How to find your septic tank in Suffolk, VA
You got the city's pump-out letter, called a hauler, and the first thing they asked was "where's your tank?" If you don't know, you're far from alone. A lot of Suffolk homes have tanks that were last opened before the current owners moved in.
Finding the lid before the truck arrives saves time, and often money, since digging to locate a tank is usually billed separately. See septic pumping cost.
Never open a septic tank, or climb or lean into one. The gases inside can kill in seconds, and an old or damaged lid can collapse. Leave opening the tank to a professional.
Step 1: Check your paperwork
- Old pumping receipts. Many haulers note where the tank is or sketch it on the receipt.
- Your home inspection report from when you bought the house. If a septic inspection was done, it often includes a location sketch.
- Your property survey or plat. Some show the septic tank and drainfield.
- The seller's disclosure or papers left by the previous owner.
Step 2: Ask the health department for the system layout
The Virginia Department of Health keeps permit records for septic systems that were installed with a permit. The Western Tidewater Health District, which covers Suffolk, lists "providing a copy of your septic system layout" among its environmental health services (VDH Western Tidewater).
- Suffolk Health Department: 135 Hall Avenue, Suffolk. The city lists the health department at 757-514-4751 in its septic FAQ.
- Have your property address and tax map / parcel number ready.
- Older homes may not have a permit on file, or the drawing may be rough. It's still a good starting point.
The City of Suffolk gives the same advice: if you don't know where your tank is, check with the Suffolk Health Department, your land survey, a licensed sewage hauler or a licensed plumber.
Step 3: Look for clues in the yard
- Follow the sewer pipe. Find where the main drain leaves the house, usually in the crawl space or basement, on the side nearest the bathrooms. The tank is often somewhere around 10 to 25 feet out from the house in roughly that direction.
- Look for a cleanout: a short capped pipe sticking up near the foundation. The tank is usually beyond it, in line with the pipe.
- Watch the grass. In dry weather, grass over a shallow tank often browns first. After rain, it may be the last spot to dry, or the greenest.
- Look for a riser or green plastic lid at ground level. Some tanks already have one.
- Check where snow melts first in winter, or where the ground is slightly sunken or mounded.
Step 4: Probe carefully, or let the hauler do it
A thin metal rod (a soil probe) pushed gently into the ground can find the hard top of a tank. Probe only in the area where you expect the tank, and stop when you hit something solid and flat.
Contact 811 before you dig. VA811 says you must contact them for all digging projects, at least 3 working days ahead, so buried utility lines can be marked. It's free. Call 811 or visit va811.com. Gas, electric and cable lines often run through the same part of the yard as septic pipes.
If you'd rather not search yourself, any licensed sewage hauler can locate the tank. Some use electronic locators that follow a transmitter sent down the drain line. Ask how it's priced when you book.
Once you find it: add a riser
If your lid is under the soil, ask the hauler about installing a riser. It brings the access opening up to ground level. With a five-year pump-out cycle in Suffolk, you'll be opening that tank again, and a riser means nobody has to dig next time. Make sure the riser lid is secured so children and pets can't open it.
Need a hauler who'll find it for you?
Tell us your address and that you don't know where the tank is. We'll point you to a VDH-permitted hauler who serves your part of Suffolk and can locate it.