TUCSON SEPTIC REPAIR

Regardless of your septic repair or septic service needs in Tucson, Curtis Plumbing can help. We offer a wide variety of Tucson septic repair services to cover all situations. Give Curtis Plumbing a call, and our expert septic technicians will be on the way.
We offer 24 / 7 emergency service as well.

Septic Systems

Curtis Plumbing offers a full range of septic related services. We pump, maintain, and repair septic systems as well as install new septic tanks and leach fields. For the sale of properties, we will pump and certify the septic systems. We can call PDEQ and request records for $25.00, or in the event that there are no records, we can electronically locate your tank. We own and operate our own Septic Dewatering System. Created in 2009, this state of the art facility allows us to offer competitive pricing by eliminating the need for a middle man to process the waste. Our fleet includes three well-maintained septic pump trucks, as shown here.

Septic Tanks in Tucson and Tucson Septic Services

Septic tank installation Septic tanks are the main part of a septic system. Septic is a small scale sewage treatment and is mostly found in areas where there is no form of connection to the municipal sewer system. Other parts of a septic system that may or may not be mandated include pumps, sumps, filters, and alarms. To pump the septic tank, one needs to know the location of the large access holes built into the tank lid. The soil over those lids needs to be excavated to allow access to the tank. The service tech will pump out both sides of the tank, rinse the tank and check the outlet baffle tee. If there is a filter in place, they will clean it and test the leach field for proper working conditions. Curtis Plumbing will install a wire with a metal marker above the septic lids to denote excavation and access location.

Do’s and Don’ts of Septic Tanks

Do’s:

  • Have your tank inspected and pumped every few years (at minimum).
  • Locate your septic system and be sure to avoid this area when installing landscaping, driving vehicles, or considering construction.
  • Conserve water to help reduce the amount of water that goes into the system.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t use your system as a garbage receptacle.
  • Avoid flushing sanitary napkins, baby wipes, cat litter, plastics, paper towels, excessive amounts of toilet paper, condoms, etc.

Tucson Septic Inspections

Inspecting a septic system can help determine what its condition is and to make sure it’s working properly; however, it’s not easy to do this, as most of the system is underground. Curtis Plumbing can check the system by excavating the inspection ports of the tank, making sure that the baffle tees are in place, and cleaning the filters if needed. Our techs can run water into the leach field to make sure that it is accepting liquid properly.

Septic System Certification Process

To certify a septic system, the dirt over the septic tank lid must be excavated to allow proper access into the tank to pump all the solids out, to measure the tank and inspect it. Upon receiving the work order from the client, the Curtis Plumbing office will contact Pima County for any septic records from when the home was built or from prior certifications. If no records exist, Curtis Plumbing can electronically locate the septic tank. After the service tech excavates the tank, he will thoroughly pump the septic tank. He will inspect the tank to make sure that the inlet and outlet baffle tees are in place and confirm that the tank has no cracks or holes in it. The tank is then measured for size and liquid capacity. The leach field must be tested to make sure it is taking water properly. If there are no existing records of the size and location of the leach fields, PDEQ requires that we electronically locate the lines, and include the location on the map section of the seven page certification report. The report is then faxed downtown, and when Pima County e-mails the Certification, we will e-mail copies to the title company, realtor, etc. for the close of escrow.

Septic Certifications for Home Sales

Whenever a home/property is sold with a septic system, Pima County and the State of Arizona require that the system be pumped and certified.

7.21.045 -Operating permits.

  • A. It is unlawful to place in use an on-site disposal system constructed after December 5, 1985, until an operating permit has been obtained from the environmental officer.
  • B. The owners of existing unpermitted on-site disposal systems shall obtain an operating permit within sixty days of notice from the environmental officer. To obtain an operating permit for an existing system, the owner shall file a certificate of inspection as described in Section 7.21.050 with the environmental officer and pay a fee of eight dollars. If an existing septic tank does not meet capacity requirements at the time of application, the environmental officer shall make a notation of this deficiency on the operating permit.
  • C. If a plan of an existing on-site disposal system is not already on file with the environmental officer, the system owner shall file an as-built plan, acceptable to the environmental officer prior to the issuance of an operating permit.

(Ord. 1991-137 § 13 (part), 1991)

7.21.050 – Maintenance.

  • A. No longer than six months prior to any transfer to another person of title to real property served by an individual sewage disposal system, the system shall be inspected and a certificate of inspection shall be filed with the environmental officer.
  • B. The certification inspector shall certify that the on-site disposal system is in good repair and functioning properly. For purposes of this section, “good repair and functioning properly” means:
    • 1. The septic tank has been pumped-out if the bottom of the scum layer is within three inches of the bottom of the outlet device, or the sludge level is within eight inches of the bottom of the outlet device;
    • 2. There are no cracks in the tank which allow the liquid level to drop below the outlet;
    • 3. All baffles and sanitary tees are intact and in place;
    • 4. The pipe and valves conducting liquids to the disposal fields are not clogged and the leaching field is accepting liquids;
    • 5. Surfacing sewage, saturated areas or other signs of failure are not present.
  • C. The certification inspector shall determine the interior dimensions and liquid capacity of the septic tank.
  • D. The inspection shall be certified by a licensed plumber, septic system installer, or septic tank pumping company and shall be the responsibility of the property seller. Approved license types for certification inspectors include the Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses L-37, L-41, L-77, A-12, C-37, C-41 and a liquid waste haulers license issued by the department.
  • E. If a public or private agency, approved by the environmental officer, exists to administer the operation and maintenance of on-site disposal systems, the environmental officer may establish, by agreement, different criteria for testing, inspecting and pumping septic systems which carry out the purposes of this article.
    Septic Pumping Tucson

By pumping your septic tank regularly, you can extend its life. Regular pumpling also protects the drain field. How often you should pump depends on the household size and the size of the septic tank itself.