Walking outside to see a pool of standing water around your home’s septic drain field is an unpleasant surprise. A flooded drain field can happen for many reasons, and it’s a sign that you need a prompt septic system inspection and repair. Here are some of the most common reasons for flooded drain fields in the Pacific Northwest.
Heavy Rain
The Seattle area is no stranger to heavy rain. The outlying areas can also have a lot of snow melt. Some of this extra precipitation may be absorbed by the soil. However, clay soil and fully saturated soil may not be able to keep up. As a result, the effluent from the septic system has nowhere to go. This causes a flood around the drain field.
Household Plumbing Leak
Septic systems can handle a regular amount of household water usage, such as running your dishwasher once each day, taking a few showers, running a load or two of laundry, and flushing the toilets. However, a plumbing leak could send a lot more water into your septic system daily. It might not be able to keep up with a leak. Even a small leak, such as a running toilet or drippy faucet, could cause the drain field to flood. Prompt repairs of plumbing leaks could prevent this.
Lack of Septic System Maintenance
Septic systems need to be pumped about every three to five years. If your household is bigger than average or you discharge a lot of grease or oils in your wastewater, you may need more frequent septic system maintenance. A lack of maintenance could result in a clogged outlet pipe, broken baffle, or tank that’s overfilled. Routine septic maintenance also extends the lifespan of your septic system.
Our qualified plumbers at [company_name] can efficiently determine the cause of why your septic system’s drain field has flooded. We also offer septic system maintenance, repairs, and installations. You can count on us to provide you with drain cleaning, pipe repair, water heaters, and commercial plumbing services, too. Call us at our Puyallup, WA, office today.
