The Dirty Business Of Cesspools

What’s out of sight shouldn’t necessarily stay out of mind—especially when it comes to septic systems buried in the backyards of homes across the East End.

In fact, it’s a good bet that there will be a septic challenge when least expected, according to Danielle Quackenbush, co-owner of East Hampton-based Quackenbush Cesspools.

“Problems are going to happen when you have 15 people over at the house, or a wedding,” said Ms. Quackenbush, who co-owns the business with her husband, James. “What can go wrong will go wrong, that’s just the way it goes. That’s the call we get all the time.”

In fact, 90 percent of the cesspool company’s calls are emergencies, she explained during a telephone interview last month. Whether it’s a septic system backup into the house, a water-saturated lawn or sewage in the washing machine, that’s when people really have to pay attention to their septic issues.

The easiest solution is staying on top of septic tank and cesspool maintenance, the two basic elements of a septic system—an underground, private sewage treatment plant for homes not connected to a sewer system, as are nearly all homes on Long Island.

A septic system is usually powered by gravity. Waste from toilets, washing machines, sinks and showers flows into the septic tank, which is a holding tank usually made of pre-cast concrete or fiberglass, and is sized according to estimated wastewater flow and the square footage of a given residence. An average residence on the East End will utilize a 1,000-gallon tank, Ms. Quackenbush said, but the tank size will also depend on the number of bedrooms, how frequently the house is used and by how many people.

Whether it can take on 900 gallons or 1,500 gallons, the septic tank always separates the wastewater into three components. Solids, or “sludge,” sink to the bottom. Floatables, which include soap, grease and oil, called “scum,” rise to the top and a layer of relatively clear water is left in the middle.

As new water enters the tank, it displaces the water that’s already there, pushing it out of the septic tank through a pipe and into a cesspool, which is typically an 8-foot-wide-by-12-foot-deep overflow pit lined with concrete, brick or cement blocks. The water then percolates, or drains, into the soil through the cesspool’s perforated walls. The soil purifies the water by removing germs and chemicals before it reaches the groundwater.

Signs of a failing septic system are subtle at first, Skip Norsic, owner of Emil Norsic & Son sanitation company in Southampton, said during a telephone interview last month. There could be slow drainage when flushing toilets, water backing up into the sinks, toilets and washing machines, or an unusual gurgling sound when running the faucet.

Homeowners should know there’s a problem if there are noticeably soggy areas in the lawn and unpleasant odors in or around the house. That usually means there’s a clogged line or the septic system is full, the experts said.

“One time I felt so sorry for this poor lady,” Mr. Norsic recalled of one of his Southampton Village clients. “It was a beautiful house and she just redid the basement. She put down I don’t even know how many tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of rugs and furniture and whatnot. And the system backed up, overflowed and ruined all her rugs and furniture. She was beside herself.”

Mr. Norsic isn’t the only one who’s run into his share of septic horror stories.

“I’ve seen some pretty ugly stuff in people’s houses that went five, six years without any maintenance,” Gregg Hurley, dispatch manager for Schenck Fuel in East Hampton, said during a telephone interview last month. “The worst-case scenario? Coming out of the toilet and hitting the ceiling. Don’t wait for a problem to happen. It will be a mess, especially when it comes into the house. It will come out of everything: showers, toilets, sinks, everything. Solid, liquid waste. Whatever is in there. Corn, carrots, whatever they’re into. It’ll come up.”

Mr. Hurley and Mr. Norsic recommended that year-round residents pump out their septic systems every two years. Summer vacationers can afford to wait, but Ms. Quackenbush warned against putting off septic maintenance any longer than six years.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, she said.

Pumping costs are $250 per 1,000 gallons pumped, Ms. Quackenbush reported. Mr. Hurley charges $292 for the first 1,000 gallons, and anything extra is 13½ cents a gallon, he said. An average fix for Mr. Norsic runs anywhere from $400 to $1,500, he reported.

But there are moves homeowners can make to improve their septic system’s health, the experts agreed.

First: don’t treat the toilet like a garbage can, Mr. Norsic said. Tissues, feminine hygiene products and paper towels should not be flushed. They don’t break down like toilet paper does, he said. Second: conserve water. Excessive water introduced into the system can overload it and cause it to fail. And third: do not pour harsh detergents or other chemicals down the drain. They deplete the amount of beneficial bacteria in the system that help break down solid waste.

Mr. Norsic warned of a common practice that adds stress to the system.

“Also, I know for some people it’s like a religion to them to use the garbage disposal, but it’s one of the worst things for a septic system because the organic material doesn’t break down,” he said.

For maintenance, Mr. Norsic suggested using enzyme treatments, which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria responsible for reducing the amount of solid material in a septic system by as much as 60 percent, according to the Long Island Liquid Waste Association.

Mr. Hurley concurred.

“I recommend using Rid-X every six months,” Mr. Hurley said of the treatment, which contains billions of live bacteria and enzymes that help break down waste. “It helps with the tank and preserves it. I do it at my house, costs 10 bucks. I haven’t had my house pumped in five years. So whatever it does, it works.”

But all of the prevention in the world won’t matter if, when the day comes, the homeowner doesn’t know where the septic system is located, or if, worse yet, it’s been buried or built over.

“We’ve had people who have built additions over their septic systems, and when it comes to do work on them, who do you blame, the people or the builders? I don’t know,” Mr. Norsic said. “Know where it is so we can get in and get out.”