Wet ground around septic tank/aerated water treatment system

Causes

Storage chambers overflowing

Blocked outlet to disposal field

Disposal field clogged

Listed under: plumbing, sewerage, Section, Services

Cause

Storage chambers overflowing

Repair

  • take action without delay. It is possible that the overflow may include bacteria that can harm your health, your groundwater and potentially your neighbours and the wider environment
  • the first response should be to call a certified specialist liquid waste removal company to clean out the chambers including any sludge and clean the filters
  • determine the reason the chambers are overflowing and then take appropriate action
  • if there is too much water going into the system, work out how this can be reduced. Install water-efficient appliances (washing machines and dishwashers) and fixtures and fittings (such as showerheads, taps and toilets) if you have not already
  • check that no stormwater is getting into the system
  • if the disposal field is not coping you need to fix this (see next causes/repairs)
  • make sure to check your system at least once a year and have it pumped out every 3–5 years or more often if required (which may be the case with older systems and larger households)
  • if you have a problem which the above actions don’t solve, ask a registered drainlayer to check that there are no faults such as broken pipes in the system, and ask whether the system was appropriately located. If it was installed in a hollow in the land, this can cause long-term problems

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Cause

Blocked outlet to disposal field

Repair

  • identify the locations and causes of blockages and clear them wherever possible
  • the disposal field should ideally be changed from time to time to allow land to recover. Where this does not happen, the system may eventually fail, with clogging, bad smells and health risks
  • ideally your system should include a distribution box to increase the system life. If you do not have one, ask a registered drainlayer whether one can be installed
  • do not allow stock, horses or vehicles on the disposal field
  • make sure you only use household products that are suitable for use with an on-site wastewater system. For example, some laundry detergents (typically powders in big boxes) contain fillers and mineral salts that can reduce the ability for water to soak away in some soils
  • if you have a problem which the above actions don’t solve, ask a registered drainlayer to check that the system and disposal field was appropriately located

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Cause

Disposal field clogged

Repair

  • as in the repair above
  • the disposal field should ideally be changed from time to time to allow land to recover. Where this does not happen, the system can fail, with clogging, bad smells and health risks
  • ensure that the disposal field is large enough to handle the volume of liquid passing through the system
  • work out how the volume of liquid going to the disposal field can be reduced. Install water-efficient appliances (such as efficient washing machines) in the house and fixtures and fittings (such as low-flow showerheads, taps and toilets) if you have not already
  • check that no stormwater is getting into the system

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