If your home is attached to a septic tank, that means that you have both a septic tank buried in your yard as well as a drainage field. When you have a septic system on your property, you need to make sure that you understand how to behave properly around a septic system in your yard.

#1 Know the Location of Your Septic System

You can't act safely around your septic system and drainage field if you don't know where they are located. Find the paper that states where your septic system and drainage field are located. If you can't find the paperwork, then hire a septic company to come out to your property and identify the location of the tank and drainage field for you. You need to know this information in order to make smart and informed decisions about your yard.

#2 Keep Excess Water Away from Your Septic Tank

Next, you need to keep excess water away from your septic tank. Excess water could leak down into the drainage field and overwhelm it, resulting in a yard that smells like a sewer. Too much water in the area where your septic tank and drainage field are located can prevent these systems from effectively doing their jobs.

You can help with this issue by making sure that all down spouts and water collection resources are directed away from your septic tank area in your yard. You don't want runoff flowing to this area. You should also keep things such as a hot tub or pool, which could potential spill out excess water, away from this area as well.

#3 Reduce the Traffic Around Your Septic Tank

You also don't want to disrupt the soil around your septic tank and drainage field. Constant movement on top of these systems can compress the soil, which can damage pipes and your septic system, and compromise the unique way the soil is set up to promote filtration in your drainage field.

One way to reduce foot traffic in this area is by planting items that have shallow roots, such as flowers or decorative grass. These landscaping features will keep people from walking over or parking on top of your septic tank and drainage field, and have roots short enough to not reach down and damage your septic tank. 

If your home has a septic tank, make sure that you know where it is located, and do your best to keep water and traffic away from the location of your septic tank and drainage field.

For more help, contact a business like All Rooter Inc.