A crucial part of your septic system is the drain field. This field is made up of several layers that are designed to treat the wastewater that flows into the field out of the septic tank. The water is then released into the groundwater supply.
The septic tank hangs onto the wastewater for approximately 24 hours before it releases it into the drain field. This ensures the field never gets saturated. If the field does get saturated, it will be unable to treat the wastewater properly.
Slow Drains
One sign that the drain field is malfunctioning is slow drains in your house. This is a sign that the field has not processed the water and, as a consequence, the water has made its way back into the septic tank. This will cause the tank to be full and slow down your drains. Once the drain field and tank are completely full, your drains may stop draining altogether.
Standing Water
One layer that makes up the drain field is a series of pipes that slowly drain the water into a layer of gravel. If these pipes crack open or break, you may end up with standing water above the drain field. In addition, the tank may also be too full of water and you will have standing water above the tank.
Lush Growth
If the drain field is hanging onto the water rather than releasing it through its layers to treat it, you will have lush plant growth above the field. If you have lush plant growth above the septic tank, it’s possible that the tank is overflowing. Either way, the plants thrive in the wet and fertilized environment.
Strong Odors
Finally, you may end up with strong odors above the drain field if water has pooled in the field and not sunk through the various layers of the field. The water may smell like sewage water. This is a bad sign that the field is clogged and no longer functioning.
As an aside, you can also end up with strong sewage odors above the septic tank if the tank is too full. In severe cases, the sewage odors may come up through the drains in your house. This is definitely a sign that your septic system is not functioning as it should be.
To avoid problems with your septic system, we recommend that you have the system inspected annually. We would be happy to do this, so call us today to schedule an appointment.
