By Caprice Benifield-Sanchez | Published on September 19, 2024
The Montgomery Health Department requires that all septic systems be registered and monitored, but many fall through the cracks. There are many households in Montgomery Township that rely on individual septic systems that are expensive to replace and repair.
An example of a septic tank.
It can cost a homeowner $60,000 when something goes wrong – when the system needs to be replaced. Of the 8,143 properties in Montgomery Township, 41% use a septic system. The remaining 59% are connected to the public sewer system, according to the New Jersey Septic Management Group. These individual sewage disposal systems require maintenance to ensure they are working properly. Malfunctioning septic systems can contaminate both groundwater and surface water, posing health risks to people and damaging natural ecosystems.
Admittedly, Montgomery Health Department officials say they are having difficulty identifying the more than 800 homes that are not part of the community's wastewater management program, which was established in the early 1990s to ensure compliance with environmental health standards. The regulatory challenge involves older homes with unapproved septic systems built before the 1990s.
Kristen Sargent, the township's senior environmental health specialist, said, “When septic tanks are repaired or replaced, they are integrated into the licensing program.” Jason Drift, owner of NJ Septic Management GroupLLC in Belle Mead, said: “All systems should be registered in [the township’s septic management program]but certain systems are not. “If there is no repair authorization, [filed with the township]or if it is still the original septic tank, these older systems go unnoticed – that is, they have not been repaired or work has not been done on them.”
Septic tanks are underground, watertight containers, usually made of concrete, fiberglass or polyethylene. The tanks hold wastewater long enough for solids, or “sludge,” to settle and oil and grease, called “scum,” to rise to the surface. They also allow solids to partially decompose.
According to Montgomery Municipal Code, a septic system is considered defective if it pollutes the soil, surface water or ground, contaminates private or public drinking water, and causes pest problems. Signs of a defective system include foul odors, sewage seepage on the soil surface, sewage backing up into attached toilets and homes, and soggy soil above the system.
Most homeowners don't know they have a problem
“Most homeowners don't know they have septic problems,” says Drift. “When they put their house up for sale, [for sale]suddenly a buyer comes along and does inspections, at which point they conclude the system needs to be replaced.” Drift said the cost of a new septic system depends on the number of bedrooms a home has, in addition to engineering services, which include soil testing and designing the septic system based on the results.
A septic system for a 4-bedroom home in Montgomery can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $66,000, plus $6,000 for engineering services. “The most common mistake sellers make is they don't do a pre-listing inspection to check the condition of the system before they list it. That becomes the burden and 100% responsibility of the seller. And time is always a critical factor when trying to sell a home. A new septic system takes six to eight weeks to build, and most of the time in a real estate deal, people don't have that much time,” he said.
Tips for septic tanks
Pump out the septic tank regularly, Drift said. This will extend the life of the system and avoid premature failure that would require a new system. Pumping out costs less than $400 per 1,000 gallons on average, Drift said. According to Montgomery municipal code, “the contents of the septic tank must be pumped out within three years of installation.” Drift said, “Because this is my profession, I believe that three years is often not enough time to pump out your septic tank.” “The rule of thumb for when a tank needs to be pumped out is when it reaches about 20% solids compared to liquids. That's not set at three, two or one year. It depends on how many people live in the household, what type of toilet paper they use, what habits they have and what their diet is.” “Unfortunately, in my opinion, the program has brainwashed people into thinking they are doing the right thing by only pumping out a tank every three years, when in fact there are certain families that are very large and their tanks need to be pumped out every 12 months,” Drift said.
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