There are a lot of rules when it comes to septic systems. There are things that you can flush and things you can’t. There are even rules about what your laundry schedule should look like! If you have rules about your septic system, you’re not alone. However, there are some rules about your drain field that you should be following as diligently as the “no bleach” rule, and here are three of them.
- Nothing heavy on the drain field. When people think they are conserving water by washing their car on their lawn, they might actually be causing damage to their drain field, costing themselves lots of money instead! Drain fields are made of somewhat shallowly-placed and fairly fragile pipes. They can be easily crushed by something like a car, truck, SUV, etc. being driven across the drain field. Structures like sheds should also never be placed on your drain field.
- Nothing planted in or around the drain field. It’s not just things on the surface that can cause damage to your drain field, but things lurking underneath the ground as well! The only thing that should be planted on top of your drain field is grass. Things like shrubs, flowering plants, trees or other things with root systems can grow underneath and entwine themselves in your drain field piping. The drain field can be crushed, broken, or obstructed.
- Practice regular drain field maintenance. Having your drain field regularly checked by a septic system professional can help ensure that these or other issues are taken care of before serious problems occur.
At Lee Kirk & Sons Septic, we want to help you with your septic system needs, including your drain field maintenance. Please give us a call for more information today!