Septic Backing Up in Lumberton, NC? What to Do First

First: your septic, or the town's sewer?

Lumberton, Pembroke, St. Pauls, Red Springs, Fairmont, Maxton and Rowland all run wastewater treatment plants, so homes inside those towns may be on public sewer. If you're on sewer, a backup may start in the town's line rather than anything on your lot, and the town is the first call. The City of Lumberton's wastewater plant page lists 910-671-3800. For the other towns, call the town office.

Floods can push a sewer system past its limits. Pembroke's 2019 wastewater study describes its collection system surcharging during floods, with "pump stations taken offline because the treatment plant cannot handle the additional flow." If you have a tank in the yard and pay no sewer charge, though, the problem is in your own system, and the steps below apply. The Robeson County Water Department handles county water lines, and its after-hours number, 910-671-3485, is for water main breaks, not septic or sewer.

What to do right now

1. Keep people and pets away from the sewage. Close off the room, and keep children off any wet ground over the drain field.
2. Stop sending water down the drains. Hold off on laundry, showers, the dishwasher and flushing. Every gallon goes to a system that isn't taking water right now.
3. Call the health department. North Carolina's rules count sewage backing into a building's drains as a malfunction, and they direct the owner to contact the local health department. In Robeson County that's 910-671-3200, at 460 Country Club Road in Lumberton; the department's on-site wastewater pages give (910) 272-6560.
4. Clean up carefully. EPA's flood guidance for a basement where sewage has backed up calls for disinfecting with a half cup of chlorine bleach to each gallon of water. Wear rubber gloves while you work. If water reached outlets or appliances, EPA says to examine electrical connections for damage before restoring power.
5. Call a septic contractor to find the cause: a full tank, a blocked pipe, a failed pump, or a field that's no longer taking water.

What each sign usually points to

NCDHHS gives homeowners five warning signs. Here's how each lines up with the state's own definition of a malfunctioning system:

• Sewage backing up into toilets or sinks. Backup into the building's drains is one of the listed malfunction conditions. It can start with a clogged pipe or a full tank, so the cause still needs finding.
• Soggy, smelly spots in the yard. Effluent at the ground surface is another listed condition. So is effluent within three inches of the grade over a trench, if it's seen on two checks at least 24 hours apart, both more than a day after rain.
• Slow drains, especially after rain. A field that already sits near wet soil has the least room to spare after a storm. One slow sink is a different story from every drain in the house.
• A red light or beeping alarm on the septic panel. This one applies to systems with a pump and a control panel. Have the cause checked rather than just silencing the alarm.
• Sewage surfacing after the pump turns on. Effluent coming up where the pump sends it is effluent at the surface, which the rules treat as a malfunction.

Why it often shows up after rain

Much of Robeson County is flat, and some of its soils keep water close to the surface. A federal soil report for one tract near Fairmont lists a poorly drained loam with the water table about 0 to 12 inches down, next to well-drained sandy soils on the same land. A drain field over wetter ground has less dry soil between the trenches and the water table, so a heavy rain can fill what room there is. The state's malfunction test only counts checks made more than 24 hours after rain, so a field that's briefly soaked by a storm doesn't meet it on that alone.

Have this ready for the contractor

• When the tank was last pumped, and whether it has needed pumping more often lately. Under the state rule, a tank that has to be pumped more than once a month to prevent backups or surfacing counts as malfunctioning.
• Whether the system has a pump, a control panel or an alarm, and whether the alarm has gone off.
• Where the tank lids and drain lines are, if you know, and whether a truck can reach them.
• Whether the house uses a private well, and where it is.
• A copy of any health department notice, plus your closing date if the house is being sold.

When the county finds a malfunction

Investigating complaints is one of the duties the Robeson County Health Department lists for its on-site program. If it finds a malfunction, the state's repair rule has it issue a written notice of violation. The repair is then due within 30 days of the notice date unless the notice sets a different time frame, and, where needed to protect public health, the department requires the owner to pump and haul the sewage until the fix is done. A repair starts with the county's Repair Application; the posted fee for a repair evaluation is $100. Drain field repair and the permit guide explain the steps.

Who this page isn't for

If floodwater is still standing in the yard, the order of steps is different, and pumping the tank right away can make things worse; read septic after a flood. If your home is on town sewer and the backup came from the street side, the town's utility office is the right call, not a septic contractor.

Backup questions

Will pumping the tank stop the backup?

It can buy time if the tank is simply full. But if the tank has to be pumped more than once a month to keep sewage from backing up or surfacing, North Carolina's rule treats the system as malfunctioning, and the cause has to be fixed.

Is the town or county responsible for a septic backup?

Not for a private septic system. North Carolina puts the duty to contact the health department and repair a malfunctioning system on the owner. A backup from town sewer is the town's matter; in Lumberton, the wastewater plant's listed number is 910-671-3800.

Does a wet yard after a storm mean the field has failed?

Not on its own. The state test looks for effluent near the surface over the trenches on two checks at least 24 hours apart, both more than a day after rain. A yard that dries out with the rest of the lawn is different from one that stays wet over the lines.

Is septic work on a weekend more expensive?

Ask when you call. The contractor sets all pricing, including any after-hours rate, and the written quote is what counts.

How the referral works

Phone the number on this page or use the form, and your details are passed to a single independent septic contractor serving Robeson County. They reach out, check the system and set their own price. You pay nothing for the referral.