Septic Tank Service in Salem, OR

Why this shows up in Salem

Salem proper, along with Keizer, Turner, and East Salem within the urban growth boundary, sends wastewater to the regional Willow Lake treatment facility on the public sewer system. Move past that boundary into rural, unincorporated Marion or Polk County, and homes are almost universally on individual septic systems instead, regulated in Oregon under Department of Environmental Quality onsite wastewater rules rather than the municipal sewer code that governs in-city plumbing.

A septic system works by separating solids from wastewater in the tank, where solids settle and partially break down, while the liquid effluent flows out to a drain field where it's naturally filtered through soil. That process depends on the tank being pumped before solids build up enough to escape into the drain field, since a drain field clogged with solids is a far more expensive problem than a routine pumping, and in many cases isn't fully reversible once it happens.

Pumping frequency depends on tank size and household size more than any fixed calendar rule, but a household that has never had the tank pumped, or can't remember the last time, is overdue by most reasonable standards. Signs that a system needs attention sooner rather than on schedule include slow drains throughout the house with no plumbing explanation, a soggy or unusually green patch over the drain field, or a sewage odor near the tank or drain field area.

Garbage disposal use is worth specific mention for any household on septic, since it adds solid organic material directly into a tank that has a fixed, designed capacity for solids between pumpings. Heavy disposal use isn't a reason to remove one, but it is a real reason to use it more conservatively on septic than a household on Salem's public sewer would need to, and the garbage disposal page on this site covers that distinction in more detail.

A septic system failure, whether from years of neglected pumping or a drain field that has simply reached the end of its functional life, is a materially bigger project than routine service, potentially involving a full drain field replacement, which is regulated and permitted work under DEQ's onsite wastewater program. Catching a system in decline early, through routine pumping and attention to the warning signs above, is dramatically less expensive than waiting for a full failure.

Nothing heavy, whether a vehicle, a shed, or new landscaping, should ever be placed over a septic tank or drain field, since compacted soil above either component can damage buried pipe and interferes with the drain field's ability to filter effluent properly over time.

• Don't know when the tank was last pumped: schedule an inspection
• Slow drains throughout the house, no obvious plumbing cause
• Soggy or unusually green patch over the drain field
• Sewage odor near the tank or drain field
• Heavy garbage disposal use: pump more frequently
• Never pave or build over a septic tank or drain field

Call (971) 326-9890 to talk it through