Septic Alarm Going Off? What To Do

If your home has a pump tank, pressure distribution, sand filter or alternative treatment unit, it has a control panel with an alarm. On many Rogue Valley hillside properties that panel sits on an outside wall or a post near the tank. When it sounds, it is telling you something specific, usually that the water level in a tank has risen above where it should be. Responding calmly and quickly protects the system and your house.

What the alarm usually means

• High water level. The most common alarm. The pump is not keeping up, has failed, or has lost power.
• Pump or float failure. A float may be stuck, tangled or failed; the pump may be burned out or clogged.
• Power issue. A tripped breaker on the system circuit stops the pump while the alarm, often on a separate circuit, still sounds.
• Too much water in. Heavy use, a running toilet, or groundwater entering during winter rain can outpace the pump.
• Treatment unit fault. ATT panels may alarm for other component issues, depending on the manufacturer.

Safe first steps

1. Silence the alarm using the switch on the panel. This usually mutes the sound but leaves the warning light on.
2. Cut water use immediately. Pause laundry, dishwashers and long showers. Reserve capacity above the alarm level is limited.
3. Check the breaker for the pump circuit. If it has tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call.
4. Look for obvious causes such as a running toilet or leaking fixture.
5. Wait and watch. If the pump was simply slow to catch up after heavy use, the light may clear on its own.
6. Call for service if the light stays on, the breaker trips again, or the alarm returns.

What not to do

• Do not keep resetting the alarm and carrying on as normal. Continued use can flood the pump chamber and push effluent where it should not go.
• Do not open the tank or pump chamber. Septic tanks contain hazardous gases, and there is electrical equipment inside.
• Do not unplug or disconnect the alarm to stop the noise.

What the technician checks

Expect checks of the panel, breaker, floats, pump operation, the effluent filter or screen, and the water level in each tank. Often the fix is a float or a pump. If groundwater is entering the tank, the risers or tank joints may need sealing. If the pump is old, replacement may make more sense than repair.

Systems with service contracts

Owners of ATT systems, and of pressure distribution and residential sand filter systems permitted after January 1, 2014, must keep a contract with a certified maintenance provider under DEQ's rules. Call that provider first; DEQ's fact sheet says the contract covers routine and unexpected service. More on our ATT and pressure system page and in septic system types.

Prevent the next one

Test the alarm periodically using the panel's test switch if it has one, keep the panel visible and unobstructed, fix leaks quickly and spread laundry through the week. Before winter, read our wet-season guide. If alarms keep recurring along with slow drains or wet ground, see signs your septic is failing.

Power outages

During a power outage, the pump cannot run, but water you use still flows into the tank. Keep water use to a minimum until power returns, and expect the alarm to sound briefly while the pump catches up afterward.

Common questions