This summer has been one of the rainiest, wettest seasons on record in our area, and the storms are not over just yet. As many of us have learned through recent experience, it’s a good idea to keep your sump pump maintained and keep valuable objects off the floor of your basement. And if you have a septic system controlling the wastewater that flows from your house, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your drain field and your plumbing to make sure everything is continuing to function as it should.
Excess water that accumulates in the area around your septic tank can keep wastewater from flowing out into the soil. A waterlogged tank and distribution system can cause contents to collect and sit stagnant when they should be trickling out and mingling with the healthy neutralizing bacteria in the surrounding soil and sand. You can’t control the rain or the flooding potential of nearby waterways, but you can control the direction of the runoff from your gutters and downspouts. If your drain field is boggy, don’t compound the problem with misdirected runoff, and try to limit water use in the house to avoid overloading the system further. A boggy drain field is no reason to panic during extremely wet weather, but watch your yard to make sure your swamp is receding along with the rest of the storm water. Consistent bogginess means septic problems. Odor is also a bad sign. If you smell anything strange in the yard or your house, or if your yard remains a swamp when everything else dries out, call Mr. Rooter for a check-up. We’ll make sure your system is draining at a healthy rate.