Hello, I’ve got a property that has a bad septic drain field, evidenced by a soggy and stinky 10 foot wide wet spot right above the septic tank lid and surrounding areas of the backyard. I had the tank pumped 4 months ago, but the wet spot quickly returned. While I understand I need to pay thousands for this issue to be fixed with proper permitting and drain field replacement, I am wondering about if I should also replace the septic tank? The house is 44 years old, currently with the original septic tank. I have heard mixed opinions of professionals, some saying that the tank is probably fine, others saying that the tanks generally only last 50 years or so and that the concrete gets brittle after a while. What do you think? It’s cheaper if I get a new tank to get it all done at once, but also Im not sure how much longer the original tank could last. Do you see a lot of concrete septic tanks that last 70 years or so?
Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3y
Concrete keeps getting stronger the longer it stays wet.
1. Find out the size of your tank. Then talk with your plumber about the needs of your house. You might have added a bathroom, 0 kids to 5 kids and related water needs, added a dishwasher. Since the house and septic was originally built.
2. Are you out in the country? Dig up the end of the sewer drain pipe. See if it’s flowing out. Do 3 below. Then have it snaked clean. See if it works now.
3. Take out all brush and trees in the drain field area.
4. If the above doesn’t work, need a new drain field for sure.