Seven signs your leach field is failing

The leach field is the part of a septic system that puts treated water back into the ground. When the soil in the field stops absorbing water, the water has to go somewhere else: up into the yard or back toward the house.

1. Wet or spongy ground over the field

If the ground over the field is soft when the rest of the yard is dry, water is coming up instead of going down.

2. Grass that is greener over the field

A strip of bright, fast-growing grass means the roots are finding extra water and nutrients close to the surface.

3. Sewage smell outside

A healthy system does not smell. An odor near the tank or the field means wastewater is reaching the surface or gas is escaping.

4. Slow drains all through the house

One slow drain is a clog in that drain. Every drain being slow points to the system.

5. Gurgling pipes

Gurgling when you flush or drain a tub means air is being pushed back up the line because water has nowhere to go.

6. Sewage backing up

Backups show up first in the lowest drains in the house, such as a basement shower or floor drain. Stop using water and get help.

7. The tank fills up again right after pumping

If the tank is full again within days or weeks of being pumped, the field is not taking water.

It is not always the field

Several of these signs can also come from a smaller problem: a clogged outlet filter, a broken pipe, a failed pump or a damaged distribution box. Those can be fixed with a septic repair at a fraction of the cost of a new field. That is why the first step is finding out which part has failed.

If it is the field, read repair or replace your leach field for what comes next.

What to do

Cut back on water use, keep vehicles off the field, and have the system looked at. Call or text (720) 273-0109 and tell us what you are seeing.