The day started off like any other as I took my morning garden tour to check my rose bushes, but a curious smell in the air disrupted my slice of heaven. You didn’t have to be a detective to quickly ascertain that the odor was decidedly “sewer-like” and that my septic drain field was in crisis. To put it mildly – and by this time, the smell was anything but mild – the lawn surface over my septic drain field was awash in wastewater.
In retrospect, I had ignored the warning signs. Bright green strips over the septic drain field should have set off alarm bells. Then there was a plumbing backup about a month ago, which I attributed to a small toy that a helpful child flushed down the toilet. This was followed shortly thereafter by gurgling sounds in the plumbing and slow-draining sinks and toilets. A call to the septic maintenance company indicated that they had pumped out the septic tank only six months ago, so an inspector was dispatched.
If sewage water cannot trickle through the holes in the underground piping in a septic drain field and the cleaning organisms present in soil cannot do their job, then the effluent will begin to collect. In this case, it was collecting on my lawn.
Septic drain field problems develop over time, and as the inspector pointed out, the sodium present in products used for laundry, in the kitchen and bathroom, and in our diets, bonds with the soil in a septic drain field. Over time, this bond creates an impenetrable barrier, which prevents the wastewater from percolating through the soil. Almost 90% of septic system failures are due to sodium buildup in the soil. If the soil is unable to perform its cleaning or absorptive functions, then the continuous wastewater flushed out from the septic tank into the septic drain field has to find an outlet.
The good news is that is possible to restore soil structure and drainage by adding Septic Drainer to the septic system. An environmentally friend product, Septic Drainer uses a groundbreaking soil-restorative formula to restore failed or failing septic drain fields. The product is based on a solution commonly used in agriculture to improve the absorption of plant foods and water in the fields.
As directed, I added four gallons of Septic Drainer to my 1,000-gallon septic tank, and within a week, my septic system was rejuvenated and back on track. To ensure that the system stays in balance, I will follow the advice to add one gallon of Septic Drainer every six months. The modest cost of Septic Drainer was a welcome alternative to the initial possibility that I would need to repair the piping that distributes effluent through the septic drain field or rip out and replace the septic tank.
Now I can relax and smell my roses.