Can The Weather Affect My Septic System? 

Can The Weather Affect My Septic System? 

As a homeowner, you likely know that your septic system is vital to your household and is an intricate part of the property. But how much do you know about your septic system beyond a simple understanding that it keeps your family's wastewater from getting into the groundwater? Do you know about problems with wastewater backup, wastewater contamination, or how to prevent such issues? Metro Septic Pumping has tips to help you understand your septic system and prepare for any weather-related concerns.

Understanding Your Septic System

Before you can understand how the weather affects your septic system, it's essential to know what part of the septic system is being impacted. Your septic system is a complex network of pipes and tanks designed to carry wastewater away from your home. The wastewater flows into the tank and is stored there until it can move on to the drainfield. This system uses natural processes to treat and dispose of wastewater.

Tank

The tank is where the waste is stored and treated. The tank size depends on how many people live in your home and how much they use the toilets and water. If too much waste builds up in the tank, it can overflow, causing an emergency.

The tank contains water that has been pumped in from your home's plumbing system. As the wastewater flows through the septic tank, it is cleaned by bacteria and other organisms that live in the tank walls. The cleaned water moves out of the tank through perforations in its bottom and into the drainfield.

Drainfield

The drainfield is where wastewater flows into underground pipes filled with gravel or sand. This allows wastewater to percolate through the ground safely away from wells and other water sources. During heavy rainstorms, floodwaters could damage drains and cause them to overflow into nearby streams, rivers, or lakes. Heavy rains also increase runoff from roofs, which can quickly overload septic systems unless adequately sized for the number of people living on-site.

Weather Events That Can Affect Your Septic System

Septic systems can be affected by weather events such as flooding and heavy rainstorms. These events can cause wastewater backups and septic system contamination due to the excessive strain on your septic system.

Wastewater Backup

When it rains, water flows into storm drains and local waterways. When there is too much water for these systems to handle, excess water can flow into your home through your drains and toilets. This is called wastewater backup.

Wastewater Contamination

When wastewater backs up into your home, it can cause serious health concerns for you and your family. The wastewater contains bacteria and viruses that harm humans and toxic chemicals such as heavy metals or oils from cars or industries. These contaminants can cause illness or even death if they come in contact with humans or animals.

How Can You Prevent Problems

If you want to prevent problems with your septic system during the heavy rain months, here are some things you can do:

• Don't use too much water. The first step is to reduce how much water you use inside and outside of your home. If you need to wash clothes or dishes by hand, do so in small batches instead of filling up the sink or washing machine with water at once; likewise, don't run bathtubs or showers for longer than necessary.
• Use less toilet paper. Use only septic system-friendly toilet paper. Do not flush facial tissues or paper towels down toilets (they should go in the trash). This will help keep solids out of the drains, so they don't clog pipes leading into septic tanks.
• Minimize fertilizing lawns. Fertilizing lawns requires extra water and leads to more solid waste in drains that could clog pipes leading into septic systems.
• Flush less frequently. It may seem counterintuitive, but flushing less often (and only when necessary) will help keep your tank from getting overwhelmed with too much waste. Additives like enzymes can help reduce waste flow into your septic tank.
• Don't overload your septic tank. Overloading leads to poor performance because there isn't enough room for all of the wastewater entering the tank at once. 
• Regular septic tank pumping. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations or Metro Septic Pumping’s recommendations. If you use your septic system more than anticipated, pumping may need to be done more frequently.

Septic System Inspections

How will you know if you need to have your septic tank pumped? Metro Septic Pumping is a septic company that offers septic system inspections, and the best prevention is an annual inspection.