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wet leech field
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Posted by olddawg (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 11:47
Last summer was really wet up here in Southern NH.
Many of us had wet yards and soaked leech fields (showing water).
My septic guy told me that I was one of the better conditions he had seen and it would dry out.
A couple of weeks of sun and the yard finally dried up.
Problem was, it didn't take much rain to get me right back to the wet yard.
It just doesn't seem to be soaking up the rain as it used to.
I plan on adding more soil to the area (slopes downward anyway) in hopes that this will help.
I'm curious of any thoughts or experiences anyone has had like this.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: wet leech field
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| If you've lived in the house for a long time and this is a new developement, it's because it's been rainy. Otherwise, the system could be failing, too much water being used for the size of the field, drain field or distribution box filled with fatty wastes from the sink, or the septic tank was left unpumped for too many years and solids filled the field. Or not enough dirt on top, but you can't put too much or there won't be evaporation either. |
RE: wet leech field
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I've lived here 6 years now & the folks before me had a house full. Probably too much for the system..
I noticed they really didn't know much about maintenance, anywhere, and have been fixing little problems. The tank is now pumped on a regular basis and my guy says each time, it could have gone longer. I started a gypsum treatment to the area as it is supposed to increase drainage in the soil and not effect the septic.
Any thoughts? I'm suspecting the system was over used for it's design and was hoping it could catch up to just 2 of us now using it.
I did set-up a gray water well and am working through an irrigation system for the plantings (another subject for later), so for the last 2 years I've reduced the amount of water running into the field. I have a bad feeling you may be right about the system failing.
With the abuse I see everywhere else, it probably happened here as well.. Anything I may be able to add too the water to help rid or clear the system for whatever may be blocking it?? |
RE: wet leech field
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| Our state college had this recommendation one time: Go on vacation for 6 months. This allows the field to dry out, open new cracks in the ground, and restores the system. It's cheaper than a new system. Can you believe that? It's true. I've never heard of any gypsum treatment. Sounds like snake oil, but who knows. If the soil that is supposed to percolate is soaked with slime or fat, you may never get the system to work. If you can live with it, and you have no legal recourse with the previous owner, I'd keep quiet about it and carefully mow around it. Some people plant reed grass above it. It will soak up all the water. A local sewer plant does the same thing. |
RE: wet leech field
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Heard something close to that about relieving tension.
Had to do with a case of rum, a 23 year old and a trip to Jamaica. The gypsum has been recommended by a couple of landscapers I know. It's supposed to coat compacted material (in my area clay) and allow it to drain.
My hope is it will do the same with whatever is causing the slow absorption. Until I learn different, I plan on continuing with the gypsum treatment and cover it with more soil.
I'm not having back-up problems.. yet.. and I may just be getting ahead of myself here.
It was a very wet season last year (worst veggie garden to date) and this year may prove different. Thank you for your input!
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