Rain and Your Septic System
Rain and Your Septic System: We are no stranger to frequent rainfall here on the Gulf Coast, and one of the burdens it causes is related to septic systems. Bright Hub Engineering (www.brighthubengineering.com) provides advice for solving some of the top septic system problems, including the prevailing issue of rain.
Septic tank problems after heavy rain are a common complaint. Very heavy rains can flood the soil surrounding the septic tank. The problem arises when the water level rises above the drain field trench. When this happens, the drain field quickly becomes saturated. Once the drain field is completely saturated, household water no longer has a place to drain. This leads to a backup, and ultimately the waste water will flow to the area of least resistance. This may mean that the waste water flows back into your basement or wherever else it can go. This situation also leads to large volumes of untreated wastewater flowing into the groundwater and local streams, which may cause serious environmental problems.
