Do you have wet spots over your septic system? Wait. Don’t panic. Fixing and preventing septic wet spots is just one of the basic things that you have to be familiar with when it comes to taking care of your septic system. It’s important to deal with wet spots and prevent it from appearing on your property. Septic wet spots are not just plain puddles of water. They have the disarming septic odor that would put off anyone that passes by your property.
These wet spots are evidences that wastewater cannot be accommodated in the drain field anymore. The untreated effluent just backs up and overflows onto your yard. Their appearance on your property may be a warning sign that your septic system is already failing.
Septic wet spots are also health hazards. The fluid is actually untreated wastewater and the fumes have toxic components. Pathogens thrive in wastewater and will readily affect your household. The contaminants will also reach the surrounding environment and pollute the nearby water systems like lakes, ponds, and streams. Septic wet spots should be looked at and remedied immediately.
There are many causes of septic wet spots. You may not know it but you could have already contributed to the following:
1. Accumulation of grease and fats in the drain field
2. Regular dumping of oils into the drains, sinks, and toilets
3. Increased water load because of water use
4. Inadequate septic system design and installation
5. Dense type of soil (clay)
6. High water table
7. Damaged lateral lines
8. Leaks in the pipes and tank
You can fix and prevent septic wet spots. This involves getting into the root of the problem. A thorough inspection should be performed by your septic expert. Once the problem is pinpointed, an exact solution will be performed. Ask your septic expert about the ideal drain field treatments that could help clean out and eliminate the blockages.
You can prevent septic wet spots if you should do your part. Try to cut down on your water use. If there is a heavy increase in water load, the sludge gets stirred up and this disperses into the drain field. The sludge that enters the drain field clogs it and this may lead to system failure if not corrected immediately. You should also see to it that you don’t dump oils, grease, and non-biodegradable materials into the system. These substances won’t be degraded by the resident bacteria and would only lead to heavy clogging, septic wet spots, and eventual system failure.
If you have a high water table your property would not suitable for a conventional septic system. The septic system would most probably be flooded and the ground water would be instantly contaminated. There should be immediate adjustments made for such a dilemma.
If you know that the drain field components may already be affected by the vehicles and the structures over the area, immediately have your septic expert inspect the components of the drain field. If there are wet spots already, then it is most likely that there would be pipes that are already damaged because of soil compaction. Remove any vehicles and structures over the drain field because their heavy weight causes soil compaction. Invasive tree roots can also contribute to septic wet spots in your property. These roots go deep into the drain field and penetrate the lateral lines. As a result, the wastewater just backs up or overflows onto the yard. The roots should be removed manually.
You could ask your septic expert for any septic system treatments that could help minimize the clogging in the drain field area. Of course regular pump outs of your septic tank should still be performed. Septic wet spots can be fixed but preventing them from popping up on your yard would be much better. You should do your part in making this possible. In the end, fixing and preventing septic wet spots can be accomplished.