Don't Dig Around A Septic Tank Until You Talk To A Professional. If you own a septic system on your property, there are certain things you need to be aware of. One of the most important rules of septic tank ownership is to never dig around your tank.
In order to keep your septic system running properly, you should avoid building on or near your leach field. While it's important to follow state and local building codes, plan to break ground at least 10 to 20 feet from where your leach field is buried.
Can you plant a garden on a septic drain field? No! A septic drain field is designed to allow wastewater to percolate slowly into the ground, where it can be naturally filtered and purified. Planting a garden on a septic drain field disturbs the natural drainage and purification processes that occur in the soil. The r.
Best Practices for Mowing Near a Septic System
We advise establishing a zone over and extending at least 10 feet around your drain field where you only plant grass and no heavy machinery rolls over it.
So long as the fence posts do not hit the septic lines, it will not be a problem. The only other consideration is access if you need to have the septic tank pumped out. A company that provides that service should be able to tell you how close their truck would have to get.
While you should consider all of the factors above, many professionals believe that the maximum weight for a leach field is around 10,000 pounds. Still, it's important to be cautious of what you choose to do over your leach field to ensure it's working properly.
Similar to building a home or deck, placing a shed on your septic field is not advisable. Sheds are heavy and can compact the soil, reducing the efficiency of the drain field. Additionally, heavy foot traffic around a shed could inadvertently lead to damage.
You should never install the following over a drainfield:
Driveways.
Typically, the drainfield consists of three to five trenches that are 18 to 24 inches deep, up to 100 ft long, with a perforated pipe in 12 to 18 inches deep gravel covered by 12 inches of soil.
Plant grass or keep existing native vegetation. These are the best covers for your drainfield. Direct all surface drainage away from the septic system. Use shallow-rooted plants (see plant list above).
Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years. Alternative systems with electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components should be inspected more often, generally once a year.
Septic system professionals warn property owners not to plant trees too close to their septic drain lines or mounds. Trees send out tiny feeder roots that invade and clog septic drain lines. However, you're encouraged to establish vegetation over your septic drain area.
Typically, septic tanks are installed below ground level within 10-25 feet from the house, but they must be a certain distance away from any creeks, rivers, ponds, wells, paved surfaces, trees, and structures such as homes, patios, and decks.
You wouldn't have access to the area for necessary septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA and there are other reasons to avoid doing just that. When you are going to build a deck or patio, there are certain permits you will need to get and, legally, you can't put a patio over a septic system.
Septic Tanks Don'ts
Don't pour grease, oil, or fat down drains. Do pump out your septic tank every 3-5 years. Don't flush non-biodegradable items like wipes, feminine products, or diapers. Do conserve water to reduce strain on the system.
In short, the answer is no — the generally accepted advice is that you shouldn't be building a deck on your septic tank. If this was your original plan, it's best to go back to the drawing board to see if there's another option.
Building over septic tanks
It is never recommended to build a structure over any portion of your septic system. The most common problem we see is when someone wants to pump out their septic tank but doesn't know where their tank is located.
Finally, it's important to locate your septic tank so that you can protect it. Never place anything heavy over it, think sheds, or above ground pools, etc. It's probably not the best place to set up your kids' trampoline or swing set either.
Because septic systems are so susceptible to damage from vehicles driving or parking on top of them, there really isn't any weight that's safe to put on top of a septic tank. It's best to avoid driving or parking vehicles on septic tanks at all to prevent any damage due to excessive stress and strain on your system.
The best plants you can put on top of a septic drain or leach field are shallow-rooted herbaceous plants. These include perennials, bulbs, turf-grass, weeds, groundcovers, and more. A few examples are holly shrubs, boxwood shrubs, azalea shrubs, hollyhocks, wild violets, and spring bulbs.
Your pool should be far enough away that it doesn't interfere with septic cover access or block the truck from reaching your cover. In-ground pools can't be built over the pipes leading to your septic tank, which makes this process crucial for avoiding disasters.
You can plant grasses and other shallow-rooted flowers and plants directly on top of a septic field. Keep trees away from a septic tank and field. The tree's height in feet indicates how far the tree should be from the system.
The septic tank, drain field and reserve area should remain clear of sprinkler lines, decks, patios, storage sheds, sand boxes, swing sets, paved or dirt driveways, parking areas and walkways. Adequate access to the components of the septic system is also critical for maintenance and pumping.