What Is a Septic Tank Drain Field?
A septic tank drain field, also known as a leach field or leach drain, effectively removes certain contaminates from the liquid that is removed by a septic tank. Septic systems are composed of a septic tank drain field, a mass of underground pipes, and the actual septic tank. Without any one of these elements, a septic system would not be complete. The average septic tank drain field consists of various trenches that are covered by a material such as gravel, and then further covered with soil. In almost every instance, a septic tank drain field must be tested by a licensed engineer on a regular basis. These tests, called “percolation tests” measure the amount of water that is sent out of a drain trench and into soil. Specifically, a percolation tests detects microbial colonies, cooking and petroleum products, insoluble particles, frozen ground, and rising ground water.
