Septic Failed in Butler County? What to Do in the First Hour

About a third of Butler County homes are on septic, and a backup usually shows up on a holiday weekend with a house full of guests. The first hour matters more than the first week.

Minute 0–10: stop the water

Every flush, load of laundry and shower adds to the tank. Shut off the washing machine and dishwasher, ask everyone to stop flushing, and find the cleanout or the tank lid if you know where it is.

Minute 10–30: two phone calls

First, a septic pumper. Butler County has several; a pump-out buys time if the tank is full, and the pumper can tell you whether the problem is the tank, the pump or the drain field. Second, call us at (724) 233-8539 for a porta potty. Before 1 PM Monday through Saturday, a unit is on site the same day, usually within 3 hours in Butler, Butler Township and the near townships. We put it on the driveway, not the lawn, so no truck crosses the drain field.

Hour 1: choose the unit

If the house still has running water, a standard unit ($278 for up to 4 days) is enough. If the well pump is also involved and there is no water, take the deluxe unit with an interior sink, or add a handwashing station. If anyone in the house uses a walker, the accessible unit has a flat entry.

The first week

Repairs take days when it is a pump and weeks when it is a drain field, especially after a wet spring when the Butler County Sewage Enforcement Officer has to inspect. If the repair runs past 4 days, your rental moves to the 5–14 day rate; past two weeks, to the 28-day rate with weekly service. You never pay two overlapping rentals.

Keep the trucks off the field

The pumper's truck, our truck and the excavator all weigh enough to crush drain-field laterals. Mark the field with stakes before anyone arrives. Our driver asks where it is on every septic call.

More on timing and prices: short-term and emergency rentals.