4 Essential Drain Field Maintenance Tips

Posted: May 02, 2013
Author: William Dustin Septic

When you have a septic system, you also have a drain field that helps with the septic system. But you have to do certain things to avoid problems with your drain field. Below are some tips you can use to keep the drain field working well for you.

1. Reduce solid waste- If you don't have a garbage disposal, don't put any food scraps into your kitchen sink. Instead, put them into the trash. The less solid waste in the system, the better your system is going to work.
2. Don't flush non-biodegradable items- Anything that isn't biodegradable should not be put into your toilet or down the drain, such as feminine products, oil, and grease. Things like this can cause problems with your drain field.
3. Keep your grass trimmed- Don't let the grass above your leach field get too high. When you keep your grass trimmed, the sun will be able to get into the ground, which means it will help with evaporating any kind of water that rises to the soil's surface.
4. Watch the chemicals- Avoid using any kind of harsh chemicals for repairing your drain field. Even though caustic soda can remove almost any kind of blockage, it's also going to kill the drain field’s bacteria. This means your home’s wastewater isn't going to be decontaminated properly before soaking into your ground.