Preventing Plumbing Problems

4 Things To Do If Your Drain Field Floods

12 February 2021 by Calvin Simmmons

Your drain field is where the wastewater from your septic tank flows and goes through the final filtration process before the wastewater goes back into the groundwater. If your drain field gets flooded, it is essential to understand how to prevent your drain field from flooding and what to do if it happens.

1. Stop Using Water in Your Home

If you find that your septic tank drain field is flooding, it is essential to do what you can to stop more water from flowing into your septic tank and thus into the drain field. Until the water subsides and recedes into the ground, you will want to stop using water in your home. As water is important for safely living in a home, you should stay in a hotel, or you should stay with friends so that you have access to water without causing additional damage to your drain field.

2. Don't Disturb the Field

Second, you shouldn't disturb the drain field when it is flooding. Don't start trying to dig up your drain field to fix the flooding. Don't pour more dirt on top of the drain field to stop the flooding.

Adding more dirt and compacting it on top of the soil is not going to stop the flood. Adding more dirt will make it more difficult for the drain field to absorb all the excess water back into the ground. You are going to want to allow the water to absorb into the soil naturally. While you can work to direct exterior water differently, you shouldn't mess with the drain field itself.

3. Fix Erosion Damage

You will want to wait for the water to recede with a flooded drain field before you try to repair things fully. Once all the water has subsided, you will want to go and check the drain field. You'll need to keep an eye out for erosion damage. For example, an area where the soil is compressed, or an area where the grass has worn away, are two types of erosion damage you should keep an eye out for. Fixing any damage from the erosion due to the excess water will ultimately help your drainage field.

4. Get the Tank Inspected

Finally, after your drain field is flooded, it is important to get your septic tank inspected. Flooding of your drain field can lead to water infiltration in your septic tank. When groundwater or rainwater gets into your septic system, it can lead to your drain field's hydraulic overloading. You are going to want to make sure your septic tank is working correctly and wasn't damaged in the process.

If your septic tank drain field is flooding, it is important to stop using water in your home and direct rainwater away from the drain field. Allow the water to recede naturally without intervening. After the water recedes, get a septic tank service professional to inspect your drain field for erosion and get your septic tank inspected to ensure that no permeant damage occurred. Contact a septic tank service for more information.

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