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Septic System Maintenance - Septic Tank Pumping Table Shows When to Clean the Septic Tank InspectAPedia®  -     Septic tank cleanout schedule - when do I pump out the septic tank? Complete septic system care & maintenance guide, how often & how to pump out septic tanks Septic System Life Expectancy for septic tanks, septic fields, septic pumps, etc.

This document explains a key point in how septic systems work: the septic tank & septic system cleaning schedule - when to pump out the septic tank. We explain why a septic tank needs to be pumped regularly, how septic tanks are cleaned, how much it costs to pump a septic tank, how to inspect and clean septic tanks safely, what is septic tank effluent retention time, how to measure septic tank scum and sludge levels, and other septic tank maintenance advice for homeowners. How often should septic tanks be pumped? For an explanation of the meaning of sewage levels in the septic tank and how that information informs septic tank pumping frequency, see SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS.

If you don't know where the septic tank is located, see HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK. At TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE we describe how to inspect the septic tank before, during, and after tank cleaning operations. Septic system maintenance and repair are discussed in a collection of detailed articles listed at Septic Tank and Septic System Maintenance. Also see SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE, our detailed step by step photo-illustrated guide to find, pump and clean a septic tank. See Septic Backup Prevention for tips to avoid a septic problem during times of anticipated heavy septic system usage.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical reviewers are invited and are listed at "References."

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE - A Guide to Septic Cleaning - How Often Do You Pump Out A Septic Tank?

Table I below lists the recommended septic tank pumping frequency according to septic tank capacity and household size. The frequencies were calculated to provide a minimum of 24 hours of wastewater retention assuming 50 percent digestion of the retained solids.

The removal of septic waste by cleaning the septic tank is a critical step in septic system care as it extends the life of the septic field. Even if you don't care how septic systems work you need to know when to clean the septic tank by pumping out septic waste. Look up your tank size and number of building occupants to see how often the septic tank should be cleaned.

NOTES to the Septic Tank Pumping Schedule Table:

• Numbers in the septic pumping table indicate septic treatment tank pump out in frequency of every nn years for conventional septic tanks, and assuming for year-round occupancy of the residence. (This data does not pertain to simple holding tanks which retain all solid and liquid waste with no treatment no effluent disposal system.)
• * These septic tank sizes are below the minimum size allowed in Pennsylvania and other jurisdictions. Florida septic tank pumping rules and Ohio septic tank cleaning rules may be more demanding.
• Minimum septic tank sizes: Under current Pennsylvania law a 900 gallon septic tank is the minimum size that must be used for a home with three bedrooms or less. If six people reside in a three-bedroom house, the tank should be pumped every 1.3 years. If the same system serves a family of two, the tank would be ready for pumping every 5.2 years. Systems installed before the current rules and regulations were implemented may need to be pumped more often, perhaps every year or less.
• Garbage disposers will increase the frequency of pumping. For example, if this same three bedroom house with six residents had a garbage disposal and was generally producing a higher volume of wastewater, the pumping frequency would be calculated as follows: 1.3 years - [(0.2) x 1.3 years] = 1.0 year. For more analysis of the effect of garbage disposers on septic systems see Garbage Grinders or Garbage Disposes and Septic Tank Maintenance
• Typical Septic Tank Pumping Costs: A typical fee to pump a septic tank is $200. to $300 to pump a septic tank up to 1000g in size, provided that the tank pumping access port has been uncovered and is readily accessible. If the septic pumping contractor needs to find the septic tank and then excavate the septic tank pumping access opening, expect to pay an additional $350. to $400. provided that no extraordinary measures are needed. Prices vary somewhat by region. A part of the fee you're paying your septic pumping contractor is the cost to dispose of the septage.
• For an explanation of the meaning of sewage levels in the septic tank and how that information informs septic tank pumping frequency, see SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS.

Onsite sewage disposal system holding tanks, where there is no septic field, will need to be pumped more frequently based simply on the rate and volume of septic waste inflow. Portions of this information were provided by the Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension.

We have edited and added to the original septic tank pumping guideline material based on research and field experience testing, inspecting, and installing septic systems and based on study of other reference sources on septic system maintenance and design.

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SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
  SEPTIC INSPECTION TYPES & LEVELS
  SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
  TANK PUMPING FREQUENCY TABLE
  WHY DOES A TANK NEED PUMPING?
  SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
  SEPTIC TANK PUMPING REASONS
  EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME
  MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE
  CLEANING SEPTIC TANKS
  WHEN NOT TO PUMP A SEPTIC TANK
  SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS
  SEPTIC PUMPING CONCLUSIONS

• "Estimated Septic Tank Pumping Frequency," Karen Mancl, 1984. Journal of Environmental Engineering. Volume 110.
• "The Soil as a Treatment System." Tyler, E. T., R. Laak, E. McCoy, and S. S. Sandhu, Home Sewage Treatment. ASAE publication 5-77, 1977.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
  
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Septic Tank Pumping Procedure step by step photo guideline of how to pump and clean a septic tank - septic tank care
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• Septic System Design Basics: Choosing Septic Tank Size, Absorption System Size
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
• Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)
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