While you might be thinking about planting flowers or painting the porch, the most important work is actually happening under your feet. Your septic system has been working hard all winter through the freezing cold. Now that the ground is softening, it needs a little bit of help to keep everything flowing. If the soil above your drain field is too packed down or covered in heavy debris, the water inside the pipes cannot evaporate or soak away like it should. Taking a few hours this spring to focus on your drainage is a wonderful way to protect your home and keep your backyard looking beautiful.

Clearing the Way for Fresh Air

Before you can do anything else for your septic system, you need to rake away the thick layers of wet leaves and old mulch that piled up over the winter. These heavy mats of organic matter act like a soggy blanket that smothers the soil and prevents fresh air from reaching the bacteria that live in your drain field. These helpful bacteria need oxygen to break down waste. If they cannot breathe, your drainage will start to slow down until it eventually stops. By clearing off the surface and letting the sun warm the dirt, you are giving your yard the best chance to dry out and stay functional. Once the ground can see the sky again, you will notice that the soggy spots in your lawn begin to disappear much faster after a storm.

Loosening the Hard Winter Soil

After months of being stepped on and weighed down by snow, the soil in your yard can become very hard. This makes it nearly impossible for water to move through the tiny spaces between the dirt particles. When the ground is too tight, the water from your house just sits in the pipes or rises to the surface to create a smelly puddle. You can help your yard by avoiding heavy machinery or even parking your car anywhere near the septic area because this extra weight crushes the soil and ruins the drainage. If you want to help the earth “relax,” you can gently aerate the grass around the drain field using a manual garden tool that pokes small holes in the sod. This allows the spring breeze and the warmth of the sun to penetrate deeper into the ground.

Directing Rainwater Away From the Field

One of the biggest mistakes people make is letting their roof gutters or driveway drains directly onto the area where their septic tank is buried. Your drain field is already handling all the water from your sinks, showers, and laundry, so it does not need any extra help from the sky. If a heavy spring downpour sends hundreds of gallons of rainwater onto an already full drain field, the system will become overwhelmed and back up into your house. You should check your downspouts to make sure they are pointing toward a lower part of your property or a rain garden that is far away from your septic lines.

Now that you have taken care of this chore, you can rest easy knowing your home is safe and your septic system is ready for the year. You can help eliminate the need for expensive plumbing emergencies. If you live in Tampa, FL or a surrounding area and need drain field services, make your first call to Tampa Septic Company.