Experts are suggesting people run their washing machines and dishwashers and take hot showers to combat frost encroaching on their septic systems.
“The people that use them every day will likely be in good shoes,” said Ray Schrupp, of Schrupp Excavating in Pine River, Minnesota. “I’d suggest getting up every morning and taking showers. Otherwise run hot water 10 minutes every morning and every evening before bed or do laundry and dishes as much as you can.”
Josh Moser, of Honey Wagon Sewer Service in Nisswa, Minnesota, agreed.
“Run a bit of extra hot water,” he said.” And if you have a furnace with condensation that drips into your sewer line, try to find a way to bypass that.”
With scant snowfall until last weekend, the 2024-2025 winter season has been causing stress for some property owners due to frozen septic systems.
If you hear gurgling, there’s a good indication something’s going on.”
Ray Schrupp
“(Calls) started out as a trickle, but it has started,” Moser said.
Schrupp has likewise begun to receive calls. Both reported hearing that fellow industry professionals are getting an increasing number of calls.
The combination of low temperatures and a lack of an insulating layer of snow has resulted in a frost layer that has gone deep enough to put some septic systems at risk.
“We got minimal to no snow and when we got a very cold snap, it drove the frost down fast,” Moser said.
“When there’s no snow, there’s going to be troubles,” Schrupp said.
While the ground has now received a relatively thick layer of snow, professionals say nobody is out of the woods if they didn’t take preventive measures before it turned cold.
“(The snow is) not going to hurt,” Moser said. “But it isn’t going to prevent more freeze-ups.”
While there are no guarantees, Moser said some systems may be at a slightly higher risk due to their depth or shallowness. Mound systems and shallower tanks or shallower lines are at a higher risk than those buried deeper.
“Risk varies if there is leaf cover, grass cover, an above-ground system or below-ground system,” Schrupp said. “But they can all freeze. Right now there’s a couple feet of frost on average, which is getting close to the top of most systems.”
There is a particularly big risk for those who do not use much water, including older couples living alone, individuals and especially those with seasonal properties like cabins.
“The people that are not here every day are the ones that will have the most trouble,” Schrupp said.
“If you have a husband and a wife that don’t move as much water as other people, they’re more vulnerable,” Moser said. “If you go on vacation or you’re gone a week and it’s still cold, you’re vulnerable to coming back to something frozen.”
In some cases, this has already resulted in frozen septic systems. Those who have been away need to be especially careful to watch for signs of a freeze-up, as they might not be immediately obvious.
“Run water slowly,” Moser said. “Flush a couple toilets, listen for gurgling and watch for any slow drains. Anything in your plumbing that seems abnormal compared to what it used to be is generally a sign you have some sort of a problem.”
The consequences of a frozen system aren’t pretty.
“If you have a lift station there should be an alarm,” Schrupp said. “For people that don’t have lift stations, it can back up into their basement or floor drain or tub. If you hear gurgling, there’s a good indication something’s going on.”
Combating a frozen system can be difficult and expensive.
“We always want to try to fix the problem,” Moser said. “But if we have a frozen drain field, a lot of times it can’t be fixed and it is a matter of staying pumped.”
“You’ll have to keep an eye on it and use less water at that point because you’ll probably have to have it pumped every two or three weeks depending on water usage,” Schrupp said.
While prevention is far more affordable, steps should have been taken before the frost set in. Still, added insulation now may slow — not fix — frost encroaching on private sewer systems.
“You can put sewer blankets over the top. You’d have to double layer the blankets, or get straw and fluff straw over the system, tanks and drain field approximately a foot deep,” Schrupp said.
Moser said most people who have experienced a frozen system learn from the experience and take extra precautions never to freeze up again.
Travis Grimler is a staff writer for the Pineandlakes Echo Journal weekly newspaper in Pequot Lakes/Pine River. He may be reached at 218-855-5853 or [email protected].
Travis Grimler began work at the Echo Journal Jan. 2 of 2013 while the publication was still split in two as the Pine River Journal and Lake Country Echo. He is a full time reporter/photographer/videographer for the paper and operates primarily out of the northern stretch of the coverage area (Hackensack to Jenkins).
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