Find the Catalyst
We look for the main change, as well as the combination of changes, that pushed the system beyond its limits, whether in loading, distribution, wastewater composition, or treatment fatigue
For Emergency Services Call
When a drainage field, mound, sand filter, at-grade, or other treatment area starts to fail, or is already failing, the first step is to determine whether repair, soil restoration, and full remediation are still possible. At CleanEarth, our approach is built around Repair • Restore • Renew. We assess what the legacy system was built to handle, how it is performing today, what pushed it into failure, and what can still be done to restore treatment performance before moving to replacement.
Our process looks for the catalyst that pushed the system beyond its limits, while recognizing that failure is usually driven by a combination of factors over time. Pressure, distribution, wastewater volume, wastewater composition, and treatment-area fatigue all play a role. From there, we present a full spectrum of options, from doing nothing at all, to restoration and repair, to accurate new system design and build where needed, with corresponding cost-benefit trade-offs.
We look for the main change, as well as the combination of changes, that pushed the system beyond its limits, whether in loading, distribution, wastewater composition, or treatment fatigue
We assess what part of the system is still performing, what is under stress, and what treatment capacity may still be recoverable.
We present a spectrum of solutions based on what the system can still support, from doing nothing for now to restoration, repair, or full redesign where needed.
We walk through the cost-benefit trade-offs of each path, so homeowners can weigh what they are spending against what each option will achieve.
When a field, mound, or other treatment area stops processing wastewater properly, the signs usually begin to show in the ground, in the pump cycle, or in new odours around the system. We look at these indicators to understand whether the issue is in the treatment area itself, the distribution system, or a combination of both.
Persistent wet spots, surfacing water, soft ground, or unusually lush growth over the treatment area are strong signs that wastewater is no longer being absorbed the way it should.
When dose times or pump run times start getting longer, it is often a sign that water is having a harder time moving through the piping system, especially at the pipe-orifice-to-soil or filtering-media threshold.
New or increasingly consistent sewage odours around the treatment area, mound, or nearby ground can be a sign that the system is no longer processing wastewater the way it should.
Excessive biomat can begin choking off the soil or treatment area’s ability to breathe, percolate and filter wastewater. It is often black, oily, and noticeable during surface breakout, hydrojetting, or any digging in and around the treatment area.
A septic system is too important to a home’s function to ignore, but no one replaces one for the excitement of having something new. No one sees it. The goal is simply to have it work properly. And when performance is re-established, age truly becomes just a number. Based on our experience, a little over 80% of failing systems are recoverable. In those cases, that means strong performance without using more land, disrupting the yard, or taking on the cost of full replacement.
Restoration avoids the heavy excavation and landscape disruption that often come with a standard new build. The goal is to bring performance back while preserving as much of the existing property as possible.
When a system can be restored, the cost is often significantly lower than starting over. The goal is to spend wisely to bring performance back, rather than pay for a full reconstruction that may not be needed.
Our restoration process can often bring performance back within the existing footprint of the system, without pushing treatment into new areas of the property.
Failure is usually the result of multiple factors working together over time. Solids carryover, uneven distribution, excess loading, wastewater composition, and treatment-area fatigue can all push a system beyond its limits. Part of our process is identifying the main catalyst, as well as the combination of conditions that allowed the problem to develop.
In many cases, yes. The first step is determining what pushed the system into non-performance and whether treatment capacity can still be recovered. Where it can, restoration may still be possible without full excavation or replacement.
We assess what the legacy system was built to handle, how it is performing today, what has changed over time, and where the breakdown is occurring. From there, we determine whether treatment performance can still be restored, whether the system can be brought back into reliable function, or whether full replacement is the better path.
Depending on the solution, yes. Some restoration approaches can create incidental benefits beyond restoring performance. Lower acidity in the system can help preserve concrete and extend tank life well beyond average expectations. In cases where bacteria-generation installations are part of the restoration, odours can also be eliminated entirely.