{"id":278,"date":"2024-03-20T16:43:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T16:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/septic-safety-information\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T16:13:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T22:13:34","slug":"septic-safety-information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/septic-safety-information\/","title":{"rendered":"Septic Safety Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Septic Safety Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/environmental-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/2024-01-22-Septic-Safety-Brochure.pdf\">Septic Safety<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/environmental-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/2024-01-22-Septic-Safety-Door-Hanger.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/environmental-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/2024-01-22-Septic-Safety-Door-Hanger.pdf\">Septic Safety Door Hanger<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/environmental-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/2024-01-22-Septic-Safety-Mailer-Insert.pdf\">Septic Safety Mailer Insert<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class='nmenv_accordion'><div class='nmenv_accordion_item level_0'><div class='nmenv_accordion_item_title'><i class='fas fa-chevron-right' aria-hidden='true'><\/i><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Septic systems, what to do when flooding occurs<\/h2><\/div><div class='nmenv_accordion_item_body'>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During flooding, never pump your septic tank \u2014 a flooded tank can float or shift, even concrete ones. And don\u2019t use toilets, sinks, or showers if water is standing over the drainfield. That can cause sewage to back up into your home. Keep water use as low as possible until the drainfield dries out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you think the system was damaged \u2014 maybe it\u2019s draining slowly or the ground around the tank has settled \u2014 get a licensed professional to inspect it. Never open a tank yourself; the gases inside can be dangerous. And if you have a pump or advanced treatment system, turn off the power and have it checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t send sump\u2011pump water into your plumbing, and don\u2019t repair any broken or missing septic lids. For well owners, don\u2019t drink the water until it\u2019s been tested by a certified lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your toilet can\u2019t be used, consider a portable toilet or a temporary lined\u2011bucket setup with kitty litter or lime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, remind children never to play on septic lids. Damaged lids can fail, and the gases inside can overwhelm anyone who falls in. Safety devices on tanks save lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/service.web.env.nm.gov\/urls\/HnqckcVu\">EPA Septic Systems After a Flood<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/service.web.env.nm.gov\/urls\/LfDJDywB\">NEHA Flooding Guidance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Septic Safety Resources<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-278","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":314,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/278\/revisions\/314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/septic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}