Sewer Line Repair
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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Septic system design sets where a new system goes on your lot and what kind the soil can carry. Rhode Island's septic rules require written state approval of the plans before a system is built. That approval comes from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). Every septic design starts with the soil on the lot and the water table under it.
South County Septic and Excavation Services designs and installs septic systems across Rhode Island. North Kingstown sits at the center of our service area. We work closely with homeowners and builders, and with engineers when a job calls for one. Because we also handle septic system installation, the plan that goes to RIDEM is the plan we build.
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.
We start each septic design with a site assessment: the slope, the house, any wells and any wetlands nearby. A leach field within 100 feet of a freshwater wetland or 200 feet of a stream needs RIDEM wetlands approval.
The soil evaluation comes next, and we dig the test holes for it. The rules call for two holes within 25 feet of the planned leach field, one uphill and one downhill. Where the ground allows, each hole goes 5 feet down and the soil is logged to at least 10 feet. RIDEM may send its own staff to witness the test.
When the test holes leave the groundwater depth unclear, the rules call for wet-season readings. Those run January 1 to April 1: three readings or more, at least five days apart. On some wet lots, the design adds a curtain drain to lower the water table. The drain usually has to prove itself through one full wet season, January 1 to April 15.
Under the state's rules, seasonal high groundwater must sit at least 2 feet below the original ground. The bottom of the leach field stone needs at least 3 feet of separation above that water. Bedrock or impervious hardpan must sit at least 4 feet down and 5 feet below the stone. On some larger lots, a bottomless sand filter can go where seasonal groundwater sits 18 to 24 inches down.
North Kingstown's most common soil, Merrimac, is sandy outwash that drains fast. Dense till and swamp soils hold water near the surface, so those lots may need fill or a different spot. A raised leach field on a slope may need a retaining wall, kept 25 feet from the stone in most cases.
A conventional system sends the tank's effluent to a standard leach field, and an advanced system treats it further first. In RIDEM's Salt Pond and Narrow River critical resource areas, nearly every new system and repair needs nitrogen-reducing treatment. The Salt Pond area takes in the salt pond watersheds of Charlestown, Narragansett, South Kingstown and Westerly. Advanced systems usually need service once or twice a year from a trained provider.
Rhode Island's Cesspool Act puts many replacement designs on a clock. After a sale or transfer, the cesspool must be replaced, or the house tied into sewer, within 12 months. RIDEM's rules treat every remaining cesspool as substandard.
Replacing a failed system or a cesspool usually goes to RIDEM as a repair application. For a home, a repair needs no new soil evaluation unless RIDEM asks for one. The rules ask a repair to meet the standards as far as the lot allows, and RIDEM may relax some. If your system is failing now, septic system repair starts by finding the cause.
When the layout is final, the design package goes to RIDEM for approval. A town cannot issue a building permit until it has the state's written septic approvals. In North Kingstown, a building permit application needs the original septic approval and a site plan that shows the system.
Call or text for a written quote. We work about 40 miles around North Kingstown across all of Rhode Island.
(401) 474-8926From the first call or text to the finished work, here is how it goes.
Call or text (401) 474-8926 and tell us the town and the job. Photos of the problem or the lot help.
We come out to see the site and how a machine gets in. On a problem call, we look for the cause first.
The quote comes to you in writing, with the work spelled out. A septic design goes to the state for approval before the install.
After a Dig Safe (811) call, the utilities mark their buried lines before any machine digs. Then we do the work the quote describes.
Where we dug, we backfill and grade, and we tell you what we did. A new septic system goes into use once the state issues its Certificate of Conformance.
Common questions about septic system design around North Kingstown and the rest of Rhode Island. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
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.
Learn MoreWe install conventional septic systems and advanced treatment systems, such as nitrogen-reducing units. The soil and the state's rules decide which one fits the lot.
We take on small residential repairs and large commercial site work. On new construction, we work closely with the builder and the engineer.
We look at the job before we price anything. Then the quote comes to you in writing, and the work starts once you say yes.
Real 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
Cesspool replacement cost in Rhode Island from RIDEM's own published figures, and why state law sets a 12-month replacement deadline after a home sale.
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Septic system installation cost in Rhode Island: published ranges for conventional and advanced treatment systems, state fees and what moves the price.
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Septic system failing in Rhode Island? The warning signs, when a repair beats a replacement, what RIDEM's rules require and published cost ranges.
Read more →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.