Quotes
Getting An Estimate
How much will my new septic system cost?
There are a lot of factors that determine the cost of a new septic system such as:
- The size of the home or homes the system will serve.
- The access to the new field site, open or wooded?
- Removal of a failed field prior to installing a new field.
- The availability of aggregate materials in the local area.
- Installing septic systems in resource protected areas that require planning board approval.
- Type of bed designed, gravity feed or pump style system.
What areas do we service?
Mainely Septics Systems covers Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, and Waldo counties in Maine. We will on occasion work outside these areas.
Expectations
How The Process Works
How long does it take to construct a new septic system?
You can generally plan on 4 to 7 days depending on the size of the system.
What are the steps to installing a new or replacement septic system?
The first step to installing or replacing a new septic system is to obtain an HHE 200 septic design from a state soil scientist. The soil scientist will come out to your property and test the soil and devise a written plan for the construction of the system. Mainely Septics Systems can facilitate this for the property owner and meet with the soil scientist at the property.
The second step consists of the town code officer signing the plan authorizing the start of the system. Each town has a fee amount attached to authorizing the plan.This fee is usually included in the estimate. The code officer will inspect the new system and approve the bed upon completion.
The next step is the pumping of effluent from the existing tank if there is one. This allows for easy hookup into a new bed to the existing tank.
The new bed will be installed and connected to the septic tank. The bed will be covered according to the plan. The completed bed will be covered with loam, seed, and hay.
How long will my septic services be down during construction?
Generally we leave the failed bed attached to the septic tank while building the new bed. We then pump the effluent from the tank and connect it to the new bed. Pumping the tank allows the customer to continue to use the services and gives us the time to make the connection to the new field.
What if I have a failed septic bed and no place to build a new bed?
If there is no room to construct a new septic bed, the entire failed bed will be excavated out and removed. The new bed will be constructed in the same location.
Payment
How To Maintain Your Septic
What do I need to do to ensure my new septic system continues to function properly and have longevity?
All septic systems need periodic maintenance to function properly and have longevity such as:
- Tank filters should be pulled and washed off yearly to prevent backup.
- A family of five should have the tank pumped every two years to remove solids and grease sludge from the tank. This will allow for breakdown of solids more efficiently and prevent solids from entering the field, resulting in excessive bio-mat.
- If one or more people in the home are taking antibiotics for extended periods of time, plan on pumping the tank more frequently. Antibiotics will kill helpful tank bacteria and allow for passage of more solids into the system.
- Do not add septic additives down the toilet. A properly maintained septic system does not need any additives to function. Additives can do more damage to healthy tank bacteria and are not recommended.
- Do not use chlorine pucks in the toilet to keep them clean. Each time the toilet is flushed your dosing the tank with chlorine.
- Sink grinders are not recommended as they increase the solid load going into the system and will speed up bio- mat growth.
- Water treatment systems that utilize salt can also be harmful to the septic bed.
- Do not add additional bedrooms or bathrooms onto a septic system. Your system is designed to handle what your home currently has attached to it. Adding more onto the system will greatly reduce its lifespan. If you plan on adding additional load to the system you will need to contact a soil scientist and have a new plan drawn to increase the size of your bed.
- Do not place swing sets, swimming pools, horseshoe pits, gardens, or any structure on top of the septic bed. This could damage the internal system.
- Do not drive anything other than a lawn mower across the bed.
- Do not plant any trees alongside or atop the bed. Roots will travel to the effluent and enter the pipes causing them to plug.
- Repair all toilets and faucets that drip or run constantly. That little drip will equal thousands of gallons of water that will end up in the bed and shorten the lifespan of the bed.
- A well maintained system will perform well for many years.