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Leach Field Treatments

Leach fields--also known as drain fields, absorption beds, and disposal fields--perform several important functions including draining and processing of wastewater from septic fields and sending it to aquifers (water-bearing stratum of permeable rock and gravel) below the earth’s surface. Leach drain fields are specifically used to remove impurities from the wastewater that comes from septic tanks.

  1. Mechanical Treatment

    • A leach field has several trenches filled with gravel and drain pipes that run below the surface of gravel. The design of the leach field is either hydraulic or catabolic depending on the volume of wastewater to be removed. The failure of leach field systems is primarily associated with structural problems such as clogged pipes. Pipes can be clogged due to construction activities or breakages. If there is clogging, then sludge accumulates at the bottom and sides of the leach field trenches. To treat a leach field it is necessary to correct the clogged drains and remove the sludge, which can lead to performance failure for the overall leach field system.

    Bacterial Leach Field Treatment

    • The drain pipes in the leach field have perforations that allow liquid to pass through to the upper gravel area in an aquifer. If the system is malfunctioning, the soil around the drain pipes becomes exceedingly compacted with non-degraded sewage. The flow of the liquids is hindered, resulting in odors and wet spots.

      If the leach field is not treated quickly, the waste sewage, refuse liquids, and waste matter have no place to go, resulting in severe septic system problems. The clogged leach field can either be replaced, which is an expensive proposition, or treated with anaerobic bacteria that breaks down the clogged sewage naturally. Bacterial leach field treatment helps in the digestion of the sludge, reinstating good bacterial counts and restoring of the leach field system.

    Bacterial Formulation

    • Several powdered bacteria formulations are available in the market, which improves the system by removing clogs. A good bacteria formulation can be non-corrosive, non- toxic, non-poisonous and non-hazardous. Preferably, the product should be biodegradable. It should be able to continuously fight the blockages in a leach field. It should also have the capability to reduce odors and eliminate clogging completely. So, leach field treatment is best done by the most potent bacterial formulations that can aggressively attack and digest even the most trampled soils.

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