Septic Care Recommendations For A Successful Sewage Situation
Your septic tank and drain field may be out of sight in the yard, but they are working hard all the time just below the surface of your soil. Along with pumping your tank every few years and being careful about what you put into your tank, there are some extra steps you should take in the care of your septic system. Here are some recommendations for you to follow as you keep up on your septic system to ensure it lasts and works well for many years.
Install Septic-Friendly Landscaping
When it comes time to plant vegetation on the soil above your septic drain field, it may be tempting to leave the soil empty of any vegetation in trying to prevent damage to your system. However, leaving the soil empty can actually promote soil erosion, which is more detrimental. It is better to grow weeds on the site than no vegetation at all.
Look for plants that have non-woody roots that grow shallowly, such as grass, perennial flowers, bulbs, and plants that do not grow a thick canopy that will shade the soil. You want the soil to receive some sunlight to help promote evaporation of the moisture from the drain field lines. This feature, along with the moisture-absorbing qualities of your vegetation, will help disperse the wastewater from the drain fields.
Manage Your Tank Lid Site
In addition to the plants you grow over your drain field site, you need to take care of the area above your septic tank itself. The tank is usually buried near your home and can be covered with soil and some low-growing types of vegetation. Just as around your drain field, you don't want to plant any trees that may have roots grow into and around the tank, which can cause damage to the tank.
On the ground site of your tank, it is important to have access to the tank lids, which may be along ground level. For a septic tank with an aboveground lid, be sure to keep the lid closed and latched so no one accidentally falls into the tank. You should also make sure not to cover the soil above the tank with any gravel or plan to park vehicles on its site.
Some tanks are installed with the lids buried under several inches of soil. If your tank is buried below the soil, it allows you to landscape over the access hatch, but you will need to be able to excavate down to the lid for maintenance every few years. For this reason, be sure you can locate the lids again, either with the use of a GPS location, an item you can locate via a metal detector, or an aboveground marker. If you want to raise your below-soil septic tank lid to ground level, talk to your septic professional about adding risers to adjust the height so you no longer have to excavate.
To learn more, contact a resource like LP Murray.