FAQS

Grease, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, feminine products, cigarette butts, paint, and harsh chemicals should stay out of a septic system. These materials clog pipes, fill the tank faster, or kill the bacteria that break down household waste.

Conventional gravity systems keep working without electricity, though you should still limit water use during the outage. Systems with pumps or aerators stop moving effluent once the power drops, so conserving water until service returns helps prevent a backup.

Florida requires new septic systems to sit at least 75 feet from a private drinking-water well and 100 feet from certain public wells. These distances protect groundwater and should be planned before any home or building layout is finalized.

Yes. A septic inspection before closing reveals the tank's condition, drainfield performance, and any needed repairs while you can still negotiate. Parrish Land Management encourages buyers in Panama City, FL, to schedule one well ahead of the closing date.

Avoid pumping the tank right before a storm, because an empty tank can shift or float in saturated ground. If your system has an electric pump, switch it off before flooding and conserve water until the soil drains.

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center lets you search any address online for its current flood zone designation. Your county property appraiser or local planning office can also confirm the zone, which affects insurance, building elevation, and septic design requirements.

Fill dirt is soil with little organic material, used to raise low areas, build house pads, and level uneven ground. Lots near a high water table or in flood-prone spots often need fill before construction or septic installation can proceed.

Contact Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days before any digging, including fence posts, trenching, or tree planting. The free service notifies utility companies, which then mark buried lines so excavation does not damage them or injure anyone.

Depending on the method, trees are mulched on site, chipped, hauled off, or sold as timber when volume and quality allow. Parrish Land Management usually mulches smaller growth in place on properties in Panama City, FL, to protect the soil and limit hauling.

Forestry mulching knocks saw palmetto down to ground level quickly, but the plant can resprout from its underground stems. Follow-up mowing, repeat mulching, or root raking during site preparation keeps it from reclaiming cleared areas over the next few seasons.

Yes, but wet ground makes heavy equipment more likely to rut and compact soil. Summer clearing works best when jobs are scheduled between storms, with low-pressure tracked machines and extra attention to erosion control on exposed sandy soil.

Erosion control uses silt fences, mulch, seeding, and temporary barriers to keep soil from washing off a disturbed site during rain. It protects neighboring properties, storm drains, and waterways from sediment while construction and landscaping are still underway.

Standing water after storms, a high seasonal water table, or a flood zone designation are common signs. A survey showing elevations and a soil evaluation will confirm whether fill is needed for a house pad or septic drainfield on your lot.

It does. A garbage disposal adds food solids that settle in the tank and fill it faster, which shortens the time between pumpings. If you use one heavily, plan for more frequent tank service and scrape plates into the trash first.

Regular mowing, periodic mulching, and establishing grass or pasture early are the most effective ways to prevent regrowth. Parrish Land Management can return to properties around Panama City, FL, for maintenance mulching before brush has a chance to thicken again.