Got Septic Water Coming Out Of The Ground?

Seeing septic water pooling in your yard can be an alarming sight. Whether it's creating a foul stench or threatening your landscaping, a septic system malfunction requires quick action to resolve. By understanding the common causes, signs, and solutions, you can tackle this wastewater dilemma head-on.

When septic water surfaces, it often indicates an underlying issue with your septic infrastructure that enables effluent to escape. Pinpointing the trigger will steer you towards the appropriate repairs. So let's explore why you may be seeing septic water outside and the best practices to stop the outflow.

Reasons For Septic Water Coming To The Surface

Several factors can prompt septic wastewater to come out of the ground:

Failed Or Damaged Septic Tank

A compromised septic tank with cracks or holes can allow water migration. As liquid volumes rise inside the container, the excess can seep out into surrounding soil. Burst inlet or outlet pipes leading to and from the system can also channel water outside. Even subtle shifts causing broken seals or detached covers might create enough of a gap for overflow.

Clogged Drains And Saturated Drain Field

When drains connected to your septic network get obstructed by solids, grease, or tree roots, it slows movement through the pipes. This bottlenecks the system and prevents efficient drainage into the leach field. If wastewater can't efficiently channel out from the tank, volumes rapidly accumulate.

Excess liquid can saturate the soil absorption area, eliminating its filtering capacity. Water then puddles atop the earth instead of filtering down. Poor permeability due to thick vegetation or compacted clay soil can also limit drainage.

Excess Water Flooding The System

Overburdening your septic infrastructure with too much wastewater at once can readily cause backups and overflows. Every system has a fixed handling capacity before volumes overwhelm pipes and containers. Activities like running multiple laundry loads, having house guests, or heavy appliance usage can readily max out that threshold.

Sudden flooding from seasonal rainstorms, tropical storms, or snow melts may also oversaturate your drainage area. When the earth gets waterlogged, it can't handle additional septic input. That wastewater has to flow somewhere, so it spills overland instead.

Tree Roots Blocking Pipes

Trees and shrubs planted too close to system components can cause major headaches. As root structures expand seeking nutrients, they invade pipes and joints. The growth eventually blocks passages that wastewater needs to travel through to reach the drain field. Congestion pressurizes the system and forces water to the surface.

Cracks And Leaks In Sewer Lines

Like any other pipe infrastructure, sewer lines are vulnerable to damage over time. Freezing winters, ground shifts, trembling from heavy traffic, and corrosion slowly degrade connections. Cracks form allowing wastewater to exfiltrate before reaching treatment zones. Even small leaks spread over decades can lead to major raw sewage spills.

Signs Of A Septic System Failure

Catching septic issues early is crucial to avoid catastrophic failures. Monitor your system and surroundings for these telling signs of trouble:

Wet, Spongy Ground Or Standing Water

Saturated earth that holds water on the surface points to drainage problems. The leach field can no longer accept and filter more liquid with waterlogged soil. Drainage pipes may also be leaking before wastewater reaches intended filtration zones. Areas downstream of your system may remain wet if pipes have cracked.

Sewage Odors

Whiffs of rotten eggs or other unpleasant smells warn that your system is backing up. Gases like hydrogen sulfide and methane should vent away safely. But blockages force sewer gases towards the house. Clogs also enable solids to turn septic and stinky within the tank. Contact a septic professional promptly if foul odors persist.

Toilets, Sinks Draining Slowly

Poor drainage inside alongside outdoor pooling suggests your whole septic system has hit capacity. Clogs are likely preventing wastewater from leaving via outlet pipes. Deteriorating pipes may have collapsed inward, narrowing outflow channels. Tree roots often cause similar sluggish drain symptoms if they've invaded connections.

Bright Green Grass Over The Drain Field

Lush plant growth fueled by nutrients in wastewater can reveal problems. When soil can't absorb more liquid, it flows horizontally atop the drain field instead. Effluent rushing this direction nourishes vegetation first. Green patches contrasting your landscape betray this redirected flow.

Steps To Take When Septic Water Appears

Seeing septic water outside calls for quick action to protect health, property, and environmental safety. Here are vital responses as soon as wastewater surfaces on your grounds:

Reduce Water Use To Allow Drain Field To Dry

Every gallon you minimize helps reduce burden on an overloaded system. Fix any leaky faucets then consciously curb usage. Take shorter showers, run washing machines and dishwashers less often, and reconsider high-volume activities.

Have Septic Tank Pumped And System Inspected

Call an experienced septic company to pump out the tank and pinpoint issues. A thorough visual investigation and pipe evaluation using cameras will identify any component failures. Professionals can also confirm if slow drainage is due to collapsed pipes or pesky tree roots.

Fix Clogged Pipes, Cracked Tank Or Lines

Based on inspection findings, repair or replace defective system parts as needed. A plumbing roto-rooter service can augur out stubborn clogs. Patched cracks or seals may resolve minor tank leakage. Severe pipe corrosion necessitates full line replacements to stop leaks.

Install Water Filtration System To Protect Drain Field

If poor soil permeability is causing backup issues, adding a sand, peat or tire chunk filter gives wastewater another path to leach away safely. Alternative absorption options prevent oversaturated soil and may be far cheaper than replacing the entire drain field .

Preventing Future Septic System Complications

While quality installation and periodic maintenance helps any septic system last, you can take further actions to avoid failures leading to water overflow issues:

Regular Septic Tank Pumping

Schedule cleanouts every 3-5 years so sludge doesn't overwhelm your tank with solids. Consistent attention ensures maximum liquid volumes can flow to the drain field . This preserves vital absorption capacity and prevent wastewater backups.

Don't Dispose Greases/Solids Down Drains

Avoid taxing your system with excess gunk that solidifies inside pipes and tanks. Scrape plates instead and collect food waste separately. Use sink strainers and remind family not to flush troublesome items.

Don't Plant Trees/Shrubs Over Drain Field Area

While the thought of a willow tree or lilac bush is idyllic, hungry root structures can wreak havoc. Seek landscaping choices less prone to aggressive spreading that won't invade system connections.

Installing multiple adjacent absorption beds lets you toggle usage and give zones time to air out. Alternating drain fields prevents one area from becoming perpetually overloaded and overwhelmed.

Catching a septic system failure promptly better contains messes before they migrate and magnify. But preventing mishaps in the first place is undoubtedly wisest. With attentive monitoring and care, your septic setup should operate smoothly for decades before needing replacement.