Septic Tank Pumping in Pittsboro, NC
We pump septic tanks in Pittsboro and out toward Jordan Lake, and we install new systems. The family has run this business since 1996, and emergency service is available 24/7.
Celebrating 30 Years of Service; Est. 1996
Septic tank pumping in Pittsboro, from town to Jordan Lake
Pittsboro is the Chatham County seat. The town sewer covers the core. The septic homes are outside it, on the county land around town and in subdivisions beyond the town limits, out toward Jordan Lake. We work all of it from our base in Durham.
Septic tank pumping in Pittsboro follows the steps below, and on this slow clay the step that matters most is the last look: how the water reaches the distribution box. Routine residential pump-outs are from $400.
Bobby Davis Jr. has worked in this trade for 50 years. Call (919) 481-6929 and tell us where in Chatham County the house is.
Pittsboro ground: clay and shale that drain slowly
The Triassic Basin runs south-west from Durham through Pittsboro to Sanford, and its dense clay and shale drains slowly. Drainfields on that ground are often larger, shallower or built as low-pressure pipe systems, and they fail from saturation: the lines fill faster than the ground can take the water.
After a wet winter, expect slow drains inside and soft ground over the lines. Solids that a pump-out removes are solids that never reach the field. If the tank is fine and the yard stays wet, we look next at the distribution box and the lines. That is distribution box repair and replacement or drainfield repair and replacement.
We also work nearby: septic service in Chapel Hill, septic tank pumping in Sanford and septic repair in Apex, and across all of Chatham County.
What a pump-out covers in Pittsboro
Here is the whole job, in order.
- We find the lids and uncover them, digging where there is no riser.
- We empty every compartment of the tank.
- We inspect the baffles and the outlet tee for cracks, breaks and clogs.
- We clean the effluent filter.
- We watch how the flow reaches the distribution box, since slow clay is hard on the lines.
- We record the sludge level, so the next pump-out has a date.
- Where the lids are deep, a riser brings them up to ground level, so later visits skip the dig.
The usual cycle for a 1,000 gallon tank is three to five years, and a garbage disposal or a big household shortens it. The full routine is on our septic tank pumping page.
Septic tank systems in Pittsboro, NC
Chatham Park and the building around it mean new houses on new lots. A lot outside the town sewer needs a septic system of its own, and an old system that fails needs a replacement. That is septic installation: new systems, replacement tanks and drainfield replacement. Our installer certificate, number 3402, is NC Level IV, the highest grade.
Permits come from Chatham County Environmental Health, whose office is in Pittsboro, not from the town. A new system starts with two county documents, an improvement permit and a construction authorization, and both come before any digging. When the work is done the county inspects it and issues the operation permit. A replacement tank or a drainfield repair needs a repair permit. A routine pump-out needs none.
On Pittsboro’s clay the approved design is often a larger, shallower or low-pressure pipe field, and we install what the permit calls for. Buyers and lenders often ask for an inspection when a house on septic sells, and our inspector certificate is 3402I. See septic inspections for how a sale inspection works.
What we do in Pittsboro: pumping, repair and new systems
If you are not sure which of these you need, we start at the tank and work out toward the field.
- Septic tank pumping
- Emergency septic service, day or night
- New system installation and tank replacement
- Distribution box repair and replacement
- Risers, filter cleaning and outlet tees
- Pump and control panel repair and replacement
- Root blockage removal
- Drainfield repair and replacement
- Real estate septic inspections
Describe what you see and we will tell you which job it is: call (919) 481-6929. Every service we do for homes is on our residential septic service page.
Ask about our discounts
* Only one discount can be applied at a time
Two or more tanks pumped at the same time earn the multi-tank discount. Five or more houses on your road pumped on the same trip earn the neighborhood discount.
Pittsboro septic questions
What Chatham County homeowners ask us.
My yard stays wet after rain. Is my drainfield failing?
Not always. Pittsboro clay drains slowly, and a storm can leave the ground soft for days. Ground that stays wet and smells in dry weather is the warning sign. Cut back on water and call us. We start with the tank and the flow to the box, because a full tank can look like a failed field.
Do you install new septic systems around Pittsboro?
Yes. Our installer certificate is NC Level IV, number 3402. Chatham County Environmental Health issues the permits before any digging. Call with the address. A new system starts with the county’s permits for the lot. More on septic installation.
Who issues septic permits in Pittsboro, the town or the county?
The county. Chatham County Environmental Health issues them, and its office is in Pittsboro. Repairs and new systems need a permit. A routine pump-out does not.
How often should I pump my tank in Chatham County?
The usual advice for a 1,000 gallon household tank is every three to five years. A disposal, a crowded house or a small tank puts you at the short end of that range.
Should I have the septic inspected before I buy near Jordan Lake?
It is worth asking for. Lenders and buyers often want one, even though the state does not require it when a house sells. An inspector pulls the county permit and the as-built drawing, then looks at the system. We do these inspections as an NC certified septic inspector.