Trees, Jacuzzis & Cars… Some of the Things That Can Lead to Drain Field Repair

Trucks, cars and other heavy equipment should not be parked on or driven over a drain field. Doing so can cause the tank to collapse and the drain field to cave in, rendering it useless and resulting in the need for drain field repair or replacement.

Any water-loving plants or trees should be removed if they are within 50 ft. of the drain field lines. Plants like these can permeate the distribution lines, trenches and boxes, leading to clogs and failure of the septic system.

We recommend that homes with indoor Jacuzzis, jetted bath tubs or hot tubs have a dedicated septic tank or a separate drain field for the disposal of this water. When there’s a sudden release of many gallons of water into the main tank, this causes sediment to be suspended inside which subsequently flows into the field, potentially causing premature failure or costly drain field repair.

Similarly, many homeowners have an entirely different system for their washing machines because they discharge large amounts of water at one time. The system then has to deal with this high capacity, and often it is unable to cope.

If you must use a garbage disposal, we suggest that you have your kitchen plumbing linked to a separate outlet, and that you have a 1,250 or 1,500 gal septic tank/grease trap installed to handle kitchen wastewater only. Liquid from this tank can flow to a separate drain field or the main one. Taking precautions like this can help prevent the need for drain field repair.

At Southeastern Septic LLC, we offer a full range of residential and commercial septic services in the Lakeland area of Florida, including green swamp and real estate inspections. Please contact us for more information.