Find your symptom below. Each page explains the likely causes, urgency level, what to do immediately, and what to avoid - plus a request form for direct General Septic service.
Describe a Septic RequestA septic backup - sewage returning into your sinks, toilets, or showers - is a plumbing emergency that may involve a full tank, blocked outlet baffle, clogged effluent filter, or failing drain field. Stop all water use immediately and describe the situation to General Septic. Do not flush toilets or use any drains until the condition has been evaluated.
Visible sewage surfacing in your yard may indicate that the drain field is not absorbing effluent adequately - this is an active septic concern and a public-health risk. Stop all water use in the home immediately, keep people and pets away from the affected area, and describe the situation to General Septic or the applicable health authority. Continued use of the system may worsen contamination and damage.
A septic alarm means the liquid level in your pump chamber has risen above the normal operating range. Possible causes include a failed pump, a faulty float switch, or a power interruption that let the chamber fill. Silence the audible buzzer if possible, reduce household water use to a minimum, and describe the request to General Septic promptly - do not ignore the alarm.
Sewage smells inside your home are often caused by a dried P-trap, a cracked wax ring, or a blocked vent stack - not necessarily a failing septic system. Outdoor odors near the drain field are more serious: persistent sewage smell over the drain field area may indicate effluent is surfacing. Reduce water use, keep people and pets away, and describe the observation to General Septic or the applicable health authority.
Persistent wet or spongy ground over your drain field after dry weather is a serious warning sign that the soil may not be absorbing effluent fast enough. Possible causes include biomat buildup, a tank that has gone too long without pumping, system overload, or seasonal groundwater. Reduce household water use immediately and describe the situation to General Septic; repair or rehabilitation options depend on site conditions.
When multiple drains throughout your home slow down at the same time on a septic system, the cause is almost always downstream of all fixtures - in the septic tank, the outlet baffle, the effluent filter, or the drain field. A single slow drain is usually a localized pipe clog. Multiple slow drains mean the septic system needs attention - typically starting with a pump-out and inspection.
A gurgling toilet on a septic system is caused by air being displaced in the drain pipes - usually by liquid backing up or pooling somewhere downstream. When flushing your toilet makes other drains gurgle or rise (the bathtub, a sink), the problem is almost certainly in the septic tank or drain field, not the toilet itself. This is an early warning sign that the system needs inspection.
Multiple slow drains throughout the house, gurgling sounds after flushing, a faint sewage odor near the tank lids or drain field, and a long gap since the last pump-out may indicate a full tank. If sludge reaches the outlet, solids may enter the drain field and contribute to a more complex repair scope.
Describe what your system is doing so General Septic can provide direct service. Service is available throughout King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, including urgent situations.
Describe a Septic Request