Most lift station wet wells in South Florida should be cleaned at least every three months. Stations fed by restaurants, shopping plazas or large condo and HOA communities often need more, and a light-duty residential station can sometimes go six months between cleanings. The right schedule depends on what goes down the drains upstream of the station — and, in Miami-Dade, on what the county expects from private pump station owners. This guide explains how to set the schedule, what to do before hurricane season, and when to stop planning and call for help.
What builds up in a wet well
A wet well is the underground chamber where wastewater collects before the pumps lift it into the sewer main. Three things fill it up over time.
- Grease. Fats, oils and grease from kitchens float to the top, cool and harden into a thick cap. The cap traps floats so they cannot rise and fall, and chunks break off and get pulled into the pumps.
- Wipes and rags. "Flushable" wipes, paper towels and rags do not break down. They twist into ropes that wrap around pump impellers and float cables, which is the most common reason a pump trips or burns out.
- Grit. Sand, soil and small debris settle on the floor of the well. As the layer gets deeper, it shrinks the working volume of the well, so pumps start and stop more often and wear out sooner.
Quarterly vs. semi-annual cleaning
Quarterly cleaning — four times a year — is the baseline we recommend for most commercial and multi-family lift stations. It removes the grease cap before it hardens into a solid layer, and it catches wipes before they reach the pumps.
Semi-annual cleaning — twice a year — can work for light-duty stations that serve a small number of homes with no commercial kitchens, as long as each cleaning shows a thin grease layer and little grit. The way to know is to look: after the first cleaning, the volume and type of material removed tells you whether the station can stretch or needs to move up. If a semi-annual station alarms or clogs between visits, move it to quarterly.
Restaurant and HOA stations vs. light residential
Restaurants, food courts and shopping plazas send the most grease into a lift station, even with grease traps in place. These stations often need cleaning every one to three months, and they benefit from coordinating wet well cleaning with grease trap cleaning on the same schedule.
Large condo towers, apartment buildings and HOA communities send a steady flow of wipes, paper and household grease. Quarterly is the typical schedule, with extra visits after holidays or high-occupancy seasons when flow spikes.
Light residential stations — a small group of single-family homes with no restaurants upstream — build up more slowly. Semi-annual cleaning with a check of the floats and pumps on each visit is often enough, as long as the station is outside a program that requires more frequent service.
Clean before June 1 for hurricane season
Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1. Heavy rain raises groundwater and pushes more water into sewer lines, and power outages can stop pumps for hours. A wet well that goes into a storm half full of grease and grit has less room to hold flow while the power is out, and floats that stick can keep pumps from starting when power returns.
Schedule a full cleaning in April or May so the station starts the season empty, with floats that move freely. After a major storm, have the well checked again — storms wash sand and debris into the system and can leave the well dirtier than it was before.
Miami-Dade private pump station expectations
Miami-Dade County regulates privately owned sewer systems and pump stations through its Private Sanitary Sewer Operating (PSO) Permit, which is renewed every year. Property owners with a private lift station in Miami-Dade typically need a service and maintenance agreement with a licensed contractor.
The county's published service agreement requirements call for pump stations to be monitored and inspected at least quarterly for preventive maintenance, including removing floating and settled solids from the wet well. The same document notes that pumping out a wet well is not a substitute for temporary pumps when a pump has failed. Requirements change, so confirm the current rules with the county or your permit before you set a schedule. Broward County and individual cities set their own rules, so check with your local utility if your station is outside Miami-Dade.
Whatever the rules, keep a dated record of every cleaning: the volume removed, what it was, and the condition of the pumps and floats. That record is what inspectors, boards and insurers ask for.
Signs your wet well needs cleaning sooner
Do not wait for the next scheduled visit if you notice any of these:
- Sewage odor around the station or the hatch.
- Pumps running longer or cycling on and off more often than usual.
- A high-water alarm that clears on its own and then comes back.
- Slow drains or gurgling in the buildings the station serves.
- A visible grease cap or floating debris when the hatch is opened.
When to call 24/7
A lift station alarm, sewage coming up at a cleanout or floor drain, or water rising over the station lid means the station has stopped moving wastewater. Call (954) 763-2520 right away, day or night. Tell us the property address, which station is affected and what the control panel shows. Until the truck arrives, keep people clear of any overflow, ask residents to stop flushing and running water, and leave the control cabinet and the hatch closed.
Call (954) 763-2520 — 24/7Put your wet well on a schedule
Express Drain & Sewer Cleaning pumps and cleans wet wells across Broward and Miami-Dade from our yard at 5801 Mayo St in Hollywood. See our wet well cleaning service for what each visit includes, or our lift station maintenance page for pump and float service and maintenance contracts. Call (954) 763-2520 and we will recommend a schedule after the first cleaning, based on what comes out of the well.