Managing your home’s vital systems like your plumbing can be stressful, especially when it comes time for updates and new installations. If you’re considering replacing your septic tank, you may be wondering if you can skip adding a new drain field. However, this essential component plays one of the most important roles in filtering your family’s waste. Without it, you may be stuck calling for septic pumping service every month.
How Septic Systems Work
If your home has a traditional city sewer connection, you likely have a septic system to remove wastewater. This water includes everything that flows down the drain from your bathrooms, kitchen sinks, and more. All of this waste moves into the tank, where bacteria begin to break it down. The solids will sink to the bottom while lighter substances like grease and fats will float. Between these two layers is a large amount of effluent or liquid waste.
The effluent is pumped out through the leach field, which is a series of underground perforated pipes in your backyard. The wastewater is absorbed into the porous soil and rocks, neutralizing the bacteria and fertilizing the ground.
Without a leach field, the liquid waste will quickly fill up your septic tank and travel back into your home. It’s best to pump your septic field every three to five years. However, when you continually use a septic tank that has no drain field, you’ll need professional service frequently.
Efficient septic drainage control is a must to protect your community and local environment. Many states and individual cities enact laws that require residences to have both septic tanks and an attached drainage field.
Septic Systems Without Leach Field: When You Might Not Need a Leach Field
Drainage fields are a great way to get effluent away from the home, but they’re not always the ideal fit, depending on your unique septic system. For example, your plumber likely won’t recommend installing a drainage field if your property fails a percolation test. Since your leach field drains into your yard, the soil has to be able to quickly absorb and retain the water. A variety of factors, like excessive clay or tree roots, could mean you’re at higher risk of flooding. In this situation, a traditional septic system and leach field aren’t the best options.
You may also have a shallow water table or a nearby water source that’s sensitive to wastewater pollution. A leach field has to be installed deep underground to avoid any contamination as well as damage from plants and people. A shallow water table could allow the effluent to reach the groundwater before it’s been properly treated. As for local bodies of water, if you’re too close to a river, lake, or important stream, your city may prohibit the use of leach fields.
Finally, some older homes may not have drainage fields due to their outdated septic tanks. Around a century ago, tanks didn’t filter the wastewater but rather let it spill into the ground and water sources untreated. This created local contamination issues that harmed the ground and local homes. If you purchase one of these older properties, the state may require you to update your septic system as soon as possible.
Modern Alternatives to Traditional Septic Systems
Fortunately, there are many great septic tanks that work slightly differently to accommodate environmental concerns, lack of space and more. A mound system, for example, is an exceptional solution for homes with packed soil or a shallow water table. This is an aboveground system that utilizes a pump to separate the different layers and allow effluent to flow in.
A sand filtration system, on the other hand, offers superior filtration in areas close to water sources. After circulating through a high-quality sand filter several times, the water is released into the soil. Don’t forget to consider an evapotranspiration system if you want to keep your effluent completely separate from your yard. Unlike the others, this system will require a leach field to function properly. However, rather than letting the water sink into your yard, it creates a waterproof barrier so the water can naturally evaporate.
Experienced Local Septic Company
Hutchinson Septic Service has been delivering premium septic care and customer satisfaction in Hutchinson, KS since 2016. We’re available 24/7 to help you with all your septic emergencies. Turn to us for any leach field needs! Trust us to install, maintain, or repair your home’s septic system. We also offer portable restroom rental, lateral field service, and roll-off dumpsters. Call Hutchinson Septic Service for premium septic service in Hutchinson.
