Septic Tank Pumping in Geneva County, AL

• Coverage includes Geneva, Samson, Hartford, Slocomb, Black, Coffee Springs, Malvern and Eunola.
• Crews run US 84, Highway 52, Highway 27 and Highway 167 across the county.
• Before you call: know whether the system has a pump tank, and where the lid is; older farm tanks are often buried deep.
• The health department's environmental office is at 300 County Road 41 in Hartford.

• Routine pump-outs on farm and rural homes
• Pumping before a home sale
• Locating buried tanks and adding risers
• Repairs after a field fails in wet weather
• Pump tank and alarm service
• Pumping for mobile homes and camps

• Pump-out cost: HomeGuide's published national range runs $300 to $700, at $0.30 to $0.70 per gallon of tank, so the 1,000-gallon tanks common on Wiregrass farm homes fall near the middle.
• A 1,500-gallon tank at HomeGuide's per-gallon range works out to $450 to $1,050, which is why tank size matters more than anything else on the bill.
• Alabama permit fees are set by each county health department, so call the Geneva County office for the current amount before a repair.
• Method: HomeGuide's per-gallon range scaled to your tank. Long rural drives and local disposal fees add cost.

• Step 1, permit first: Rule 420-3-1-.06 says no one may begin installing or repairing a system until the local health department issues a Permit to Install (Repair).
• Step 2, apply: the Geneva County Health Department takes onsite sewage applications at its environmental office in Hartford.
• Step 3, engineered systems: under Rule 420-3-1-.06, an engineered system can't be started until the installer consults the design engineer.
• Step 4, pumping: routine pump-outs don't need a permit; budget $300 to $700 at HomeGuide's published range.
• Step 5, fees: Alabama leaves permit fees to each county health department, so confirm the amount when you apply.

• Coastal Plain sand and clay: much of the county has sandy loam over clay subsoil, and a high water table near the rivers limits where a field can go.
• USDA NRCS soil survey data rate 82.3% of the Geneva County survey area (AL061) as very limited for septic absorption fields, 13.4% somewhat limited and 4.1% not limited.
• Floodplains along the Choctawhatchee River, the Pea River and Double Bridges Creek flood after heavy rain, and wet soils near the river can back up a field for weeks.
• Census ACS counts about 12,584 housing units with a median year built of 1979, so many tanks are 40 years old or more.
• Hurricanes and tropical storms bring heavy rainfall to the Wiregrass; avoid pumping into a saturated field unless the system is backing up.
• Reading the soil: sand near the Choctawhatchee River and along the Pea River bottoms sits on a high water table, while loamy sand on the uplands around Samson and Slocomb drains well but often has a clay layer a few feet down that perches water. Peanut and cotton fields surround many homes, and heavy farm equipment can crush lines laid shallow.

Geneva · Samson · Hartford · Slocomb · Black · Coffee Springs · Malvern · Eunola