Is there evidence of excessive surface water or groundwater infiltration of the septic system?
Excessive water entering the septic system from any source will cause a premature malfunction. Often, mostly because of a lack of awareness of this phenomena or a lack of knowledge about the location of the septic system leach field, changes to yards are made that redirect surface water or rain gutter discharges toward the leach field. In older fields (pre-1974), less consideration was given to the groundwater level when installing the leach fields. In these systems, exceptionally wet seasons can cause the ground water to rise and flow into the leach field. As mentioned earlier, this excessive water infiltration when combined with peak flows from the home can create back-up or break-out conditions.
