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Septic Services in Memphis, TN

Shelby County · Pop. 618,639

Memphis is Tennessee's largest city and a major cultural and logistics hub, famous for blues music, Beale Street, and being the birthplace of rock and roll. Located on the eastern bluff of the Mississippi River, Memphis sits atop deep loess deposits that create some of the most favorable septic soil conditions in the entire state. West Tennessee's Coastal Plain soils — dominated by the Memphis silt loam series — have natural permeability rates two to five times better than the clay-heavy soils of Middle Tennessee's Nashville Basin or East Tennessee's karst region. This geological advantage means that Shelby County's rural and suburban fringe can accommodate conventional septic systems on well-designed lots more readily than most Tennessee counties. Memphis's suburban growth corridor — extending east through Germantown, Collierville, and into DeSoto County, Mississippi (part of the metro) — includes thousands of homes on septic systems. The Wolf River corridor cuts through the heart of Shelby County, and its water quality improvement has become a major environmental priority for the Memphis metro. Outer Shelby County communities along Highway 72, Raleigh-Millington, and the agricultural fringes have extensive rural septic-dependent development. Memphis's position on the Mississippi River and the critical Memphis Sand Aquifer — the sole source of drinking water for the metro — makes groundwater protection from septic system nutrients an ongoing concern.

Services in Memphis

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Drain Field Repair

Restore or replace failed leach fields and drain lines to prevent sewage surfacing and groundwater contamination.

$2,000 – $15,000

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Grease Trap Pumping

Commercial grease trap cleaning and pumping to prevent sewer blockages and maintain health code compliance.

$200 – $800

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Septic Inspection

Comprehensive evaluation of your septic system's condition, required for real estate transactions in most states.

$300 – $600

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Septic System Installation

Complete new septic system design and installation, from perc testing to final inspection.

$3,500 – $20,000

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Septic Tank Pumping

Regular pumping removes accumulated solids from your septic tank, preventing backups and extending system life.

$275 – $600

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Septic Repair

Diagnose and fix septic system problems including leaks, clogs, baffle failures, and component replacements.

$500 – $5,000

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Well Drilling

Professional water well drilling for residential and commercial properties without access to municipal water.

$6,000 – $25,000

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Well Pump Repair

Diagnose and repair well pump failures, pressure tank issues, and water flow problems.

$300 – $3,000

Septic Providers in Memphis (3)

Septic Service Costs in Memphis

Service Average Cost
Septic Tank Pumping $200 - $400
Septic System Installation $4,500 - $14,000

Soil Conditions

Memphis sits on West Tennessee's Coastal Plain physiographic province, where soils are dominated by the Memphis, Loring, and Grenada series — deep, well-drained to moderately well-drained Alfisols and Ultisols formed from loess (wind-blown silt) deposited over Mississippi River alluvium. The Memphis series, the namesake soil of the area, is a deep, well-drained silt loam to silty clay loam soil with excellent natural permeability (0.6–2.0 inches per hour) — far superior to the clay-dominated soils of Middle and East Tennessee. The Loring series is a moderately well-drained silt loam with a fragipan (brittle, dense layer) at 24–40 inches that can restrict drainage on level sites. Lower terrace soils along the Mississippi River include Commerce silt loam and Crevasse loamy fine sand — alluvial soils with variable drainage and susceptibility to seasonal flooding.

The Memphis series — a loess-derived Alfisol with a silt loam surface over silty clay loam Bt horizon — is the dominant and most favorable upland soil in Shelby County. Its moderate clay content (20–35%) and excellent silt-loam structure provide both adequate permeability and treatment capacity, with design loading rates of 0.4–0.8 gallons per square foot per day. The Loring series, which develops a fragipan at 24–40 inches, requires careful profile evaluation to identify the fragipan depth — if it lies within the design separation zone, loading rates must be reduced. Grenada silt loam on gentle slopes is intermediate in characteristics. The loess cap thickness across Shelby County ranges from 10 to 30 feet, providing abundant depth for conventional drainfield installation with rare interference from restrictive bedrock.

