Guides
Septic and well guides
How septic systems and private wells work, how to look after them, and what to do when something goes wrong. Each guide lists its sources.
Septic basics
How a septic system works
The tank, the drainfield, and the soil: what happens to wastewater after it leaves your house, in plain English.
Read the guide →Types of septic systems, explained
Conventional, chamber, mound, aerobic, sand filter, drip, and more: how the common septic system types differ and why a site gets one or another.
Read the guide →Septic problems
Septic care
Septic inspections: what to expect and what to ask
What a septic inspection covers, how the sludge and scum layers are measured, how often EPA recommends one, and the records you should keep.
Read the guide →Do septic tank additives work?
Biological and chemical septic additives promise to cut pumping. What EPA and Penn State Extension say, and what actually keeps a tank healthy.
Read the guide →Caring for your drainfield
The drainfield is the most expensive part of a septic system to replace. How to protect it from water, weight, roots, and solids.
Read the guide →Saving water on a septic system
Why water volume matters to a septic system, where the water goes in a typical home, and the simplest ways to cut the load.
Read the guide →How to find your septic tank and drainfield
Where to get your system's permit drawing, the clues that point to the tank, how to probe safely, how to find the drainfield, and why risers save money on every pumping.
Read the guide →Septic systems in winter: preventing and dealing with freeze-ups
Why septic systems freeze, how to insulate the tank, pipes and drainfield, what to do if your system freezes, and the fixes you should never try.
Read the guide →Septic tank pumping: how often, what it costs, and what to expect
When to pump a septic tank, what the pumper does, how to read sludge and scum measurements, and how to keep pump-outs quick and affordable.
Read the guide →Well basics
How a private well works
Dug, driven, and drilled wells, and the casing, cap, pitless adapter, pump, and pressure tank that get groundwater to your tap.
Read the guide →Well pressure tank problems: short cycling, waterlogged tanks and how to check the air charge
How a well pressure tank works, the signs it's failing, how to check and set the air precharge, what a waterlogged tank means, and when to call a well contractor.
Read the guide →Old and abandoned wells: why they need to be sealed
An unused well can funnel contamination straight into groundwater and create a safety hazard. How to find old wells, why sealing matters, and who can do it.
Read the guide →Well water
Well water testing: what to test, when, and how
EPA's yearly tests for private wells, extra tests worth doing, how to take a sample, and how to find a certified lab.
Read the guide →Shock chlorinating a well: when it helps and when it won't
What shock chlorination does, when Penn State Extension recommends it, the basic steps, and why you must retest afterward.
Read the guide →Nitrate in well water
Where nitrate comes from, why it matters most for infants, the 10 mg/L standard, and what to do if your well tests high.
Read the guide →Iron, manganese, and hard water in wells
Orange stains, black stains, and scale: the nuisance minerals behind most well water complaints, their EPA secondary levels, and treatment basics.
Read the guide →Coliform bacteria in well water: what a positive test means
What total coliform and E. coli results mean for a private well, what to do right away, how to disinfect and retest, and how to find the source.
Read the guide →Arsenic in well water: testing, health risks and treatment
Arsenic is a naturally occurring well contaminant you can't see, taste or smell. The 0.010 mg/L standard, who should test, and how treatment works.
Read the guide →Lead in well water: where it comes from and how to reduce it
For private wells, lead usually comes from plumbing, not the aquifer. Why corrosive water matters, who's most at risk, how to test and what to do.
Read the guide →Septic and well
Protecting your well from your septic system
How septic effluent can reach a drinking water well, what raises or lowers the risk, setback distances, and the habits that protect both.
Read the guide →After a flood: your septic system and well
What to do with a flooded well and septic system: safe water first, then testing, disinfection, and getting the septic system back in service.
Read the guide →