Septic Tank Pumping in Apison, TN
Apison is the most rural community on our list: 93.4% of its residents live in rural areas by the 2020 census, and news reports as recently as 2020 described commercial corners with no sewer line to tap. Septic Pumping Chattanooga connects Apison homeowners with independent local septic pumping, inspection and repair companies for free, no-obligation quotes.
Get a Free Quote Call (727) 300-6656Newer homes on large lots, and no sewer at the corner
The railroad reached Apison in 1881, when the stop was briefly called O’Brian, and the community took its name from the shale deposits along the tracks. It covers 16.19 square miles at about 860 feet on the Georgia line, with Apison Elementary on East Brainerd Road and older students bused to East Hamilton or Ooltewah.
The homes are newer than the rest of the county. The U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2024 5-year estimates give the Apison CDP a population of 4,271 in 1,581 occupied homes, a median year built of 1998, and 47.8% of units built in 2000 or later. Owner-occupancy is 83.4%.
Sewer has not followed the houses. In June 2020 the Times Free Press reported that a Dollar General planned for East Brainerd Road and Bill Jones Road would use a septic system because no sewer line was available. TDOT’s widening of Apison Pike (SR-317), including a $93.1 million segment due by June 30, 2025, brings traffic, not sewer. For a specific address, the WWTA sewer-availability line is (423) 209-7842.
Clay, shale and the duplicate-area rule
NRCS soil descriptions for East Hamilton County’s limestone valleys include the Collegedale series, typed 1.5 miles northeast of Collegedale on Tallant Road: clay or silty clay, moderately slow permeability, weathered from limestone interbedded with shale. The Talbott series is similar but reaches bedrock in 20 to 40 inches. TDEC accepts percolation rates of 10 through 75 minutes per inch and requires each new lot to hold the original disposal field plus a duplicate area; Hamilton County Groundwater Protection charges $150 per lot for a lot review and $440 for a new-system permit.
Which septic services matter most in Apison
- Septic tank pumping. Half of Apison’s homes were built after 2000, and the EPA’s three-to-five-year interval means many are due for a first or second pump-out. Typical national ranges are $225–$400 for a 1,000-gallon tank and $300–$600 for 1,250 gallons (Fixr, 2025; estimates, not quotes).
- Drain field repair. Only a septic inspection can say whether a field has failed; if it has, repair or replacement typically runs $5,000–$12,000, is done by a TDEC-permitted installer (Rule .19) with a county installer license, and needs the homeowner’s $40 county repair permit.
- Septic inspection. New construction and resales are both active here; the FAQ below covers the disclosure rules that apply to a sale.
- Emergency septic service. A company can usually come the same or next day if one is available.
Apison borders north Georgia; a TDEC pumping permit covers the Tennessee side only, and this site does not cover Georgia addresses. Read the cost guide, then request a free quote.
Nearby areas: Ooltewah, Collegedale and Cleveland.
Apison septic questions
My Apison house was built in the 2000s and has never been pumped. Is that a problem?
Solids build up at the same rate in a new tank as an old one. The EPA says household tanks are typically pumped every three to five years, so a home finished in 2005 that has never been serviced is past that window. Ask the pumper to measure sludge depth and check the outlet baffle and effluent filter.
Why do drain fields come up so often in Apison?
NRCS describes the Collegedale and Talbott soil series of East Hamilton County’s limestone valleys as clay or silty clay with moderately slow permeability, and Talbott can reach bedrock in 20 to 40 inches. TDEC accepts percolation rates of 10 to 75 minutes per inch. Which series is under your yard is on the county soil map; whether a field is failing is for an inspection to determine.
I am buying a new build in Apison. What septic paperwork should I ask for?
Ask for the septic construction permit: under TCA 47-18-104(b)(41) a newly built home may not be marketed with more bedrooms than its septic permit allows unless that is disclosed in writing. TCA 66-5-212 requires the seller to disclose any known percolation test results. Your agent must also tell you a government inspection letter is available; Hamilton County’s is $105. This is general information, not legal advice.
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