How to Avoid Potential Septic, Sewer and Stormwater Issues

by Expert Contributors Dave DiGregorio & TJ Dell’Arciprete, Owners of Delaware Valley Septic, Sewer & Storm

Maintaining your investment in your home requires a lot of maintenance, much of which is seasonal. Fall leaves are beautiful but must eventually be cleaned up. Your home’s exterior must be winterized and prepared to withstand freezing temperatures, snow and ice. Spring’s pleasant weather makes doing outside maintenance, lawn care and gardening enjoyable again. And summer’s blistering heat and humidity require regular maintenance of your home’s air-conditioning system.

While we all live in our homes, “Out of sight, out of mind” can easily become the approach we take to what’s going on outside underground. It’s important to realize that over time, everything requires some sort of maintenance and care, including your home’s septic, sewer and stormwater management systems.

The best way to treat your septic system is to have it pumped out every one to three years. That interval depends on the number of people regularly living in the home. You should also have the entire septic system inspected every few years, to make sure everything is still functioning as intended. Following these two maintenance tips alone can significantly increase your septic system’s life, perhaps by decades.

For homes with sewer lines, keep in mind that all waste water and liquids from the home travels out and down a 4-inch diameter pipe. That includes cooking grease, soap products, and other liquids and semi-solids that can, over time, build up on the interior of that pipe.

If your sewer line is located near trees, tree roots can and often do grow into sewer lines. In our area, most homes (except newer homes) have cast iron or terracotta piping underground. Over time, debris can build up inside sewer line piping, significantly reducing its flow-through diameter.

Many homeowners assume that throwing some drain-clearing product down the pipe will keep it clear. The fact is that conditions inside the pipe require something more powerful and thorough: Water-jetting, which removes all the build-up inside the pipe, clears out the debris, and restores the pipe’s full diameter so everything can flow as it should.

Your home’s stormwater management systems — gutters and downspouts — may go underground and also be out of sight and out of mind. Those downspouts can lead to or have sediment traps underground, with inverts, culverts or inlets blocked or packed with debris. If regular maintenance is not done, those systems can build up with sediment, leaves and other things that find their way down a drain or gutter. Your stormwater management drains will serve you well over the years if they’re regularly cleaned out and all the piping is water-jetted.

Delaware Valley Septic, Sewer & Storm

A family-run business that has been prioritizing customer service and providing the most reliable septic, sewer and storm services for over 30 years.

610-947-4800

www.4DelVal.com

Our hard-working crew

Our services include: • Septic, Sewer & Storm Water Installations • Septic & Sewer Inspection • Septic & Storm Pumping • Sewer & Drain Cleaning • Repairs & Maintenance

504 Eagle Road, Suite B, Springfield