Septic Tank Pumping in Durham, NC
Durham is home. Bobby Davis Jr. has 50 years in the trade, and we have been based here since 1996.
Celebrating 30 Years of Service; Est. 1996
Septic service where Durham's city sewer ends
Septic in Durham means the county outside the city sewer: Bahama, Rougemont and Gorman, the Falls Lake and Eno River side, and the roads out toward Hillsborough. The ground changes as you cross the county. South and east Durham sit on Triassic clay that drains slowly, so drainfields there fail from saturation. The north is rockier, with shallower soil over rock, and that makes a new system or a field repair harder to fit.
Septic tank pumping in Durham, and Durham County permits
For septic tank pumping in Durham, we find the lid, pump every compartment and clean the effluent filter. Most homes need a pump-out every three to five years.
Permits in Durham County go through Durham County Public Health Environmental Health. Repairing a drainfield or replacing a tank takes a repair permit, and a new system takes an improvement permit and construction authorization. We go through the process with you. The Durham County page covers the rest of the county.
When to call for septic repair in Durham, NC
Call us if you see any of these.
- Drains that are slow or gurgling in more than one fixture
- Wet ground or a sewage smell over the drainfield
- Sewage backing up into the house
- A lot or a new house outside the sewer line that needs a system
- Three to five years since the last pump-out
Sewage in the house cannot wait for office hours. Call (919) 481-6929 any time and ask for emergency septic service, available 24/7. Ask about the senior, veteran, neighborhood and multi-tank discounts. We also work in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and across the rest of Durham County. Next door in Orange County, we do septic tank pumping in Hillsborough, NC.
Durham County septic questions
What Durham County homeowners ask us.
Is my Durham house on septic or city sewer?
Inside the city, most homes are on city sewer. Septic is the norm in the county outside it, around Bahama, Rougemont, Gorman, Falls Lake and the Eno River side. No sewer charge on your bill and a lid in the yard means you are on septic.
My drainfield is wet and smells. Is it dead?
Not always. A full tank or a blocked distribution box can look the same as a failing field. We start with the tank and the box, then look at the lines and the field. If the field has failed, the repair needs a permit from Durham County Public Health Environmental Health.
Can you install a new septic system in Durham County?
Yes. We hold the top NC installer grade, Level IV. Durham County Public Health Environmental Health issues the improvement permit and construction authorization that a new system needs, and both come before any digging. Rocky ground in the north of the county can limit where a field fits.
How often should I pump my tank in Durham?
A typical 1,000 gallon tank wants a pump-out every three to five years. A big household, a disposal or a small tank shortens that. South and east Durham clay leaves the field little room for error.
I am selling my house. Do I need a septic inspection?
North Carolina does not require one at sale, but buyers, lenders and agents often ask. We are a certified septic inspector. For a Durham house we pull the Durham County permit record first. See our real estate septic inspection page.
Durham septic trouble? We are based here.
We are a Durham company, and emergency service is available 24/7. For everything else, call Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM, or request service online.