Septic guides

Signs of septic trouble

• Slow drains. Especially when several drains are slow at once, or the lowest drains in the house.
• Gurgling. Toilets or drains that gurgle after water runs.
• Odors. A sewage smell near the tank, the drain field, or inside.
• Wet ground. Spongy soil or standing water over the drain field when it hasn’t rained.
• Extra-green grass. Lush stripes of grass over the lines can mean wastewater is surfacing.
• A pump alarm. On systems with a pump, the alarm means the water level is too high.

Septic dos and don’ts

• Do pump on schedule. The EPA says most household tanks are typically pumped every three to five years.
• Do spread out laundry and fix leaking toilets and faucets.
• Do keep roof gutters and sump water directed away from the drain field.
• Don’t flush wipes, paper towels, feminine products, grease, or medications, even ones labeled “flushable.”
• Don’t drive or park on the tank or drain field, or build over them.
• Don’t plant trees or large shrubs near the lines, where roots can grow into them.

More on pumping.

Buying a home on septic

A standard home inspection usually doesn’t include the septic system. Ask the seller for the county septic permit and any pumping records, and schedule a septic inspection early in your due diligence period. The permit shows the approved system type and how many bedrooms it was designed for. In Craven County, permit records are kept by Environmental Health.More on inspections.

After a flood or hurricane

When the ground is flooded or saturated, a drain field can’t absorb wastewater. Use as little water as possible until the water goes down, and don’t pump the tank while the ground is still flooded, since an empty tank can shift in soggy soil. Once things dry out, have the system checked if drains are slow, the tank was underwater, or a pump system lost power.

New Bern soils and water

New Bern sits where the Neuse and Trent rivers meet, in Craven County’s coastal plain. The USDA’s official description of Craven soils lists a clay-rich subsoil, 35 to 55 percent clay, where water moves slowly, and a seasonal high water table 24 to 36 inches deep from December to April. Wet soil like that is part of why drain fields here need care, and why some homes have pump systems that dose the field. NC State Extension recommends inspecting low-pressure pipe systems every six months.

Hurricane Florence in 2018 brought storm surge up to 13.5 feet and days of rain, and flooded close to 800 homes and businesses in New Bern.

For local details, see the pages forHavelock, Trent Woods, Vanceboro, James City, Brices Creek, Jones County, and Pamlico County, and our other service areas.