Water Table: Upland Memphis and Loring series soils maintain water tables at 3–8 feet on ridge positions, making them among the most permissive in Tennessee for conventional septic installation. Loring soils with fragipan horizons can develop perched water tables above the fragipan during wet periods. Mississippi River floodplain soils have high water tables seasonally and are generally excluded from septic use by TDEC siting rules.

Local Regulations

Tennessee TDEC Subsurface Sewage Disposal regulations (Rules 0400-48-01) govern all installations. Shelby County Health Department is the primary permitting authority. Tennessee uses soil morphology analysis (not perc testing) to determine design loading rates. Minimum setbacks include 50 feet from wells, 25 feet from surface water, and 10 feet from property lines. Systems within the Wolf River floodplain or 100-year flood zone face additional siting restrictions. Tennessee requires a licensed installer for all permitted work. Advanced and alternative systems require TDEC approval and a maintenance contract with a licensed provider.

Shelby County Health Department issues SSDS (Subsurface Sewage Disposal System) permits under Tennessee TDEC regulations. New system permits cost $200–$350. Shelby County Environmental Health performs soil morphology evaluations (Tennessee eliminated mandatory perc testing in 2009 in favor of soil profile analysis). Memphis is the largest city in Tennessee without centralized sewer coverage in all areas — outer suburban Shelby County communities of Collierville, Germantown (mostly sewered), and Bartlett have significant septic-dependent residential areas. The Wolf River watershed runs through Shelby County, and TDEC has identified nutrient reduction goals for this waterway that may affect system requirements near its tributaries.

Frequently Asked Questions — Memphis

Are Memphis-area soils good for septic systems?
Yes — Memphis loess silt loam soils are among the best in Tennessee for conventional septic systems. The deep, well-drained Memphis series has natural permeability rates significantly better than the clay-dominated soils of Middle and East Tennessee. Most upland Shelby County lots can accommodate conventional gravity drainfields with proper sizing, avoiding the need for engineered alternative systems that add cost and complexity. A soil morphology evaluation by Shelby County Environmental Health will confirm suitability for your specific lot.
How much does septic pumping cost in Memphis?
Septic pumping in the Memphis metro (Shelby County and adjacent DeSoto County, MS) ranges from $200 to $400 for a standard residential tank. Most providers charge $250–$350 for a 1,000-gallon tank. Memphis's large working-class and middle-class residential base supports numerous competitive septic service companies. Outer suburban areas in Collierville and Germantown may see prices toward the higher end of the range.
Does the Memphis Sand Aquifer affect septic regulations in Shelby County?
The Memphis Sand Aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for the Memphis metro and is designated a Sole Source Aquifer by the EPA, providing heightened federal protection. While this designation does not automatically add septic regulations beyond state rules, it underscores the critical importance of properly maintained systems to prevent nutrient and pathogen contamination of the underlying groundwater. Shelby County Environmental Health strictly enforces TDEC setback requirements from wells to protect aquifer recharge zones.
My Collierville or Germantown suburban home uses septic — should I be concerned?
Shelby County's eastern suburbs are well-drained loess uplands with favorable soils, so properly installed and maintained conventional systems perform well. The main concern is system age — many suburban homes built in the 1970s–1990s have systems approaching 30–50 years old that may need inspection or upgrading. Have a licensed inspector evaluate the tank integrity, distribution box, and drainfield condition. If the system has never been pumped, immediate service is recommended.
What is the Wolf River corridor restriction for septic systems in Memphis?
The Wolf River runs west through Shelby County to the Mississippi River and has been the subject of a major restoration effort. TDEC requires setbacks of at least 25 feet from the ordinary high water mark of the Wolf River and its tributaries. Properties in the 100-year floodplain face additional siting restrictions. Shelby County Environmental Health evaluates each site to determine if Wolf River setbacks or floodplain restrictions affect your specific property.

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