storm drain cleaning services help commercial facilities keep their storm drains safe and fully operational at all times. Specific capabilities include:

  • Thorough storm drain cleaning using hydro excavation technology
  • High-pressure water jetting to efficiently cut through thick layers of dirt and debris
  • Regular maintenance and repairs to correct existing issues and prevent future clogs
  • Documented inspection services

Tips for a Healthy Septic System

It’s essential to your system that it be pumped regularly. You can also help to improve its efficiency and longevity by conserving water when possible, taking shorter showers and turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Doing 12 loads of laundry one after the other is never a good idea! Try to space out water usage throughout the week to allow your system time to settle out properly. Also, try not to use a garbage disposal; compost garbage instead.

To keep your system functioning properly you should NEVER:

Allow excess amounts of fat or grease to enter the system.
Allow trucks or heavy equipment to drive over the system at one time. Stagger water use such as showers and laundry.
Don’t plumb water softener systems into your septic tank. That wastewater should go elsewhere because it can destroy the bacterial action in the tank.
Use excessive amount of laundry soap, detergents, bleach or chemical drain cleaners. Large amounts of these chemicals can kill the friendly bacteria that make your system function properly.
Ignore plumbing leaks. Any leak, including dripping faucets and running toilets, can quickly saturate your system. Always fix these problems immediately.

Did you know that the products in your home or business can kill the bacteria necessary to keep your septic system working properly? Service Pumping & Drain Co., Inc.™ is a licensed dealer of CCLS, an environmentally-safe and DEP-approved septic tank and cesspool treatment that helps keep your plumbing and household waste system free-flowing, healthy, and odor-free. Much higher in healthy bacteria and more effective that other products on the market, it is available only through approved contractors.

Septic Solutions from Service Pumping & Drain Co.

Comprehensive septic services allow restaurants, hospitals, universities, and other commercial establishments to safely and reliably manage large volumes of waste. At Service Pumping & Drain Co., we provide personalized septic cleaning, maintenance, and pumping services aimed at helping commercial businesses maintain smooth operations while complying with the latest health and safety regulations. Our 24/7 emergency services allow us to provide full support, even in urgent or emergency situations.

Contact us today or fill out our Request A Quote form to receive a quote on our septic system maintenance services.

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