Septic Replacement
When the absorption area stops taking water and the tank is worn out, the whole system gets replaced. We dig the test pits, then build the new system to the approved design.
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Septic system repair starts with finding the part that actually failed. Backups, wet ground over the drainfield and sewage odors each point somewhere different. It can be a crushed line, a broken baffle or a failed distribution box. It can also be an absorption area that has stopped taking water.
We repair failing septic systems around Milford and across the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York corner. Sawkill Environmental is licensed and insured, PA HIC #PA225040, and we run our own excavators. Most calls end in a repair to one part of the system. When the absorption area is truly done, we say so and explain what a new septic system takes. Septic tank repairs follow the same rule: a broken baffle gets fixed, and a collapsed tank gets replaced.
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The first sign is usually inside the house. Drains run slow, toilets gurgle and sewage backs up in the lowest fixture. Those can all trace to the tank, the line or the field.
Outside, look at the ground over the drainfield. Wet or spongy ground and standing water mean wastewater is reaching the surface. A bright green stripe of grass over the lines says the same thing. Sewage odor in the yard points there too.
Roots, heavy trucks and too much water are the common causes. The EPA points to tree and shrub roots and to driving over the field. It also names roof and sump water sent onto the drainfield. Where roof water and hillside runoff cross the field, yard drainage work takes that load off.
Tanks fail in a few ways. Concrete lids and walls crack, steel tanks rust through, and broken baffles let solids run out to the field. We open the ground with the same excavators we use for foundation and utility digs. A pumping company empties the tank first, then we do the repair and backfill.
The distribution box sits between the tank and the field and splits the flow between the lines. When it settles or cracks, one line takes everything and that part of the field floods. Setting a new box back to level is one of the smaller repairs on a system.
Lines fail too. Roots find the joints, a run bellies where the trench settled, and equipment crushes shallow pipe. We replace the run and bed it on stone so the new trench holds its grade. While the tank is open we can set risers and lids up to the surface.
Often the field is fine and something upstream failed. Replace the box, the baffle or the crushed lateral and the system runs again. That is the outcome we want, and it happens on plenty of calls.
Other times the soil under the field has sealed up and will not take water. At that point the ground itself is the problem. The fix is a new absorption area, and here that often means a sand mound system. Shallow bedrock and slow soils are why sand mounds are common around Pike County. When the tank and the field both have to go, the job becomes a full septic system replacement.
Tank and absorption area repairs need a permit. In Pennsylvania it goes through your township or borough sewage enforcement officer. Penn State Extension tells homeowners to call that officer before any major septic repair. In New Jersey and New York the county health department handles the permit.
The EPA lists sewage backing up into the home's plumbing as a common sign of a failing septic system. Another is standing water or damp spots near or over the tank or drainfield. A crushed line, a failed distribution box or a broken baffle can each cause a backup. In the tank, high water points downstream, and a normal level points to the house line.
The EPA says a drainfield over 25 to 30 years old can back up as its natural biomat thickens. Many Milford Borough and Milford Township systems predate the 1969 construction rules, per the 2021 Eastern Pike County sewage plan. In that plan, 64 percent of the systems inspected in Milford Borough had potential, suspected or confirmed malfunctions. The confirmed malfunction rate across the plan's whole study area was 5.7 percent.
First, cut water use and hold off on laundry until the system is fixed. Next, have a pumping company empty the tank, then we dig down to the failed part and repair it. On public sewer there is no tank, so a backup points to the lateral, and that is sewer line repair. Call or text (973) 552-8580 for a free estimate.
Free, no-obligation estimates across the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York tri-state area.
(973) 552-8580From the first call or text to the final grading, here is how it goes.
Call or text (973) 552-8580 and tell us about the property. New builds, empty lots and failing systems all start here.
We come out and look at the property, the soil and where a system can fit. Estimates are free.
We dig the soil test pits. The township sewage enforcement officer runs the probes and the percolation tests, and approves the design. In New Jersey and New York, the county health department issues the permit.
Once the permit is issued, we set the tank and run the lines to the distribution box. Then we build the absorption area to the approved design. Conventional in-ground beds and elevated sand mounds are both common on lots around here.
The system gets inspected before anything is covered. In Pennsylvania the township sewage enforcement officer does that inspection. Then we backfill, grade the ground back out and clean up the site.
Common questions about septic repair across the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York tri-state area. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
When the absorption area stops taking water and the tank is worn out, the whole system gets replaced. We dig the test pits, then build the new system to the approved design.
Learn More
A failing drain field can come down to one crushed line, a settled distribution box or worn-out soil. We open the ground to find out which, then repair the part or rebuild the field to the approved design.
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We install sand mound septic systems on lots where the soil testing calls for one. That covers new homes and full replacements where an older system has failed.
Learn MoreSawkill Environmental is licensed and insured, with Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration PA HIC #PA225040. That number is public, and you can look it up before you hire anyone.
We run our own excavators and equipment. That keeps the test pits, the install and the final grading on one schedule.
We work from Milford out about 25 miles. That covers Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania, Sussex in New Jersey, and Orange and Sullivan in New York.
Estimates are free. We come out, look at the property and tell you what the job needs. Call or text (973) 552-8580.
Real reviews from real septic and excavation jobs on Google.
Great Service and workmanship I would use nobody else to service my grease and septic tanks
Top Notch & Very professional,showed up when was suppose to & it came out better then I could ever imagine… calling them anytime I need there services done
Returned phone calls immediately. Showed up when they said they would… very nice to deal with .. Excellent work
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Read more →Tell us about the property and what you need done, and we will come back with a free estimate. You can also call or text (973) 552-8580.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.