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Planting Guidelines for Septic Drainfields, Mounds, Raised Beds, Septic Tanks and other Septic Components

This chapter discusses the types of plants that should or should not be planted over or near septic fields or other septic system components. Planting trees, shrubs, and even some ground covers over septic system components are causes of septic system failure in the drain field, leach field, seepage bed, or similar components.

This is a guide for homeowners who are planting trees, shrubs, gardens, ground cover, or other plants near a septic system and who need to know that can be planted near or over septic system components like the septic tank, distribution box, and drain field or soil absorption system. Planting the wrong things or in the wrong places can lead to the need for expensive septic system repairs.

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Guide to planting grasses or flowers over septic drain fields or leaching beds

Many people have written to ask what can be planted over a septic field. Grasses, weeds, flower are OK: The best answer is grass or native grasses and weeds. Flowers are ok so long as they are not varieties which send down deep roots. In the photograph above these relatively shallow-rooted flowers were set around a septic tank cleanout cover. They won't cause any damage to the system. But when planning your planting arrangement for flowers over a septic tank, remember that if you plant valuable flowers too close to the access cover to a septic tank or distribution box, those plants may be damaged or destroyed when you have to excavate to open the tank or D-box cover. Basically, any shallow-rooting planting will be fine to plant over the surface of or near septic tanks, distribution boxes, or septic drainfields.

Using a Roto Rooter to Remove Roots from Sewer Lines and Septic Systems

Power augers or Roto Rooters™ for plumbing drains can be an effective way to remove a blockage or clog in a drain line.

But if your plumber shows you a tangle of roots when s/he pulls the augur back up the drain line, you should expect that additional repairs will be needed soon.

Even if you pull roots out of the blocked pipe section, the fact that they were in there means a tree, shrub, or other plant has invaded the area and its roots remain outside the just-un-clogged pipe. You can count on the roots re-invading the pipe (and getting at those nutrients) soon. So de-rooting a clogged drain line is a temporary fix.

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
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  SEPTIC FIELD FAILURE CAUSES
  DISPOSAL CLOGGING FAILURES
  DISPOSAL vs TREATMENT
  SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE
  SEPTIC FAILURE CRITERIA
  SOIL CONDITIONS
  PLANTS OVER SEPTICS
     Gardens Near Septics
     Grasses or Flowers
     Grazing, Animals
     Ground Cover, Ivy
     Trees or Shrubs
     Using Root Killers
     Using a Roto Rooter
  SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
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SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
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WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE
WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• "Planting Over Septic System Components", Daniel Friedman (author/editor, InspectAPedia.com), The Innovator, Winter/Spring 2008, BCOSSA, British Columbia OnSite Sewage Association, 201-3542 Blansard St., Victoria BC V8X 1W3 Canada
• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• ...

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