Learning About Septic Services

Keep These Items Away From Your Septic System

6 June 2017

Rose Austin

If you are living in a home with a septic system for the first time, then you need to know that there are many things you must keep away from it as you landscape and build other structures on your property. By proactively protecting your septic system from damage and regularly scheduled pumping, it will last as long as your house is still standing. However, if you do not take care to keep damaging things away and pump when it's time, then the septic system will fail and require an expensive replacement be installed.

To keep your home's septic system safe, follow these time-tested guidelines:

Keep Underground Sprinkler Lines Away from the Septic System

Underground sprinkler lines are dangerous for septic systems because they are prone to unseen pipe breaks and underground flooding. If a sprinkler pipe breaks underground near your septic system, then it will flood the surrounding soil and prevent your leach lines and leach field from adequately absorbing water. Since this happens below the surface, you may not realize there is a problem until it is too late. For this reason, you must keep all underground sprinkler lines away from your home's septic system.

Don't Install Asphalt, Concrete, or Plastic Sheeting Over Any Part of the Septic System

In addition to flooding, weight on top of the soil near your home's septic system will damage it. For example, if you install your driveway over your septic tank, then the tank can crack if a heavy truck drives over the top of it. For this reason, you must avoid installing any of these things near your septic system:

• patios

• sports courts

• driveways

• roads

• sheds

• detached garages

• sandboxes

In addition, your septic system needs access to the oxygen in the air to properly process waste water. For this reason, you should never install plastic sheeting on top of it. If you want to put mulch or pea gravel over your septic system, then you must do so without the underlayment.

Keep Vegetable Gardens Away from Your Septic System

Finally, while you should plant some grass or other shallow-rooting plants over your septic system's leach lines and leach field, you should never plant vegetable gardens near this area of your new property. As the underground system dumps gray water into the soil to be absorbed, there will invariably be bacteria present. If you plant your vegetables in soil that is in contact with gray water, then your vegetables can become contaminated and your family can get sick.

For more information about maintaining your septic system, talk to professionals like River City Septic & Excavating.

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