Three Reasons Why You Have Standing Water in Your Yard
Standing water is never a good sign when you have a septic system. It’s often a sign you need septic maintenance or repair. However, there are times when you do not require septic system repair, but rather some adjustments to your landscaping and drainage capabilities. No matter the reason, standing water is still a danger and an eyesore. Here are three reasons why it happens and what you can do about it:
- Full septic tank: If you do not remember the last time you pumped out your septic tank, standing water may indicate that it’s full. Liquids build up and eventually leak from the tank. That eventually moves up to the surface of your yard, and foul odors will accompany this development. The solution is to have your tank pumped as soon as possible and assessed for other damages. Once this is addressed, your system should function properly again and you will no longer see standing water. This is essential maintenance that will ensure your home remains sanitary and comfortable.
- Flooded drain field: Drain fields collect and filter water from your septic system. They accumulate excessive water because clogs in your septic system or dry impacted soil overwork the system. Once it reaches this point, your drain field will not filter water as quickly, and eventually it will flood. This often becomes worse if heavy rainfall and water runoff add to the water accumulation. The solution is to call in for septic system repairs. Finding and fixing leaks will often stop your drain field from flooding. If the issue has more to do with soil, aerating your yard around the drain field can be helpful.
- Bad drainage: If you notice standing water after every rainfall, chances are your yard has poor drainage. This usually has nothing to do with your septic system and is linked back to the design of your landscaping and soil condition. Stay current with landscaping by aerating and dethatching your lawn, raking leaves and removing debris that stops water flow. If you do not see any improvement, check and see if fencing, water features or even buildings block drainage access. You may need to hire a landscaping professional to make changes to your yard so water has a place to drain and no longer creates puddles.
Most of the time, standing water will dissipate on its own. It’s not unusual to have a few lawn puddles after a big rainstorm, only to have them sink away later. But if this is a consistent issue and you see standing water primarily near any part of your septic system, call a septic specialist immediately.
Countryside Construction Inc. offers septic maintenance and septic system repair services that will help your system perform flawlessly. Contact us today if standing water or other developments concern you. We offer tailored solutions to help septic systems work better longer, and we will gladly apply one of those solutions to your system!