Nebraska is one of those fortunate states that gets to experience all four seasons every year. Our springs are typically cool and wet, summers hot and dry, falls are crisp, and cold, snowy winters. During any one of these seasons, we can experience extreme weather. For instance, the fall of 2018 was extremely rainy and led into a winter that has been colder than we have seen for a while. We have also gleaned quite a bit of snow during the 2018-19 winter as well.
Why am I taking the time to tell you this?
Your septic system is sensitive to what Mother Nature does. If we have a wet fall or spring and the ground is overly saturated, this can cause problems for your system. Typically, it is the older systems that struggle during times like these, but we have seen newer systems have problems as well. It all depends on the amount of water a household uses, the soil type your system is placed in, and the amounts of rain (or snow melt) we have received from Mother Nature.
As I have stated before, if the soil outside is saturated because of excessive rain or snow, and you continue to use water from inside the house, at some point there’s no place for that water to go. This can either show up as standing water on top of your laterals or back-ups into the house. Now, for the most part we have to have a tremendous amount of rain or snow, but in the the case of the winter of 2018-19 that’s just exactly what we got — some extreme weather! We got so much rain in the fall of 2018 and went right into an extremely cold, hard winter that gave many folks issues with their systems.
So, what can you do?
Well, in cases where there are back-ups we can pump the tank but if you sense the weather is giving the world more moisture than it should, being careful of your water usage is key. If you do not have to use water during times like these, don’t! Also, though we would happily pump your tank, due to snow, ice or soggy ground, we can’t always gain access to the tank depending on where it is located. There again, water usage is key until the ground allows for us to come pump to give your system a bit of a break.
On our website, I have more information about what weather can do to your system on our Southwick Liquid Waste home page. Find the EXTREME WEATHER TIPS button to learn more!