Septic System Installation
New septic systems and full replacements, conventional and sand mound, installed to the approved design from the soil test pits to the final grading.
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Barryville sits on the Delaware River in the Town of Highland. There is no public sewer here, so nearly every property runs on its own septic system. A 2026 county study counted about 110 built lots in the hamlet, on about half a square mile. Older systems were built to earlier standards, and small river lots leave little room for today's separation distances.
Sawkill Environmental is based in Milford, Pennsylvania, and we cross the river to work here. Septic is our main line, from new septic system installation to fixing a failing system. We also handle excavation, drainage, land clearing and grading on Barryville lots. Call or text (973) 552-8580 for a free estimate.
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The Town of Highland provides no public water and no public sewer. Sullivan County's 2026 water and sewer assessment says so plainly. Barryville itself has around 110 built lots and 55 empty ones, on about half a square mile. Every one of those built lots treats its own wastewater on site.
A new system starts with the soil, not the tank. Test pits get dug so a design professional can read the soil and find bedrock and the water table. The approved design sets the tank size, the distribution box and the shape of the absorption area. We dig the pits, set the tank, build the field to that design and finish the grading.
Shallow soil over rock or a high water table changes the design. The plan may then call for a raised or mound system built above the natural ground. The design and the permit come from the design professional and the health department. We build what that approved plan shows.
The National Park Service describes this corridor as red and gray sandstone, siltstone and shale. Glaciers left the soil on top of it as till and outwash. Hills here run from about 800 to 2,000 feet above a deep, narrow river valley. In Lumberland the land climbs from about 600 feet at the river to over 1,300 feet.
That mix shows up in every dig. Till soils carry stone, and sandstone ledge sits close to the surface above the river. Breaking and hauling that rock is ordinary here, and it comes with rock ledge and trench work.
Water is the other half of the problem. Lumberland officials have reported road washouts and culvert replacements as an ongoing issue. Steep ground sheds snowmelt and storm runoff fast, and it lands on the lots below. Stormwater drainage repairs and new drain lines often go in alongside a septic job.
Milford sits about 15 miles down the Delaware from Barryville. We cross the river to get here. US Route 6 runs west to Shohola, and Route 434 crosses the bridge into Barryville. The other way in is Route 97 north out of Port Jervis, through the Hawk's Nest and Pond Eddy.
Route 97 is the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, and part of it follows the old Delaware and Hudson Canal. Barryville still has canal locks 68, 69 and 70. Just up the road at Minisink Ford, the Roebling aqueduct crosses to Lackawaxen in Pike County. It is the oldest wire suspension bridge left in the United States.
Our work runs the length of that corridor. Eldred, Yulan and Highland Lake sit inland from Barryville in the same town. Glen Spey, Pond Eddy and the rest of Lumberland lie downriver toward Deerpark. Narrowsburg is up the other way, past Minisink Ford.
Sullivan County's assessment names the same trouble spots. Systems on long settled lots were built to earlier standards. Small waterfront lots leave little room to meet current separation distances. On tight river and lake lots, a septic field also sits close to the water.
The lake settlements show it clearly. Highland Lake, Washington Lake, Bodine Lake, Montgomery Lake and Lake DeVenoge all have small lots right on the water. Next door in Lumberland, county records put about 51 percent of parcels on a private septic system. When one of those fails, the fix often starts at the drainfield rather than the whole system.
Building activity has picked up along the river. The town is reviewing a large campground and water park redevelopment. It has also started asking whether Barryville needs public water and sewer. On raw ground we clear the trees and stumps, break out rock and set the septic area.
Communities and areas we serve around Barryville: Minisink Ford, Eldred, Yulan, Highland Lake, Glen Spey, Pond Eddy, Narrowsburg, Washington Lake, Bodine Lake, Lake DeVenoge, Roebling Bridge, Upper Delaware Scenic Byway.
Barryville ZIP codes served: 12719, 12732, 12792, 12743, 12737, 12770, 12764.
Free estimates throughout Sullivan County and the surrounding area.
(973) 552-8580 New septic systems and full replacements, conventional and sand mound, installed to the approved design from the soil test pits to the final grading.
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Backups, wet ground over the drainfield and sewage odors mean a part of the system has failed. We dig it up, find the cause and repair or replace what quit working.
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We handle general excavation for homes and commercial sites around Milford: foundation and basement digs, footings, trenches and rock ledge. We run our own excavators and equipment, so the dig, the backfill and the compaction stay with one company.
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We install French drains, curtain drains, catch basins and culverts, and regrade wet ground. Exterior stormwater drainage for homes and commercial properties around Milford.
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We clear wooded lots and acreage for homesites, septic areas, roads and building pads. Trees, brush, stumps and ledge come out with excavators and leave the site.
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Site prep and grading for new homes, barns and commercial buildings around Milford. We build pads, cut and fill, place stone base and put in private roads and access lanes.
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We build block and boulder retaining walls that hold slopes, cuts and fills on hillside lots. Proper base, drainage stone and pipe behind the wall, then backfill and compaction.
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We repair and replace sewer laterals by open trench, from the building wall out to the sewer main. Broken, collapsed, root damaged and bellied lines come out, and new pipe goes in on a graded bed.
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We dig out contaminated soil after heating oil releases and spills. The material goes off to a permitted facility, then clean fill puts the site back.
Learn MoreReal reviews from real septic and excavation jobs on Google.
Great Service and workmanship I would use nobody else to service my grease and septic tanks
Top Notch & Very professional,showed up when was suppose to & it came out better then I could ever imagine… calling them anytime I need there services done
Returned phone calls immediately. Showed up when they said they would… very nice to deal with .. Excellent work
A few of the questions we hear most around Barryville. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Tell us about the property and what you need done, and we will come back with a free estimate. You can also call or text (973) 552-8580.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.