Help with a saturated raised mound

It’s true that every day is a challenge. You get up in the morning, anticipating a day of hard work. But it’s not only work that you have to think about when you have a home and a family. Each day you leave your house, you think of your family’s safety. Over and over, you recall if you or your wife set the security system before you left. Usually the last thing on some ones mind is whether your raised mound system is all right by the time you get home. Most people don’t think of that as a problem to contend with. Unfortunately your septic system is having some serious issues. You noticed that when you got home that there is a wet spot on your raised mound, so you got on the phone with your local septic expert. Nervous and not knowing what to do you asked for help with a saturated raised mound.

When homeowners buy residential properties, they usually overlook the type of septic system that they will be having. For those who have purchased a home on soil that has very slow filtration rate, the expected conventional septic system is not the suitable one to treat your wastewater. Instead, an unconventional one is installed—the raised mound. The raised mound system is literally above the ground so that the filtration rate will be helped by the system itself. Inside the raised mound is a tank that collects and pre-treats the wastewater. It also has several filters and pumps that help improve the flow or passage of wastewater.

Because the raised mound is known to many homeowners as an extra-special or complicated system they often worry so much when they discover that they suddenly need help with a saturated raised mound.  Admittedly, the raised mound is a sensitive system apparently because it’s exposed to the elements. It’s literally above the ground to improve the filtration of the wastewater. But due to neglect, saturation can indeed happen to it. A saturated raised mound may be caused by some of the following:

  • Invasive, complex root systems of trees and higher plants have already penetrated through the raised mound. These root systems never stop until they find an abundant and steady source of minerals and water. These growths should be removed from above or near the raised mound system.
  • The rain gutter is directed to flow over the raised mound. This should be corrected. Have the gutter redirected away from the raised mound. If not, heavy rains will add more and more water and sediments into the raised mound, saturating it. If the raised  mound has too much water in it, the resident bacteria will be delayed in breaking down the solid waste materials. The high water load will also push the solid waste particles  into the soil absorption area. If the soil absorption area of the raised mound is clogged, then the wastewater treatment system will be put to a screeching stop.
  • Wrong additives are used in treating the raised mound. Homeowners are usually charmed by manufacturers who make chemical and enzyme based additives. The typical homeowner often uses the chemicals and enzymes because they believe that these substances can truly eliminate the solid wastes. Actually, chemicals and enzymes destroy the resident bacteria that perform the digestion of solid wastes. They also do damage to the physical parts of the raised mound.
  • Pump outs aren’t given to the raised mound tank on a regular basis. This practice should not be omitted from the maintenance routine of your raised mound. The solid waste particles should be sucked out to prevent the raised mound tank from being full of it. Pump outs kind of reset the sand mound tank so that it may be able to function more efficiently each time.

Whenever you need help with a saturated raised mound, the best person to turn to is your septic expert. He should be able to conduct a thorough inspection of the system to pinpoint the real cause of the saturation. Then talk to him about the use of bacteria based additives for maintaining your raised mound system. Surely, with regular treatment with bacteria, your raised mound will never experience saturation again. What’s more, you will never have to worry about your unconventional septic system ever again.