A septic drainage field is a shallow covered area which is used to divert treated wastewater away from your home. It works by using buried sloped and perforated pipes to deposit the water onto a porous material like sand or gravel. If maintained properly a drainage field can last a minimum of 25 years, maybe more.
A drainage field should be
- Positioned at least 15 metres away from any building
- 50 metres from any water supply
- 10 metres form any watercourse
- Kept apart form any other water supply pipes
- Clear of roads or pavements – this is to stop pipes from being damaged by heavy traffic
Maximising drainage field lifespan
Drainage field installation
There are a number of ways to ensure that you can extend the lifespan of your drainage field. The first one is to ensure that it has been installed correctly.
Drainage field installation is key to the success of the whole system and to its longevity, so please do ensure that you use a trusted and experienced company to do the job properly.
At Yorkshire Septics we start at the basics. Did you know that recent legislation called “the binding rules” means that homeowners are now responsible for ensuring their system is compliant?
The binding rules apply to all Drainage Networks not connected to the main sewers. This includes all drainage systems that discharge either to ground or a water course applies namely to Septic Tanks and Sewage Treatment Plants.
All the more reason for you to ensure your septic drainage field is in good order.
You can also…
Divert rainwater away from the drainage field
This means you should work out ways so that excess water from roof gutters and drains are not heading into your drainage field. Why should you do this? Well, when a drainage field becomes saturated it will not be able to absorb a sufficient amount of wastewater and that will cause a problem.
Ensure the septic tank is not overloaded
The average household uses 349 litres of water each day according to the Energy Saving Trust
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/reports/AtHomewithWater%287%29.pdf
and consequently, older septic tanks will probably be struggling to cope. This is why it is vitally important that you schedule a regular inspection of your septic tank.
Make minor repairs
You can also endeavour to save water by doing minor repairs such as fixing leaking taps and toilets.
Reduce water consumption
Showers are the biggest drain on water use (25%) followed by loos (22%) according to the Energy Saving Trust, so it makes sense to lower consumption by using aerators on taps and installing low flow showers, or at least taking shorter showers, using less bathwater, installing dual flush toilets and low water consumption washing machines, or using eco settings.
Need help?
If you require practical advice on maintaining a drainage field or on how regular care and inspection can assist with extending the expected lifespan of drainage fields, then look no further than Yorkshire Septics. We offer drainage field installation in the Yorkshire area, so get in touch today. You can find out more at: https://yorkshireseptics.co.uk/drainage-field-installation-yorkshire/