Texas Septic Help

Septic system warning signs and what to do in Texas

Standing water or damp spots near the tank or field, sewage backing up, slow drains, gurgling pipes and bad odors are the usual warning signs. TCEQ says the common causes are too much water, soil problems, too much food waste, poor maintenance and age. [1] [2]

Last checked · sources below · about this page · Markdown version

Repair rules summarized here are state rules as of the date checked; ask your permitting authority before work starts. Not legal advice.

Warning signs

Any septic system

Texas A&M's Water Resources Institute lists standing water or damp spots near the tank, drain field or spray field; water and sewage backing up into the home; slow tubs, showers and sinks; gurgling in the plumbing; and bad odors around the tank or field. [1]

  • An alarm or warning light. AgriLife says alarms can mean high water or low air pressure; call your maintenance provider and cut back on water use until it's fixed.
  • A change in the unit's normal sound.
  • Wastewater in the aeration chamber that turns grayish brown instead of chocolate brown, or excess solids, foam or scum.
  • A bad smell when the system sprays. AgriLife says to have the provider check the components and, if they're fine, look at what's going down the drains, such as grease or food waste.
  • A spray field putting out more water than usual in wet seasons, which AgriLife says may mean the tanks aren't watertight.

Sources: [3] Fort Bend County Environmental Health; [4] Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Common causes

What TCEQ lists

Too much water compared with the system's design; soil or site conditions that were misjudged; too much food or grease; poor maintenance, such as a tank not pumped every three to five years; and age. TCEQ says a system more than 15 years old may need replacing. [2]

Systems designed before 1997

TCEQ notes that before Feb 4, 1997, most systems were designed from percolation tests, which didn't check the soil texture or problems within two feet below the drain field. Water moving underground, a restrictive layer or soil that is wet part of the year can make such a system fail. [2]

Check water use first

TCEQ suggests comparing your average daily water use with the amount in the system design. If you use more, cut back. Its dye test can find a leaking toilet: put water-based dye in the tank and see whether it shows in the bowl within 10 minutes without flushing. [2]

Floods

  • Turn off power to the system at the main circuit panel.
  • Stop using water, because it may get little treatment.
  • Plug floor drains connected to the system so water can't back up into the house.

Source: [5] Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

After a flood

AgriLife says not to use the system until floodwater has receded from every part of it, to check for damaged lids or soil washed away, and to have a service provider check tanks that filled with floodwater. Don't pump the tanks empty while the ground is saturated, because empty tanks can float out of the ground. [5]

Powered equipment that was under water

If floodwater covered parts above ground, such as air pumps or control panels, AgriLife says to have the system inspected before restoring power. For a spray system, check that disinfection works and stay off the spray area while it's wet; the bacteria need a day or two to recover. [5]

Repairs and permits

When a repair needs a permit

Replacing a tank or repairing or replacing a drain field needs a permit. TCEQ says a tank repair that doesn't require removing the tank counts as an emergency repair and needs no permit, but it must be reported to the permitting authority within 72 hours after work begins. Any work on a disposal area must meet current standards. [2] [6] [7]

See also: Exceptions: older systems and large tracts; Permits for drain field work

Who to call

For an aerobic system, call your maintenance provider. For permits and questions about a failing system, contact your permitting authority; TCEQ's OARS lookup lists it by county. [4] [8]

About this page

Signs that a conventional septic system or aerobic unit is failing, the common causes TCEQ lists, what to do during and after a flood, and when a repair needs a permit in Texas.

Key facts
Covers
  • Warning signs for any septic system
  • Extra warning signs for aerobic units
  • Common causes of failure
  • Floods
  • When a repair needs a permit
Not covered
  • Repair prices (see the drain field cost page)
  • Diagnosing a specific system
Jurisdiction
Texas, United States (statewide).
Audience
Texas homeowners and buyers who think their septic system (on-site sewage facility, OSSF) may be failing, or whose system was flooded.
Provides
  • A list of warning signs
  • Steps during and after a flood
Content last changed
Last verified
Primary sources
Other formats
Markdown version

Contacts

Sources

Each fact above cites one or more of these by number. Accessed is the date the source was last re-read.

  1. [1] Septic System Maintenance & Inspection Pocket Guide (EM-126). Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M. Primary source.
    Supports: Warning signs of a failing system (2024).
    Publisher's date: November 2019.
    Accessed: .
  2. [2] Advice for an Owner of an On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic System). Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Primary source.
    Supports: Common causes; 15 years; pre-1997 percolation tests; water use check; dye test; permit and 72-hour emergency repair report.
    Publisher's date: Page last modified 2026-03-03.
    Accessed: .
  3. [3] Aerobic Maintenance Information. Fort Bend County Environmental Health. Primary source.
    Supports: Aerobic warning signs.
    Accessed: .
  4. [4] Onsite wastewater treatment systems: Aerobic treatment unit (L-5302). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Primary source.
    Supports: Alarms; bad smell when spraying; wet-season spray volume; call the maintenance provider (2008).
    Publisher's date: Fact sheet dated September 2008.
    Accessed: .
  5. [5] Onsite wastewater treatment systems: Responding to power outages and floods (L-5475). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Primary source.
    Supports: Steps during and after a flood (2008).
    Publisher's date: Fact sheet dated September 2008.
    Accessed: .
  6. [6] 30 Tex. Admin. Code § 285.3, General Requirements. Texas Administrative Code, via Cornell Legal Information Institute. Primary source.
    Supports: Permit required for tank replacement and drain field repair or replacement.
    Accessed: .
  7. [7] 30 Tex. Admin. Code § 285.35, Emergency Repairs. Texas Administrative Code, via Cornell Legal Information Institute. Primary source.
    Supports: Emergency repairs.
    Accessed: .
  8. [8] OARS: Find a Local Contact (septic permitting authority by county). Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Primary source.
    Supports: Finding the local permitting authority.
    Accessed: .

Page history

  • : First version of this page.