Dahl Septic Services
Septic System Installs and Repairs in Pageland, SC
Building on a lot near Pageland, replacing a failing system, or keeping an LPP or drip system running? Dahl Septic Services is an SC Tier 3 licensed onsite wastewater installer (SC Tier 3 installer license #OSWWI0714), and we’ve done septic jobs in the Pageland area.
- SC Tier 3 licensed onsite wastewater installer
- Founded 2023 · over a decade of hands-on experience
- Mon–Fri 8am–5pm
Pageland, SC
We put in new systems, repair existing ones, maintain engineered systems and inspect systems for home sales in and around Pageland and western Chesterfield County. We were founded in 2023, backed by over a decade of hands-on septic experience. We’re based in Albemarle, North Carolina, and also hold NC license #9407I.
Call or text (704) 218-9070, or request a quote. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Services
What we do for Pageland-area septic systems
New septic systems and full replacements
In South Carolina, the system you can install is set by the Permit to Construct that SCDES issues for your lot. We install what the permit calls for:
- Conventional gravel-and-pipe drain fields
- Chamber systems
- Panel block systems
- Engineered systems, including Standard 610 specialized designs drawn up by a South Carolina professional engineer
The tank comes with the job. We set plastic or concrete tanks as part of a complete install. We don’t sell tanks on their own.
Septic repairs
Broken or crushed pipe, a damaged lid or baffle, a failed pump or float, or a drain field that’s stopped taking water. We find the cause and repair it. South Carolina asks property owners to notify SCDES before a system or any part of it is relocated or replaced, so the Department can decide whether a permit is needed. We’ll tell you when a repair is likely to fall into that category.
Engineered systems
LPP, drip and engineered system maintenance
Low-pressure pipe (LPP), drip and other pump-driven systems have more moving parts than a gravity system: an effluent pump, floats, a control panel and alarm, valves, filters and small-diameter lines. SCDES notes that alternative systems “require more frequent and careful maintenance,” and recommends inspecting systems with mechanical parts such as a pump at least once a year. Under SC rules, only Tier 3 installers can install and maintain Standard 610 specialized systems. On a maintenance visit we check pump operation, float settings, the alarm and the distribution lines, and tell you what we found.
Inspections
Septic inspections, including real estate and home-sale inspections
South Carolina doesn’t require an existing septic system to be inspected when a home sells, and SCDES won’t inspect one on request. It tells owners to hire a licensed septic professional instead. That leaves the decision to the buyer, and many buyers want an answer before closing, which is where we come in. We do real estate septic inspections in South Carolina for buyers, sellers and their agents, and general condition checks for owners.
On an inspection we locate the tank, open it, look at the baffles and liquid level, walk the drain field area for wet spots or ponding, and run any pump, floats and alarm. You get a written report of what we found. When you book a home-sale inspection, tell us the property address, who will give us access, the bedroom count on the listing, and your contract deadlines, so we can plan around them. If the tank needs to be pumped, that’s done by an SCDES-licensed pumper/hauler. Pumping isn’t offered in SC at this time.
Old tanks
Tank decommissioning
When a home ties into sewer, or an old tank is left behind after a replacement, the old tank shouldn’t just sit in the ground. We locate it, and once it has been pumped out by a licensed pumper/hauler, we make it unable to hold liquid and backfill it so the area is safe to mow and build near. Ask SCDES or Chesterfield County whether any paperwork is needed for your address before work starts. More on septic tank decommissioning.
Permits
Getting a septic permit in Chesterfield County: the SCDES steps
Septic permits in South Carolina come from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), not the county and not the old DHEC. SCDES took over this program on July 1, 2024. If you’re coming from North Carolina, where the county health department handles permits, here’s the SC order of operations:
- Find out whether sewer is available. Ask your town or county. If there’s no public or community sewer, you’ll need a septic permit before you can get a county building permit.
- Apply online. The property owner submits the Onsite Wastewater System Application (form D-1740) through the SCDES ePermitting Portal, with a copy of the plat or deed and the site evaluation fee. SCDES’s “How to Apply” flyer suggests preparing the site before you submit, to avoid extra fees.
- Site and soil evaluation. An SCDES inspector evaluates the lot. Look up your address on the SCDES Fall Line map (through the “Find a Septic Contractor” map on des.sc.gov/septic). If the site is above the Fall Line, the applicant has to have backhoe pits dug for the evaluation.
- Permit to Construct. If the site is approved, SCDES issues a Permit to Construct, valid for five years. If not, the inspector will discuss alternatives, which can include an engineered (Standard 610) design.
