Table of Contents
Locate your septic tank and uncover the distribution box. Decide where to dig your trenches. Clearly mark the trenches with spray paint. Dig the trenches. Lay straight perforated pipes in the trenches. Cover the trenches with a layer of straw. Plant grass over the top of the leach field.
What is the average size of a leach field?
Typically septic trenches are 8 to 12 inches wide in some applications, or 18″ to a maximum of 36″ wide in traditional, conventional septic drainfield designs. Summary Table of Typical Disposal Field Specifications Drainfield / Soakbed / Seepage Bed Component Specification Minimum bottom width of trench 18 inches.
What kind of rock do you use for a leach field?
Gravel is the ideal choice for drain fields due to its ability to withstand large amounts to weight without being crushed allowing it to support the weight of the septic tank and the rest of the septic system’s weight.
How do I calculate the size of my septic drain field?
Drainfield Size The size of the drainfield is based on the number of bedrooms and soil characteristics, and is given as square feet. For example, the minimum required for a three bedroom house with a mid range percolation rate of 25 minutes per inch is 750 square feet.
How do you build a field drain?
This step-by-step guide to install a French drain contains just six steps! Step 1: Dig a trench wider than your pipe at a gradient. Step 2: Lay a water-permeable landscape fabric in the trench. Step 3: Fill the bottom of the trench with aggregate. Step 4: Lay the perforated pipe. Step 5: Place more aggregate into the trench.
Can you have a septic tank without a leach field?
The waste from most septic tanks flows to a soakaway system or a drainage field. If your septic tank doesn’t have a drainage field or soakaway system, the waste water will instead flow through a sealed pipe and empty straight into a ditch or a local water course.
How deep do leach lines need to be?
A standard leach line is considered to be three (3) feet wide and three (3) feet deep with a length as required.
Should a leach field be level?
The water level should always be at the level of the drain line connecting the septic tank to the leaching field. If the water level is higher than the drain line, it means that the leaching field cannot hold any more water and it is backing up into the septic tank.
What size gravel do you use for a leach field?
Size of Gravel Pieces of clean, washed rock broken into pieces about one and half inches in diameter work best, according to the Eco-Nomic website. Gravel suppliers refer to it as drain rock.
Can a leach field be too deep?
Drain Field Depth The result is a drain field about 3 to 4 feet deep. Sometimes, however, a drain field may need to be a bit shallower and can result in drain pipes as close to the surface as 6 inches. Underground obstacles can cause this situation.
Can you add dirt on top of leach field?
Never add additional soil over the drain field unless it is a minimal amount used to restore an area that may have been eroded or pulled up by removing another plant. Try not to be overly zealous when tilling the soil for planting. Remember that the drain lines may be as close as 6 inches from the soil surface.
How do you build a septic drain field?
Locate your septic tank and uncover the distribution box. Decide where to dig your trenches. Clearly mark the trenches with spray paint. Dig the trenches. Lay straight perforated pipes in the trenches. Cover the trenches with a layer of straw. Plant grass over the top of the leach field.
How deep should land drains be?
Land Drain should be laid in a trench that is approximately 250mm wide. Depth may vary according to the particular soil makeup but an ideal depth is 900mm. The sides of the trench should be vertical or tapered in towards the bottom.
Which gravel is best for drainage?
Crushed gravel is one of the best choices for drainage. Use #3 or #57 crushed stone for your drainage needs. Select an angular crushed gravel—smooth stones drain poorly. Gravel between 0.5 and 1.5 inches is the best choice for drainage.
How far apart should land drains be?
Plan for maximum efficiency. Plan the layout of a land drain system to ensure that the area you’re trying to drain is no further than 2.5m away from the land drain’s position below the ground. That’s why the most common layout seen in these types of systems is a herringbone pattern.
What is the difference between a septic tank and a leach field?
The septic tank stores solid waste products that are not reduced to liquid effluent until you have them pumped out and disposed of properly. The leech field is a series of perforated pipes that provide an effective means for disposing of contaminates without endangering animals or contaminating the ground water.
Is a soakaway legal?
If you are asking this question then the answer is probably not. Most historic systems discharge to a soakaway, which is basically just a hole in the ground filled with rubble. This does not allow for the proper treatment of effluent which is why it is now illegal.
Are septic tanks still legal?
According to new regulations passed in 2015, if your septic tank discharges to surface water such as a ditch, stream, canal or river, you will have to upgrade your system to a sewage treatment plant or install a soakaway system by 1 January 2020.
How deep are leach fields buried?
A typical drainfield trench is 18 to 30 inches in depth, with a maximum soil cover over the disposal field of 36 inches.
What can you put on top of a septic field?
Put plastic sheets, bark, gravel or other fill over the drainfield. Reshape or fill the ground surface over the drainfield and reserve area. However, just adding topsoil is generally OK if it isn’t more than a couple of inches. Make ponds on or near the septic system and the reserve area.
Can leach field freeze?
The drain field area can be in danger of freezing in prolonged cold weather, especially if it is very dry air, or if there is not enough dirt or other ground cover to insulate the area.
