Septic seepage

[lawnspecialties]

My yard just barely slopes toward the back. Well, we're starting to get seepage from the very back where our septic "leach" lines end up. I had the tank pumped out last fall but it's back. Any suggestions without breaking the bank? I'm thinking of building up the area to keep any rainwater from ending up there. Maybe the extra dirt will help soak up the little bit of extra "stinky" water.

[Dirty Water]

You need to call in a specialist. You could have a failed leechfield. (Big $$$$).

[lawnspecialties]

You're killing me!

[Dirty Water]

Have a Drain and Septic guy come out and take a look. A leechfield should never be showing surface water.

[lawnspecialties]

First you stick the knife in. Then you start turning it.

Truth hurts:(

[K&M Lawn Care]

Could also be a water leak inside the house. Even something small like a dripping faucet adds a lot of gallons of water over time that the septic system has to try to get rid of.

[sheshovel]

No the others are correct..his leach field has failed andd it is not something you can just smooth over or cover and forget about..unless you want a real mess on your hands by doing it that way.

[old dog 80]

Couple of questions
Have you added new stresses on system such as just got married to woman with 3 children and they moved in late last summer?
Have you had huge quantities of rain in this period?
Did someone go 4 wheeling thru the leachfield and crush lines?
Is it so old (like Orangeburg pipe) that they are collapsing or clogging?
Hope it helps cause septic problems seem to strike as much fear in a homeowners heart as "EARTHQUAKE" !

[lawnspecialties]

Couple of questions
Have you added new stresses on system such as just got married to woman with 3 children and they moved in late last summer?
Have you had huge quantities of rain in this period?
Did someone go 4 wheeling thru the leachfield and crush lines?
Is it so old (like Orangeburg pipe) that they are collapsing or clogging?
Hope it helps cause septic problems seem to strike as much fear in a homeowners heart as "EARTHQUAKE" !

We've always used a pretty good amount of water for a family of four. The problem seems to be slow but consistent. Like I said, the yard slightly slopes to the back. This is where the leechfield is. Heavy rains will cause water to collect which obviously just aggravates the problem.

How deep are leechfields usually? Is there anything I can do to help it? Can I have it extended to give it more room to clear out? Tons of questions as I learn about this new endeavour.

[sheshovel]

There is some granular stuff you can pour in your toilet and then after flushing it down you don't flush again for like 12 hours..it will help break down any clogs and the debri in your septic..Forget what it's called but they sell it at any hardware store.Also make sure the females in your family are not flushing any feminine protection articles down the toilet at all..septic systems cannot break down those items.

[PurpHaze]

Also make sure the females in your family are not flushing any feminine protection articles down the toilet at all..septic systems cannot break down those items.

Damn "sewer rats" can cause a LOT of problems. :laugh:

[sheshovel]

I though I put that very well and with class don't you?
Very proud of myself!

[lawnspecialties]

I though I put that very well and with class don't you?
Very proud of myself!

Yeh, and then purp jumped in and blew it for everybody:hammerhead:

[crzymow]

No easy solution to this problem. you need a new leach bed put in. Usually not a cheap date either, if it was me id do it myself on the sly, but i live in the country nobody very close so it would be easy to do.

[gammon landscaping]

i do alot of septc work take some pics and i can help you. the stuff about leaking toilts is absolutly correct. if it is at the back of your property you might be in trouble. there is no way to fix a leech bed just add more. if you put dirt on top of it, it will just become a muddy mess. dirt has some odd propertys. if you dig a ditch in natural soil, fill it with rock, it will hold that water in the ditch and let it slowly leech in to the ground. but if you do that in fill dirt it will run down to the natural soil and follow the natural soil till it comes to the top of the ground. and it will be a muddy mess.

[mowtime]

Give david brantley a call, I believe he is in your area, Between pearces and 98 highway, He specializes in only this and probably did the installation for your house also. good luck

[PurpHaze]

I though I put that very well and with class don't you?
Very proud of myself!

You did a fine job of beating around the bush. :laugh:

Yeh, and then purp jumped in and blew it for everybody

My pleasure. :dancing:

[TURFLORD]

My yard just barely slopes toward the back. Well, we're starting to get seepage from the very back where our septic "leach" lines end up. I had the tank pumped out last fall but it's back. Any suggestions without breaking the bank? I'm thinking of building up the area to keep any rainwater from ending up there. Maybe the extra dirt will help soak up the little bit of extra "stinky" water.
Make each load of laundry count. Take showers, not bathes. You probably didn't have the tank pumped on a regular basis, every 2 years, and the solids overflowed to the leach field and clogged the laterals. How much land do you have? Can you divert rain water away from the area? If you have land, there are things you can do to mask the problem and push off spending to have it fixed. Eventually your gonna have to fork out the money.

[old dog 80]

We've always used a pretty good amount of water for a family of four. The problem seems to be slow but consistent. Like I said, the yard slightly slopes to the back. This is where the leechfield is. Heavy rains will cause water to collect which obviously just aggravates the problem.

How deep are leechfields usually? Is there anything I can do to help it? Can I have it extended to give it more room to clear out? Tons of questions as I learn about this new endeavour.
I think the simplest thing would be to put some type of drainage to get the surface water out of the equation.That will also be cheapest.Depends on the contractor who installed and how old the system is as to how deep the leachfield lines are.I would strongly suggest that you take care of rain/surface water firstand talk to a
knowledgable excavator in your area since soil conditions vary WIDELY .
Hope this helps!

[lawnspecialties]

TurfLord and Old Dog. I think that's the route I'm taking right now. Wife has commited to no more than two loads of laundry per day. Kids now will take only showers.

A friend of mine who is a builder said the same thing about the rainwater. He even suggested gutters for the house to run the rain away. I do think I will continue to slightly build up the ground level so it's not the lowest spot in the yard as well.

Thanks to everybody for their help. Wish me luck, I'm going in.:gunsfirin