Co-Owner · November 21, 2019
Q: What effect does a power outage have on my septic system, STEP system, or sewer system?
A: If you have a completely standard gravity system, it will function normally. However, if your system has a pump and/or alarm system, your sewer system could be heavily affected, depending on how long the power is off. Read more below.
More about pump and alarm systems
In some cases, septic tank outlet water, otherwise known as “effluent”, has to be pushed uphill to the designated absorption area. This “absorption” area, can also be referred to as “lateral lines” or the “lateral field”. If there exists a pump as a part of the wastewater system and the power goes out, the warning system that exists to alert that there is a problem also functions on electricity and will not work.
Reasons for having a pump and alarm as a part of the system include:
- The absorption area is uphill from the tank location
- A spider valve or hydro-splitter is used for distribution of the effluent
- The city sewer hook-up is actually a city STEP system
- The city sewer hook-up requires a pump (as with the Bella Vista Village Wastewater System)
- The home has plumbing in a basement below the septic tank inlet and a pump is required to push everything from the lower area up to the tank
In all of these situations, there's some room to store wastewater, usually 200-250 gallons. Figure each person uses 50-75 gallons of water a day, and it doesn't take long to fill that up. Once it's full, the wastewater starts backing up into the pipes, and if you keep using water, it'll end up in the house. That's something neither the homeowner nor septic companies want to deal with.
The Bottom Line
If you're in that spot, use as little water as you can and watch for warning signs. You can also take these steps to buy some room:
- Loosen or remove the cap on the main line cleanout, which is usually a 3"-4” white cap located just outside the foundation of the house
- Loosen the lid to the pump chamber and/or septic tank. They are usually fastened with a series of screws that will require a regular Phillips or Allen head screwdriver, or possibly a hex bolt head, sized 7/16”, 1/2” or even 9/16”
- The point of loosening the cleanout cap or the lids is to let the extra wastewater spill out outside instead of inside the house. It might get a little messy, but a mess outside beats one inside!
We want to give you good information to keep your septic system working, especially in an emergency.