- Licensed installation. A licensed installer puts the system in exactly as permitted. Any change from the permit needs SCDES approval first.
- Inspection before cover, then Approval to Operate. The system can’t be covered until it’s inspected. Tier 3 installers may self-inspect their own installs after giving SCDES the chance to inspect, and engineer-designed systems get their final inspection from the engineer. Once everything checks out, SCDES issues an Approval to Operate.
Who to contact at SCDES for Chesterfield County
- Before you apply (application questions): SCDES Onsite Wastewater Customer Support, 1-855-731-2504, OSWWCentral@des.sc.gov
- After you apply: BRLS-OSWW-Field-Admin@des.sc.gov, or the regional office that covers your county. SCDES’s Septic Tanks – Who to Call page lists Chesterfield County under the Sumter office, (803) 778-6548, 141 N. Main Street, Office 304, Sumter, SC 29150.
- Copies of existing permits and final inspections: SCDES Customer Support, 1-855-731-2504
Coming from the North Carolina side? Our guide to SC septic permits for NC homeowners and border buyers walks through the differences.
Before you buy
Buying land near Pageland? Check this first
SCDES’s “Before You Buy Land” guidance boils down to a few questions worth asking before you sign:
- Is there room for the system and its setbacks? At least 5 feet from buildings and property lines, 75 feet from a private well or surface water, 100 feet from a public well, and 25 feet from a drainage ditch. A repair area also has to be held in reserve.
- Any warning signs on the ground? Rock near the surface, gullies or steep slopes, flooding, standing water, wetlands, or fill dirt can all limit or rule out a septic system.
- How many bedrooms? SCDES sizes systems by bedroom count, so a bigger house needs more suitable ground.
Some lots can’t support a septic system at all, and an engineered design is a bigger job than a conventional one. It’s better to know that before you buy than to find out after. We can walk the lot with you before you apply.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Who issues septic permits for Pageland, SC?
SCDES, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. It replaced DHEC for septic permitting on July 1, 2024. Applications go through SCDES ePermitting, not through the county.
Does SCDES do a perc test?
No. SCDES says it hasn’t used perc tests since the late 1970s. An inspector classifies the soil by color and texture from borings or backhoe pits.
Can you install an engineered or LPP system in South Carolina?
Yes. We’re an SC Tier 3 licensed onsite wastewater installer. Tier 3 is the SCDES license level that covers pump systems and Standard 610 specialized (engineered) systems, along with repairs.
Do you do septic inspections for home sales in Pageland?
Yes. We do real estate septic inspections for buyers, sellers and agents in the Pageland area. South Carolina doesn’t require one at sale, so it’s up to the buyer to ask for it in the contract.
Do you pump septic tanks in South Carolina?
Pumping isn’t offered in SC at this time. Septic tank pumping in SC requires a separate SCDES pumper/hauler license. The SCDES “Find a Septic Contractor” map lists licensed pumper/haulers.
Can I buy just a septic tank from you?
No. We supply plastic and concrete tanks only as part of a full installation.
What happens if my lot doesn’t pass the soil evaluation?
SCDES will go over other options with you. One is a specialized (Standard 610) system designed by a professional engineer with input from a soil scientist. We can install those designs.
Get started
Talk to us about your Pageland-area project
Have a question about septic? Pageland, SC homeowners and builders can send us the address, what you’re planning (new system, repair, maintenance, or an inspection for a home sale), and your SCDES permit if you already have one. Call or text (704) 218-9070, or use our quote request form.
Also in South Carolina: septic services in Lancaster County, SC.
SC Tier 3 installer license #OSWWI0714 · NC license #9407I
Real Google reviews
What customers say
★★★★★
“They came to do a new septic system for my dad and they went above and beyond what we expected. Long long customer for us for any of our septic needs”
Google review
★★★★★
“Very thorough. Was very helpful with the inspection and helpful with my questions.”
Google review
★★★★★
“Excellent service – they decommissioned our old septic tank. They were very helpful in locating our old septic tank, had to bring in the excavator to look for it. Were prompt, on time. Very responsive to phone calls and texts. Overall great company. Highly recommend!”
Google review
Dahl Septic Services
Call, text or book online
214-B E North St, Albemarle, NC 28001 · Mon–Fri 8–5
Closed Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26) and Christmas (Fri, Dec 25).
Visit
Dahl Septic Services
214-B E North St
Albemarle, NC 28001
Call or text
Hours
Mon–Fri 8–5
Closed Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26) and Christmas (Fri, Dec 25).