Upfront Septic was called to a home in Burien, WA to investigate a high-level alert coming from the property's septic system. Upon arrival, our technician located the septic tank and pump tank in the backyard. The system was equipped with risers, allowing access to both compartments and the pump tank for a complete inspection.

After opening the pump tank, we found that it was flooded. Our technician inspected the control panel and discovered that the timer settings had been changed from the system's original as-built specifications. The timer had been set to run for six minutes followed by four hours off, causing the system to overdose. We returned the timer to its original recommended settings of one minute and 20 seconds on followed by four hours off.

We then pumped the pump tank and performed a drawdown test to evaluate pump performance. The septic tank was also pumped to give the pump time to rest and prevent additional overloading of the drain field. Our team crust busted and removed approximately 1,200 gallons of waste from the system.

During the inspection, we also identified significant root intrusion around the existing risers where they connected to the septic tank. The existing risers showed signs of deterioration and were not providing a reliable seal. We recommended resealing the risers to help prevent future root intrusion and discussing replacement with new, higher-quality risers for improved long-term protection.

By correcting the pump timer settings, servicing both tanks, testing the pump system, and identifying issues with the existing risers, Upfront Septic helped restore proper operation while providing recommendations to protect the system from future problems.