When you want to make the best use of your yard, do you feel like you worry about your septic drain field? Sometimes drain fields or leach fields are well hidden and tucked away, and sometimes they are obvious or take up much of your yard. If you have been avoiding standing and walking on your septic drain field, are you overreacting, or are your fears justified? Read more to learn more about your septic drain field.
A Well-Kept Drain Field is Safe
The first thing to know about septic drain fields is that they are not necessarily toxic or dangerous to stand on or near. Drain fields are simply where septic systems release moisture that has been treated already. Toxicity and disease may come about if the septic tank or drain field are not maintained properly, though.
Why Might a Septic Drain Field be Toxic?
If a septic system fails, sewage can contaminate the soil of the drain field. That means the plants that grow there and any water that pools on the surface would become breeding grounds for disease. This is why regular septic pumping is vital for any homeowner with a septic system. Maintenance beyond regular pumping helps keep tabs on pipes, cracks and other concerns so you can stay ahead of the curve on septic failures.
A drain field without natural grasses and light foliage might also become a hazard when rain falls and isn’t absorbed by healthy soil. A drain field that floods from outside moisture will have difficulty absorbing the moisture coming out of the septic system, and may even cause a backup if it gets bad enough. That’s why even septic drain fields require regular lawn care.
Is it Dangerous to Stand on a Septic Drain Field?
People can stand on a kept-up drain field just fine. You could even set up lawn chairs and a folding table or two without fearing damage to your drainage system, but no structures or vehicles should be built or parked on or near a septic drain field.
