Cesspool & septic tank treatment on Long Island

If sewage is backing up, the pool is overflowing, or the level is at the top, a treatment won’t solve it. The system needs to be emptied or unclogged first: see emergency septic pumping for urgent problems, or routine pumping if it’s simply due.

Treatment is a maintenance step for systems that still work. Using it in place of pumping usually just delays the problem.

Bacteria and enzyme products are the most common treatment for routine maintenance.

Biological treatments add bacteria and enzymes to the system. The idea is to boost the natural population that digests waste, including toilet paper and other organic solids, so less of it settles as sludge.

They’re most often used after a pump-out or cleaning, or on a regular schedule as part of maintenance. They don’t remove solids that have already hardened.

The chemical treatment most often used on Long Island cesspools is a concentrated acid product. A technician applies it after the pool has been pumped, and it works on the grease and hardened sludge that seal the walls and bottom so liquid can soak out again.

It’s strong material, so it’s handled only by trained crews and isn’t a do-it-yourself product. Acids aren’t on New York’s list of restricted chemicals for cesspool and septic cleaners in Nassau and Suffolk; the solvents on that list are. Your technician will tell you which product is going in, why, and what to expect afterward.

New York State restricts cesspool and septic cleaners in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Under the state’s Environmental Conservation Law, no one may sell or use a sewage system cleaner or additive there that contains more than one part per hundred, by weight, of certain restricted chemicals. The list includes solvents such as methylene chloride, trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene, and aromatic chemicals such as benzene and toluene.

The law exists to protect groundwater and surface water in the two counties. Be wary of online or out-of-state products that promise to dissolve a clog; if you aren’t sure what’s in a product, ask before you use it.

Before recommending anything, the technician looks at the system: the liquid level, how much sludge and scum is present, how the pool is draining, and what goes into it day to day. Sometimes the better answer is cesspool cleaning, aeration or a repair instead, and you’ll be told that plainly.

• Use bleach, drain openers and antibacterial cleaners sparingly.
• Put fats, oils and grease in the trash, not the sink.
• Don’t flush wipes, even ones labeled flushable.
• Keep up with pumping. Knowing your septic tank size helps you plan how often.