Whether you own a smaller yard on a residential street or remote acreage in the country, it’s summertime and, like most people, you are likely carrying on with your outdoor summer projects. Unfortunately, properties hooked up to a septic system have one more thing to be cautious about: septic damage. Whether you’re working on backyard planting or irrigating the back 40, there are ways to carry out summer projects without damaging your septic installation in Prior Lake, MN. Here are a few precautions you will want to take.
Watch where you dig
Just as you would call your local utilities company to come inspect an area for power lines before you begin digging, you should also contact your septic service about where sewer lines run. Keep this information on hand to avoid puncturing the tank and pipes during the following projects:
- Planting: Not only can digging a hole for planting end in severed pipes, but the plants themselves can also do damage. Growing plants soon gain mature roots, and an invasive plant species may eventually strangle or grow into septic system components.
- Putting in a pool: Planning to put in an in-ground pool this summer? Before you do, make sure the pool installers check on septic placement around your property. If they start digging randomly, pipes you were unaware of may get cracked, smashed and pulled up by shovels and machines. Ideally, you don’t even want your pool near any part of your septic system.
- Installing underground wiring: Summer nights are not complete without the shine of outdoor lighting. When installing underground wiring, keep clear of septic lines leading out to the leach field.
Be careful with water
Whether you’re emptying dirty water from a structure or container, where you dump it is important. Draining water near your leach field or septic tank is going to cause plumbing backups and flooding, so be careful with the following:
- Pools: If you own a pool, then you should have some sort of regular water circulation system in place to avoid algae buildup and mosquito breeding. But there are times when the water may need to be drained and the pool cleaned, like if you go on vacation and the circulation pump stops working, leading to a buildup of debris. Whether your pool is in-ground or above ground, you must be vigilant about where you drain your pool water.
- Animal water troughs: Farms with large animals likely use big troughs to hold drinking water, and sometimes they can overflow during summer showers or get kicked over by livestock. Whether you’re emptying dirty water or need to replace broken troughs, take your project far away from your home’s septic installation in Prior Lake, MN—even if that means using buckets to transport old water.
- Collected rainwater: A fun summer project is to put together containers to catch rainwater—this is great for collecting water near your septic tank and preventing water pooling. To hydrate garden plants or crops, use a long connected hose so you can water vegetation away from septic system areas.
Tired of guessing the location of your septic system lines? Contact Mike’s Septic & McKinley Sewer Services to pinpoint the exact location of system parts, as well as for services like septic installation in Prior Lake, MN.