Homeowners like you face so many different kinds of problems in maintaining your entire property. Issues within the house and outside of it occur, usually at unexpected times. An example is your septic system. You may be enjoying your property one moment and the next thing you know, the septic system has gone chaotic. The most common issue about the septic system is the invasion of roots. Hardwood plants include trees and these organisms can grow very big. The bigger the tree grows, the deeper and more persistent its root system is. They need to access a consistent and stable source of water and nutrients so that they could thrive in your yard. Because they are immobile, they try their best to get what they need from the closest resource they can get to—your septic system. As you know, the septic system is your property’s personal wastewater treatment system. It can easily be upset by increased water load, damage, and extreme clogging. Invasive roots can damage or clog your septic system. Roots penetrate the soil deeper as they grow. This makes them more efficient in getting what they need to survive. The deeper the roots go and the wider they spread, the septic system is greatly affected. Some people would like to know how to keep roots away from septic systems.
The lateral lines in the leach field have perforated pipes that distribute the pre-treated wastewater evenly to be purified. The perforations present a vulnerable access point for the roots to enter the septic system. The roots grow into these pipes until they find a stable and abundant source of nutrients and water. Here, they form a mesh that clogs the pipelines. As a result, the wastewater cannot move forward anymore. The wastewater backs up into your home and overflows onto your lawn. This is a huge problem to deal with. Usually, septic experts have to either manually remove the roots or use chemicals to kill the roots invading the system.
You should talk to your arborist or septic exert about how to keep roots away from septic systems. This way, you will be able to understand how advantageous it can be not to have roots blocking the wastewater treatment system. If you already have invasive roots in your septic, here is something that your septic expert can do.
Manually removing the roots from the drain pipes that lead to the septic tank. A plumber’s snake will be used for this task. This is a tool that is flexible and long. It can easily break roots into small segments. It will then go through the pipe, clearing away every small piece that it encounters.
Flushing two pounds of copper sulfate (granualar) down your toilet. This will be poured into every 300 gallons of water that your septic tank can hold. The copper sulfate will dissolve the roots when they absorb the septic tank’s nutritious fluids. Most of the copper sulfate settles at the bottom of the tank. Some of the copper sulfate here will be passed into the drain field to continue the treatment.
Pumping out the water from the septic tank with the help of your septic expert. Once the tank id emptied out the tank, the plumber’s snake will then be used to remove the tree roots in the tank and the leach field lines. Proper ventilation suits should be worn when entering the septic. There are toxic fumes in there that could easily case death.
Removing the large trees that are growing within thirty feet of your septic system. With the help of your arborist, trees should be planted 50 or 100 feet away from the septic system.
If you’re helping your septic expert get rid of the tree roots, always read the label of the chemicals you are using. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Keeping roots away from the septic system is a never-ending battle. It would be wise to be in contact with your arborist or septic expert to make sure that everything is done right.