Public health officials offer tips for septic tanks burdened with rainfall
Rainfall in southwest Georgia is impacting septic systems
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By Gypsy Crow
ALBANY — Heavy rain can prevent septic systems from functioning properly, so officials from the Southwest Public Health District are offering advice to homeowners who are experiencing excess rain and seeing problems with their septic tanks.
Laura Searcy, environmental health specialist with the Worth County Health Department, said several reports have been received for septic system pumpings, typical in periods of heavy rainfall.
“Septic systems don’t last forever,” Searcy said.
Septic systems are comprised of two parts — the septic tank and the drain line or drain field. All waste enters the tank initially where solids and liquids are separated. The solids remain in the tank, and the liquids move to the drain line or field where they are absorbed by the soil.
When there is a period of excess rain, the ground becomes saturated and the liquids cannot absorb into the soil. This can call slow draining in the home, issues with plumbing and gurgling sounds. The worst case scenario is the waste backing up into the home.
Ways to relieve an overwhelmed system include altering landscapes and finding other ways to redirect water such as installing gutters on the home. A certified septic tank pumper can remove waste from inside the tank.
“There are a number of things a homeowner can do to alleviate the symptoms,” Southwest Health District Environmental Health Director Justin Smith in a news release. “One is to reduce water usage. Another is to install a curtain or French drain to divert subsurface water.”
Searcy said older systems are more prone to issues with rainfall.
“If you’re having issues with your septic system, you can contact a septic contractor or certified septic pumper to evaluate your system to see if pumping will help with any problems you’re having or if there might be something else you can do to alleviate rainfall related issues,” she said.
For more information about what to do for septic systems overloaded with rainfall, individuals can contact environmental health specialists at their county health department.
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