A drain field, sometimes referred to as a leach field, is a portion of a septic sewer system. The drain field is made up of perforated pipe through a field of pea rock or stone. This allows the waste water to drain away. According to the website of El Dorado County, California, drain fields occasionally fail for a variety of reasons. Repairs are sometimes possible although replacement of the drain field is sometimes inevitable. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Repair a Drain Field
1. Determine the cause of the drain field failure. Some of the possible causes for a drain field failure include blockage of the pipes by roots or solid sewage materials, flooding of the drain field by high water and infiltration or clogging of the pipe perforations by fine soil.
Problems with the drain field are usually noted when sewage will not drain from the house or wastewater ponds on the surface over the drain field. Problems with tree roots can be assumed if trees or shrubs are growing in the drain field. Groundwater flooding is usually obvious while other causes will often have to be inferred from the circumstances leading to the drain field problem.
For example, if water won't drain from sinks, tubs or toilets within the house shortly after a heavy rain groundwater infiltration may be the problem. If tree roots and ground water have been eliminated as possibilities the problem is likely blockage due to soil infiltration or solid sewage in the drain field.
2. Make repairs as needed. If the problem was caused by the drain field being plugged with roots a root removal service may be able to solve the problem.
Other problems require more drastic repairs.
If the perforated pipe of the drain field is plugged by solid sewage materials the only answer may be to replace the drain field. Similar future problems can be prevented by pumping the solids from the septic tank periodically.
Flooded drain fields can occur for any number of reasons. If the flood occurred due to rare weather phenomenon the solution may be to just wait for things to dry out and hope it doesn't occur again. If the problem is ongoing and unavoidable the drain field may have to be rebuilt in another location. The new drain field should be constructed above the high water areas.
If the drain field becomes plugged with soil there are few options other than building a new drain field. Little can be done to prevent this from occurring again. Soils infiltrating into the rock field is a part of the aging process of the drain field. However, vehicle traffic over the drain field does increase the likelihood of soil infiltration.
3. Maintain the new or repaired drain field. Keep sewage solids from the drain field by pumping the septic tank periodically. Limit surface ground water in the area of the drain field by providing drainage and limiting irrigation in the area. Limit traffic, including farm equipment, from the area of the drain field and keep the area clear of any large shrubs or trees.
Tags: drain field, drain field, solid sewage, area drain, area drain field, drain field, drain field failure
