Frequently asked questions

If your system goes into alarm, please call our office at 781-878-3849. When you call, let us know whether the alarm is from a small or large control panel and if you were able to silence it.

Our office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you call after business hours, please select the option for emergency calls, and your call will be transferred to the on-call phone.

IMPORTANT: If no one answers, please leave your name, phone number, and the address related to your call. Note that caller ID does not transfer with the call. If you do not leave a phone number for us to return your call, we won’t be able to reach you.

All septic systems, whether conventional or I/A (Innovative/Alternative), require regular pumping. Your service provider will inform you when it's time for a pump-out. For I/A systems, it’s essential to have your service technician present during the pump-out to ensure proper maintenance. These systems often have media, filter baskets, or similar components that need cleaning at the time of pumping.

If you don't have a service provider for your I/A system, give us a call at 781-878-3849. We’d be happy to assist you and welcome you to the Clearwater family.

NO!  Flushable wipes are not biodegradable, and even a few can lead to clogged drains and toilets. If your home uses a septic system, be cautious about flushing wipes or any products labeled as “septic safe.”

Here are a few important points to consider:

• Garbage disposals: While often claimed to be septic safe, they can create an extreme solids overload on your septic system.
• Cooking oils and grease: These should never be poured down the drain, as they can cause serious issues.
• Toilet usage: The toilet is not a trash receptacle—do not flush dental floss, wrappers, hygiene products, or similar items. Only flush human waste and toilet paper—nothing else.
• Ingredients: If you read the label and can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t flush it into your septic tank.

Regular maintenance and proper disposal practices will help ensure the longevity of your septic system.

NO!  Even if cat litter is labeled as flushable, DON’T FLUSH IT!

Cleaning out the litter box is never a fun task. If you’re environmentally conscious, you might be concerned about throwing away plastic bags filled with clay-based litter every week. Unfortunately, neither plastic bags nor clay litter is biodegradable. As a result, some pet owners have turned to flushable kitty litter as a seemingly better option.

However, adding cat litter—whether it’s organic or all-natural (like corn, pine, or wood chips)—to your septic system can overburden it over time. Just because a product is labeled as flushable doesn’t mean it should be flushed. In fact, using flushable or any kind of kitty litter can lead to serious septic system failures. Flushing kitty litter is never a good idea.

We do not recommend routing the backwash from your water softener into a Jet system or any other type of biological treatment system. The concentrated sodium chloride and other chemical compounds introduced during the softener's backwashing process can harm the beneficial bacteria that are essential for your treatment system's function.

If possible, please route the water softener backwash to an alternate drain line. However, it’s important to check with your local health department before installing or altering any existing drain lines.

Congratulations on your purchase of a JET system!

You will need an Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Contract. The JET system is an Innovative/Alternative (I/A) system that requires an O&M contract with a certified provider for its entire lifespan.

If your JET system is under two years old and your tank was purchased through Clearwater Recovery, it is covered under our warranty. Clearwater will handle your warranty claims (Massachusetts only).

We will schedule routine semi-annual O&M service visits for your JET system. Your routine O&M service is covered for two years, which includes four service visits at no cost to you. The only costs you’ll incur during this period will be for effluent field sampling and reporting, as required by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and your local Board of Health.

Contracting with Clearwater provides peace of mind, knowing that knowledgeable technicians and office staff are dedicated to keeping you compliant with your local Board of Health while ensuring the production of clean water that is returned to our groundwater. As a locally owned and operated business, we are committed to delivering the highest level of service.

We look forward to working with you. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions regarding your system. If you do not yet have a contract with us, please contact our office.

When the warranty period ends, we will send you a new contract for your review and signature. After we receive your signed contract, we will countersign it and provide you and the Board of Health with a fully executed copy. We handle the paperwork to ensure you remain in compliance with your local Board of Health. 

Yes, Clearwater requires an O&M (operation & maintenance) contract and Owner of Record Acknowledgement form with all new JET installs. Your installer should have this available for you. The Owner of Record Acknowledgement form is available for download below. If your installer doesn't have the required paperwork please contact the office and we will mail or email the required paperwork to you.

You may mail or email to claire@clearwaterrecovery.com the signed contract and Owner of Record Acknowledgement Form to Clearwater. 

Yes! Clearwater Recovery provides maintenance for a variety of I/A (Innovative/Alternative) systems. All I/A systems require an Operation & Maintenance (O&M) contract with a certified provider for the entire life of the system.

Clearwater can assist you with this. We will request the design and as-built plan from your local Board of Health to provide you with the most accurate price and contract. If we need additional information, we will reach out to you. Once the details are finalized, we’ll send you a contract for your review and signature. After we receive your signed contract, we’ll countersign it and send a fully executed copy to both you and the Board of Health. Your account will then be set up for routine semi-annual O&M service visits.

Contracting with Clearwater offers peace of mind, knowing that our knowledgeable technicians and office staff are dedicated to keeping you in compliance with your local Board of Health while ensuring clean water is returned to our groundwater. As a locally owned and operated business, we are committed to providing the highest level of service.

We look forward to working with you! Please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime with questions about your system.

If you don’t have a contract with us yet, please reach out to our office.

If your leach field is an I/A (innovative/alternative) system, it will require an O&M (operation & maintenance) contract as well. This is required by the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), and your local Board of Health. 

The leach field is not covered under our JET warranty (if you are still a JET under warranty) so there will be an additional charge for the required routine O&M service.

Yes there is! 

The Septic Credit for Repairing or Replacing a Failed Cesspool or Septic System form is located under our Form tab. 

For more information, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for Personal Income Tax Credit for Failed Cesspool or Septic System Title 5 Expenditures. Click on link below to go to office site.

https://www.mass.gov/technical-information-release/tir-97-12-personal-income-tax-credit-for-failed-cesspool-or-septic-system-title-5-expenditures

Yes, the BBB recognized Clearwater Recovery for 25 continuous years committed to honesty, integrity, ethics and trust.  Awarded for the 2022 year!