If your septic system fails inspection, the first thing you should do is contact your local health department or local sewer-septic professional to find out what will be required for any necessary upgrades or sepic system repairs.
Shop around. Get written estimates and check qualifications and references. Remember that you are under no obligation to have the person who inspects your septic system perform any other work on it. In fact, you may want to hire separate contractors to handle the septic system repairs.
Septic system repair or upgrade costs will vary depending on the nature of the problem, soil conditions, proximity of the system to water supplies, and the size of the lot. If you have no plans to move, you may qualify for one or more programs designed to help homeowners pay for septic system repair or replacement. Many cities and towns either have in place now or are working to establish “betterment” loan programs to provide homeowners with long-term, low-cost financing. If you are in the process of selling your home, you may find during negotiations that the prospective buyer is willing to assume some or all of the costs.
One of the best ways to ensure that your system will pass inspection is to keep it on a routine maintenance schedule. At a minimum, you should have it pumped out every three years. If you use a garbage disposal, more frequent septic tank pumping may be necessary.
A word about septic system additives: remember that there isn’t one on the market that can make a failing system pass inspection. Certain septic system additives may be approved by your local regulations, but only to ensure that they will not harm your system or the environment. Remember that even the best-maintained system in the world cannot last forever. Like anything else, it will wear our over time, stop working properly and need to be repaired or replaced.
