Your Septic Questions, Answered

Most residential tanks in Lawrence County need pumping every 3 to 5 years. The right interval depends on household size, tank capacity, and how much water your home uses day to day. When we come out for a service call, we can inspect your tank and give you a straight recommendation based on what we actually find.

Four signs your system is under stress: slow drains throughout the house, gurgling pipes, sewage odors inside or outside, and wet or unusually green patches over the drain field. These are not problems to troubleshoot yourself. Each one points to a system that needs a professional inspection before the situation gets worse.

Yes, and that is the actual schedule, not a marketing line. We answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and every holiday. If your system is backing up at 2 a.m., call us at 931-773-7842. Someone will pick up and we will get a crew out to you.

We serve Lawrenceburg, Columbia, Pulaski, Summertown, Loretto, Leoma, Mount Pleasant, and the rural communities throughout Lawrence County and the adjacent counties within roughly 25 miles of our Lawrenceburg base. For the full list of communities we cover, visit our service areas page.

The cost depends on your tank size, how easy it is to access the lid, and how much has built up since the last service. We offer free quotes on every job, so you know exactly what it will cost before we start any work. No surprises on the invoice.

We locate the access lid, open the tank, connect the pump truck hose, and remove the solids and liquids. While the tank is open, we visually inspect the inlet and outlet baffles and let you know what we see. You do not need to do anything to prepare beyond pointing us to the access location if you already know it.

Pumping can and should happen year-round. Frozen ground occasionally makes access lid removal slower, but it does not stop service. If your system is giving you trouble in January, waiting until spring is the wrong call. We work through every season and we will get out to you regardless of the weather.

Pumping removes the liquid layer and the floating scum near the surface. Cleaning goes further, pulling out the settled sludge from the tank floor and rinsing the interior. If your tank has gone years without service or we find heavy buildup during a pump-out, we will recommend cleaning. Willis & Sons provides both.

A wet yard from rain alone dries within 24 to 48 hours. A failing drain field stays saturated directly over the leach field area even between rain events, and you will usually have slow drains and odors alongside it. Persistent saturation over that area is the sign. See our drain field repairs page for more information.

Yes. Willis & Sons operates in compliance with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation requirements on all jobs.  Three generations of this family have been doing this work in Lawrence County, which means we have operated through decades of regulatory requirements. We know the rules and we follow them.