COVID-19 pandemic leading to a 'flush' of septic system issues

An unexpected and unwelcomed hassle for many homeowners during the pandemic have been septic system issues.

"We have worked non-stop, our team hasn't had any breaks since the pandemic started," said Mandie Hagan of Rowell's Services in New Hampshire.

Septic maintenance companies in some parts of the country are reporting service calls have risen sharply over the past 11 months.

"People aren't going out to dinner as much so they're cooking more, they're not being quite as careful with grease going down their drain lines and things like that," said Rowell.

They said in addition to systems being burdened by more people staying in their homes, pandemic-related items like so-called flushable sanitizing wipes, and heavy use of anti-bacterial soap can also lead to septic problems.