James Butler, a licensed septic inspector and installer with WNC Independent Labs in Weaverville, North Carolina, posted an example of a homeowner who hadn’t had their septic tank pumped in over 25 years.

The sludge in the tank was so thick, additional water was added to help get it liquefied enough to be able to pump into the company truck’s tank. A hose ran city water to the tank, and an additional 2,000 gallons of water were added by WNC trucks over three trips and six hours. To help draw the sludge out of the system, two air compressors were used to inject air into the line, adding additional force to the truck’s own pump, which usually pumps at 250 gallons per minute. The video goes on to explain that the homeowner had been told his septic system didn’t need any maintenance, which, as this video shows, was a very expensive lesson to learn.