Septic & Well Services in Schwenksville & the Perkiomen Valley, PA

Areas covered on this page: Lower Frederick Township, Upper Frederick Township, Schwenksville Borough, Perkiomenville, Zieglerville, Frederick (Montgomery County).

Lower Frederick: proof of pumping every three years

Lower Frederick Township bills public sewer customers for part of the township. If you're on an on-lot system, the Township requires proof of pumping and inspection every three years, sent to the township office. The Township also notes that if you're selling your home, your pumping and inspection need to be up to date (Lower Frederick Township: Sewer Department).

In practice, sellers should book the pump-out and inspection early. A clean, current report makes the buyer's septic inspection go more smoothly and keeps you in compliance at the same time. Buyers can submit a request to us with their agent's help and tell us the closing date. Providers then see your timeline up front.

In Upper Frederick and the other surrounding townships, call the township office to ask whether there's a pumping schedule. Either way, EPA advises a professional inspection at least every three years and pumping typically every three to five years (EPA).

What a pumper should tell you

• Sludge and scum levels compared with the tank's liquid depth
• Condition of the inlet and outlet baffles or effluent filter
• Whether lids or risers are accessible, or need digging next time
• Any signs of backflow from the absorption area

Wells in the Perkiomen Valley

Most homes outside the sewer and water service areas here rely on private wells. The northwestern edge of the Newark Basin around Gilbertsville is where EPA first measured elevated arsenic, boron and fluoride, which led to a USGS study across the basin. USGS found that wells with a water pH of 8 or higher all exceeded EPA's arsenic limit in its samples (USGS SIR 2006-5261). It's worth knowing your well's pH and asking your lab about arsenic.

PA DEP recommends a yearly test for total coliform bacteria, nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH, using a state-certified lab (PA DEP). New wells need a Montgomery County OPH permit before drilling (OPH).

Who issues permits

In Montgomery County, the Office of Public Health (OPH) issues on-lot sewage permits under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537). The process starts with soil probes and a percolation test, then a system design, then an OPH sewage enforcement officer inspects the installed system. OPH also requires a permit for every drinking water, irrigation and geothermal well before it is drilled, followed by a grouting inspection and an approval to operate. If you need the permit for an existing septic system, OPH says its records cover permits issued after 1991; older permits may be held by your township (OPH FAQs).

Before you call a provider

• Find your last pumping receipt and, if you have it, your septic permit or system drawing. It shows the tank location and size.
• Ask whether the pumper's truck is licensed by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health and whether they will file or give you the receipt your township needs.
• For a home sale, ask whether the inspector is PSMA-certified and what the written report covers.
• For a well, note the pump age, the well depth if known, and what you are seeing (pressure, color, odor, no water).