Can Too Much Rain Cause Septic Problems?

If you live in an area that experiences frequent rain, it is natural to be concerned about your septic system. During heavy rain, drainage systems often get overwhelmed and streets flood. But can the same be said for your septic system?

Heavy rain shouldn’t damage your septic system or cause major drainage issues if it is properly maintained. However, you may experience problems if the rain causes your drainfield to flood.

A flooded drainfield won’t allow wastewater to drain properly, often forcing it back into your home’s drains.

If your home is serviced by a septic system, you have a septic tank buried beneath your yard – typically within 100 feet of your house. This tank has an inlet for waste from your home and an outlet that leads to the drainfield.

In a fully operational septic system, the solid matter will remain in the tank and effluent will exit and penetrate into the ground of the drainfield. If your property is positioned on a slope, your tank may be on lower ground than your drainfield. In this case, your system likely also has a transfer pump that will cycle whenever the tank has filled up.

Clogs can be a result of waiting too long between pumps or sending improper things down your drains. Sludge can clog your pipes after years of neglect. However, sending other forms of waste down your drains can create massive clogs much faster.

Cigarette butts, sanitary napkins, and diapers should never be sent down your drain. If it isn’t biodegradable, don’t flush it. You should also avoid using your garbage disposal, as food scraps accumulate and form clogs quickly.

A septic system is built to handle a specific amount of water at a time. If you’re always running your dishwasher, shower, and washing machine at once, this can overload your system.

Avoid using too many appliances at the same time during a heavy rainstorm. The combination of your overloaded system and flooding can cause sewage backup into drains and groundwater.

To prevent an overloaded system during a storm, take shorter showers and only run full loads of laundry and dishes. Overall, do your best to conserve water by limiting non-essential use.

After heavy rainfall, it can be difficult to determine if flooding is causing issues with your septic tank. This has to do with the fact that the symptoms of a flooded tank are very similar to those of tank that needs pumping or a pipe that’s clogged.

However, if you recently received a substantial amount of rain and are having problems with water draining in your home’s drains, it’s possible that your tank may be flooded. If this is the case, you may want to contact a professional to inspect and diagnose the issue.

In the meantime, your best course of action is to reduce the use of faucets or appliances that use water in your home. This gives twill give your drainfield time to dry out. Pumping the tank or adding chemicals to help ease draining are not viable solutions. Unfortunately, all you can do is limit your water usage and set up an appointment with a septic tank specialist to determine solutions and evaluate any potential damage.

Related Questions

Should rainwater go into my septic system?

Rainwater should never go into your septic system. The tank’s flow rate will increase, and proper filtering of scum and sludge won’t occur. 

What should I do if my septic tank floods?

If your septic tank floods, wait for the ground above the drainfield to dry before calling a professional to pump it. Limit water use inside your home to keep from overloading the system. 

If your area is about to experience a storm, it is unlikely heavy rain alone will damage your septic system. However, a flood can also flood your septic system, making it impossible to do its job. Flooding can cause sewage backup in drains and groundwater contamination.

During heavy rains, it’s possible for your septic system to have problems if it’s ill-maintained. If your system has physical damage, clogs, or you use an excess of water during rain, this can pose a problem for drainage.

You will also experience problems if your system has gone too long between inspections and pumps. If your system was improperly installed, this will cause issues often, but especially during rain.

You can prevent your septic system from being damaged by a storm by keeping it maintained properly. Pump and inspect your septic system as recommended.

Be mindful of what you send down the drains. Make sure to keep vehicles and runoff water off the drainfield. If you make sure to follow these rules before heavy rain, your septic system will be the calm in the storm!