What Is A Drainage Field?
Drainage fields act as a discharge location from your septic tank or sewage treatment plant. They are a network of perforated pipes and shingle to allow the discharge to percolate and receive further treatment via the ground.
Can I install a drainage field without testing the ground?
This is a commonly asked question and unfortunately, the answer is NO. Percolation testing is required prior to understand the percolation rate of the ground. These tests are essential on understanding the logistics of the ground and if a drainage field will be suitable for the property. The test results will work out the Vp (percolation value) rating and the size of the drainage field required for a successful drainage field.
Not sure if your ground is permeable enough to install a drainage field? You can check out the soil scapes website LandIS – Land Information System website. – Soilscapes soil types viewer.
I have a drainage field and it's not working. What can I do?
Drainage fields can sometimes suffer from a few issues. If you have a problem it’s important to get the issue checked as soon as it arises. This maximises the time we have to ensure the problem doesn’t escalate.
There are a number of reasons why a drainage field can back up including:
- T piece missing from septic tank - Allowing solids to enter the drainage field and causing a blockage within the drainage field.
- Debris and silt build up - Drainage fields can suffer from debris in the lines causing blockages within the network of pipes.
- Ground exhaustion - The drainage field has come to the end of its life and the ground is exhausted.
Trouble Shooting Drainage Fields
| T piece missing from septic tank. | We can install a new T piece and jet the drainage field prior to the installation. A suction tanker attendance will be required in dual attendance to allow this install. |
| Debris and silt build up. | We can jet the drainage field to clear debris, suction tanker attendance required. |
| Visual Pooling water/ odour. | We can carry out investigations to check if this is blocked or exhausted ground - suction tanker attendance required. |
| Ground Exhausted. | We can carry out percolation testing on a new section of land to assess the ground permeability and calculate a new drainage field size. |
Have you got any other questions? Give our friendly office a call on 01278 802804 or click the button below to head through to our contact page.
