Why Can Green Grass Growing Near Your Septic Tank Mean You Aren't Pumping It Often Enough?

If you notice tall green grass growing on your lawn near where your septic tank is located, your septic drainfield may be clogged. A clogged drainfield provides grass with the nutrients and water that it needs to grow quickly. Unfortunately, a clogged drainfield is a major problem that can prevent your septic system from functioning normally. It's often caused when you don't have your septic tank pumped out often enough. To learn more about why your drainfield can clog if you don't pump it frequently and why healthy grass can be a sign of letting your septic tank become too full, read on.

What Causes Tall Green Grass to Grow Near a Septic Tank?

Grass will start growing quickly when it's supplied with abundant water and nutrients, and a clogged drainfield will provide plenty of both to the grass on your lawn. When a septic drainfield is functioning normally, effluent from the septic tank that flows into it will slowly drain down into the soil.

When the pipes and trenches in the drainfield become clogged with bacteria and solid waste from your tank, water will collect near the surface instead of draining down. Grass has a short root system that will absorb large amounts of water trapped near the surface. The solid waste in your septic tank also contains nutrients like nitrogen that feed the grass, so a clogged drainfield will lead the grass above it to grow quickly and turn very green.

Why Does Not Pumping Your Septic Tank Often Enough Cause Its Drainfield to Clog?

While some of the solid waste entering your septic tank will be broken down by bacteria, the bacteria in your septic tank can't digest everything you flush down the drains in your home. The undigested solids will build up on the bottom of your septic tank, and you need to pump your septic tank regularly in order to remove them.

If you don't pump your septic tank frequently enough, the level of solids in the tank will continue to rise. Once the level of solids in the tank is near the level of the outlet pipe, some of the solids will escape the tank and flow into your septic drainfield. The solids clog the pipes and gravel trenches that allow water to slowly drain into the soil.

Repairing a clogged drainfield is very expensive, so it's important to pump your septic tank regularly in order to avoid it. If you haven't pumped your tank in a while or if you notice that your drainfield is starting to clog because your septic tank is filled with solids, call a septic tank cleaning service in your area like Western Slope Septic Pumping Inc and have it pumped. A septic tank cleaning service will measure the level of solids in your tank and tell you how often you'll need to have it pumped to keep your septic system in good condition.

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