Experts suggest that people run their washing machines and dishwashers and take hot showers to prevent frost from entering their septic systems.
“The people who use them every day will probably be in good shoes,” said Ray Schrupp of Schrupp Excavating in Pine River. “I would suggest getting up and showering every morning, otherwise running hot water for 10 minutes every morning and every night before bed, or doing laundry and dishes as often as possible.”
Josh Moser of Honey Wagon Sewer Service in Nisswa agreed.
“Run some extra hot water,” he said. “And if you have a furnace that is leaking condensation into the sewer line, try to find a way around it.”
The 2024-2025 winter season, which saw little snow until last weekend, is causing stress for some property owners due to frozen septic systems.
If you hear a gurgling sound, that's a good sign that something is going on.
Ray Schrupp
“(Calls) started like a trickle, but it started,” Moser said.
Schrupp also receives his first calls. Both reported that they had heard that colleagues in the industry were receiving more and more calls.
The combination of low temperatures and the lack of an insulating layer of snow has resulted in a layer of frost that has penetrated deep enough to threaten some sewage systems.
“We had minimal to no snow, and when we got a very cold snap, that brought the frost down quickly,” Moser said.
“If there is no snow, there will be problems,” Schrupp said.
Although the ground now has a relatively thick layer of snow, experts say no one would have gotten out of the woods if they hadn't taken preventative measures before it got cold.
“(The snow) won’t hurt,” Moser said. “But it will not prevent further freezes from occurring.”
Although there are no guarantees, Moser said some systems may be at slightly higher risk because of their depth or shallowness. Mound systems and shallower tanks or lines are at higher risk than those buried deeper.
“The risk varies depending on whether it is a leaf cover, a grass cover, an above-ground system or a subsurface system,” Schrupp said. “But they can all freeze. Right now there is an average of a few feet of frost, which is near the top in most systems.”
At particularly high risk are those who do not use a lot of water, including older couples living alone, individuals, and especially those with seasonal accommodation such as cabins.
“The people who aren’t here every day are going to have the biggest problems,” Schrupp said.
“If you have a male and female who don’t move as much water as other people, they are more vulnerable,” Moser said. “If you go on vacation or are away for a week and it's still cold, you're at risk of coming back to something frozen.”
In some cases this has already resulted in frozen sewage systems. Those who have been away need to be extra careful to watch for signs of freezing, as these may not be immediately noticeable.
“Run the water slowly,” Moser said. “Flush a few toilets, listen for gurgling and watch for slow drains. Anything that seems unusual in your plumbing compared to before is generally a sign that you have a problem.”
The consequences of a frozen system are not pretty.
“If you have a lift station, there should be an alarm,” Schrupp said. “People who don’t have a lift station can sink it into the basement, into the floor drain or into the bathtub. If you hear a gurgling sound, that’s a good sign that something is going on.”
Tackling a frozen system can be difficult and expensive.
“We always want to try to fix the problem,” Moser said. “But when we have a frozen wastewater field, it often can’t be repaired and it’s a matter of keeping the pump running.”
“You need to keep an eye on it and use less water at this point because you'll probably need to have it pumped out every two or three weeks depending on your water usage,” Schrupp said.
Although prevention is far more cost-effective, measures should have been taken before the frost sets in. Still, additional insulation now can slow—not fix—the intrusion of frost into home sewer systems.
“You can put sewage blankets over it. You would have to double the blankets or put straw and lint straw over the system, the tanks and the drain field, about a foot deep,” Schrupp said.
Moser said most people who have experienced a frozen system learn from the experience and take extra precautions to never freeze again.
Travis Grimler is a staff writer at the Pineandlakes Echo Journal weekly newspaper in Pequot Lakes/Pine River. He can be reached at 218-855-5853 or [email protected].
Travis Grimler began working at Echo Journal on January 2, 2013, when the publication was divided into two parts: Pine River Journal and Lake Country Echo. He is a full-time reporter/photographer/videographer for the newspaper, operating primarily in the northern portion of the coverage area (Hackensack to Jenkins).
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