Heller
By JENNIFER HELLER, guest columnist
As we prepare to welcome spring in a few weeks, we must keep in mind the many reasons that flooding may occur in our area.
Spring snow melt, heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms and/or dam failures can all lead to flooding. These and other catastrophic events may cause your septic system to have issues and stop working properly. Some floods develop slowly and others can occur within minutes.
When there is a large amount of water near your septic drain field, the liquid waste or sewage discharge coming from your house into your tank and then to the septic field does not have a place to empty into and absorb. This is because the lawn already has too much water that has soaked in and is saturated.
This saturation can cause the waste from the system to overflow into the lawn or possibly backflow into your house. This could result in toilets not flushing or drains backing up.
There are steps that you can take before, during and after the flood to protect your septic tank as well as your health.
Before the flood, it should be known where the septic tank and the septic field are located.
Some septic systems use a pump to move the effluent to the pipes in the field. If so, the electricity to the system and the pump itself should be turned off if you have a pump-assisted system. Some systems do not have electricity, relying on gravity to fill the tanks.
During the flood, eliminate all water use that is non-essential. Do not run your washing machine, limit any showers, and, if possible, shower elsewhere. If your lawn is covered in flood water, do not use the septic system at all if the flood waters are on your septic drain field. Stay out of the flood water as it has contaminants and possibly harmful microorganisms.
After the flood, consult with a septic system professional service to protect yourself from danger.
Septic systems should not be used immediately after floods. The drain fields need time for the flood water to absorb down into the soils. You should not use anything that would contribute water to the septic system during this time. That would be your washing machine, showers, baths and sink water. The water around the house should be lower than the soil absorption field before you begin using your septic system again. Until the system is inspected, reduce water use.
Floodwaters may also have broken septic lines and could have infiltrated tanks. Your septic professional will be able to determine if repairs are needed for your system to work correctly.
Taking care of your system will help keep it working for years. A septic system needs maintenance and care just like everything else.
Jennifer Heller is the environmental health specialist for the Brown County Health Department. She is responsible for restaurant inspections, septic installation inspections, vector issues, farmer’s markets and home base vendor questions and complaints. She also chairs the Terrorism and All Hazards Preparedness Committee for the Indiana Environmental Health Association and will be the president-elect of that organization in 2022. She can be reached by at [email protected]
