Septic System Repair
We find out why a septic system is failing and repair the part that failed. That covers septic tanks, distribution boxes, pipes and leach fields across Rhode Island.
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Charlestown has no public sewer, so every household and business in town relies on a septic system. The whole town also drinks groundwater, drawn from private and public wells. In the crowded coastal zone, the town reports nitrogen above the drinking water limit in some wells. It puts the septic share of the coastal zone's groundwater nitrogen at about 80 percent.
South County Septic and Excavation Services designs and installs septic systems, and Charlestown is part of our service area. Our septic system installation work here covers new homes and the replacement of failed systems. Each septic system design goes to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) for approval before the install starts. Call or text (401) 474-8926 to talk through a Charlestown property.
Tell us about the septic, sewer, drainage or excavation job and where the property is. We look at the job and put the quote in writing.
With no sewer, each lot treats its own wastewater, and the treated water soaks back into the ground. That is the same groundwater the wells draw from. Near the coast, it also moves toward the town's three salt ponds, Ninigret, Green Hill and Quonochontaug. The town says nitrogen in that water feeds algae blooms and low oxygen in the ponds.
Soil maps from the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) split most of the town into two kinds of ground. The uplands are glacial till, mostly Canton and Charlton soils. Large areas are sandy outwash, such as Hinckley and Merrimac soils, and those drain fast. Very poorly drained swamp and marsh soils cover more than one acre in ten.
Around Quonochontaug, the most common soil on the NRCS maps is Wapping, rated moderately well drained. Around Carolina, excessively drained Hinckley soil leads. Statewide, RIDEM's rules set three feet between the base of the leach field stone and the seasonal high water table. In the salt pond area, they set four feet in many soils.
RIDEM's rules set out a Salt Pond Critical Resource Area around the south coast salt ponds. It follows the land that drains to the ponds, as the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) maps it. Inside it, RIDEM requires nitrogen-reducing technology for every new home. The same rule covers alterations and most repairs.
The town says these systems must cut nitrogen by half compared with a conventional system. They must also discharge no more than 19 parts per million of nitrogen. Under the town ordinance and RIDEM's rules, an approved provider services each one at least once a year.
The town's wastewater office has also worked with the University of Rhode Island on a simpler design. The town calls it a layered soil treatment area. Its leach field is sand laid over a mix of sand and sawdust. In 2021, RIDEM approved it for experimental use in Charlestown.
The town's Office of Wastewater Management runs the program as part of Public Works. It tracks every system through inspections by town-approved septic service providers, and the reports go into a town database. A home sale calls for one more before the transfer, with a flow test. That step is not needed if one was done in the past year.
The town started its program in 1994 with well over 1,000 cesspools. It then set replacement deadlines zone by zone, starting with the shoreline and the salt ponds. The last deadline passed in May 2014, and the town counts about 99.9 percent of cesspools gone. A cesspool found today must be replaced within a year.
When an inspection finds a failing system or a cesspool, the property owner applies to RIDEM for a repair permit. RIDEM sends the town's office a copy, and the design for the fix goes in with the application. Some failures call for septic system repair, such as a new leach field, and others for a full replacement.
The town runs from Carolina and Shannock, which straddle the Richmond line, to Cross Mills and the shore. Route 1A runs through Cross Mills, and Shannock Road links Route 2 and Route 112 by the Pawcatuck River. Census figures show nearly nine in ten homes are single-family houses, and about half were built before 1980. The 2020 Census counted about three in ten homes as seasonal.
Where a well serves the lot or an adjacent one, RIDEM caps the flow of a new or altered system. The cap scales with lot size, about one sixth of an acre per bedroom. A nitrogen-reducing system can raise it, which matters in the densely built coastal zone.
For a new house, the town's building permit checklist asks for a RIDEM septic permit in the owner's name. On a vacant lot, a septic system in flood Zone A or V also needs a zoning special use permit. Before move-in, the town wants RIDEM's certificate of conformance and a well water test. The checklist puts the frost depth at 3 feet 4 inches, a depth that matters for water line installation too.
Communities and areas we serve around Charlestown: Cross Mills, Carolina, Shannock, Quonochontaug, Charlestown Neck, Fort Neck, Ninigret Pond, Green Hill Pond, Quonochontaug Pond, Ninigret Park, Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, Charlestown Breachway.
Charlestown ZIP codes served: 02813.
Charlestown is part of our service area. We look at the job first, then put the quote in writing.
(401) 474-8926 We find out why a septic system is failing and repair the part that failed. That covers septic tanks, distribution boxes, pipes and leach fields across Rhode Island.
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We dig the test holes and lay out a septic system that fits your lot's soil. The design package then goes to RIDEM for approval.
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We dig up and replace broken and root-filled sewer lines, from the house to the street or the septic tank. We also lay new sewer lines for homes that tie into town sewer.
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We find and fix leaking or broken water lines between the street or the well and your house. We also lay new water lines for new homes.
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We clear clogged drains and main lines, and we cut tree roots out of the pipe. A camera inspection then shows what caused the clog.
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Excavation for foundations, additions, utility trenches and pads across Rhode Island. The Dig Safe notice goes in first, and the hole is dug to the plan.
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We take a raw lot to a cleared, graded site that is ready to build on. Land clearing, grading, erosion control and gravel access roads are all part of the work.
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We build French drains, curtain drains, footing drains and dry wells for wet yards and basements across Rhode Island. Every job starts with where the water will go.
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Retaining walls in block and natural stone, plus walkways and outdoor stairs. We set each wall on a compacted base, with drainage stone behind it.
Learn MoreReal reviews of our septic and excavation work, 8 reviews on Google.
South County Septic did an excellent job replacing our old septic system and leach-field. Michael surveyed the property, designed a new system, installed and worked with the RI DEM with no issues. I highly recommend this business.
Michael was great! Picked up right away and was able to come within the hour to evaluate. Immediately got into motion additional resources we might need to come that day and solved the problem. Very informative and great to work with. Highly recommend.
Was referred out to Michael after an emergency waterline break that flooded our basement. He was there every step of the way and answered all the questions we had. Michael let us know what was happening during the process and could not have been happier with the outcome. Great price and great customer service! Highly recommend if anyone is in need of their services
Michael was excellent. He replaced a main water mine to my rental property. Prompt, on time and does great work. I am someone who is extremely picky when hiring contractors for anything. He checked a lot of boxes when we first met answering questions and demonstrating his knowledge. Highly recommend!
Great professionalism! Kept to expected deadlines
Excellent service! Did very good and highly recommended!
A few of the questions we hear most around Charlestown. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Tell us what the job is and which town the property is in. Call or text (401) 474-8926 or use the form, and photos by text help.
Tell us about the septic, sewer, drainage or excavation job and where the property is. We look at the job and put the quote in writing.