Maintaining a Healthy Drain Field for Your Septic System in Boise, ID


At ASAP Septic, we take great pride in helping our clients better understand their septic system and how to care for their property. We draw upon years of experience to serve Boise and our friends and neighbors in southeastern Idaho with this necessary and important part of life so they can focus on the things that matter most. Most property owners are not sewer or septic experts, and that’s okay! With ASAP Septic on your side, you can rest assured that these important systems will be well-taken care of.  


A septic system works by directing wastewater away from a building into a holding tank called a septic tank; there, wastewater is allowed to settle into scum, sludge, and graywater. Scum floats on top of the water, sludge settles to the bottom, and graywater is the relatively debris-free wastewater that sits between the two layers. Graywater is allowed to seep back into the ground through a network of perforated pipes, where it is naturally filtered through layers of soil and rock until it reaches the water table in a newly purified state. The drain field is the portion of a property where this network of perforated pipes is located, where the graywater is allowed to drain into the earth. Maintaining a healthy drain field is crucial for the septic system to work properly. Today, we will be sharing our best tips on how to keep your drain field healthy and happy. 


  1. Protect your drain field from plant roots. Whether you are newly installing a drain field or maintaining an old one, keep an eye out for plant roots. Roots can infiltrate drain field pipes and cause damage, either cracking or breaking pipes or creating blockages by growing through the perforations. Avoid planting trees or shrubs with aggressive root systems near the drain field, and maintain a buffer zone to protect against these avoidable issues.

  2. Avoid overloading your drain field. Too much water all at once can cause issues with your drain field being oversaturated. It takes time for gravity to pull water through the ground, so using too much water all in one go can create damp spots or soggy areas that can damage your lawn. Additionally, this water hasn’t been filtered through the ground, and is not very sanitary, so it’s best to space out high-water load tasks such as laundry, kids’ baths, and running the dishwasher multiple times.

  3. Protect the soil. It may not have occurred to you that soil might need protecting; because a septic system relies on water seeping into the ground, avoid compacting the soil over the drain field, as this can affect the soil’s ability to allow water to easily pass through it. Avoid traffic and heavy equipment use, especially if you have construction or remodeling projects going on where professionals in heavy equipment might be passing through your property.

  4. Regularly pump your septic tank. Regular maintenance, including pumping your septic tank every 3-5 years, can help protect your drain field. Septic tanks that are not properly maintained may allow solids to pass through to the drain field, which is problematic because a) solids can block the perforations that allow water to seep into the ground, and b) these solids can harbor harmful bacteria that can lead to biologically hazardous conditions.

  5. Have your septic system regularly inspected. Having a septic professional inspect your septic system can help you get a gauge on the current condition of your drain field. They can also identify any signs of issues, such as slow drainage, foul odors, and more, and can advise you on necessary maintenance and repairs, as well as what to expect in the near future. 


We are excited to help you enjoy your life and leave the septic concerns to us, your local experts. From installation to inspections and more, we have a team that has developed and earned their expertise to help you with all of your septic system concerns. We serve Boise, Payette, Meridian, Mountain Home, Middleton, Lowman, Caldwell, Garden Valley, ID, and all surrounding areas with our routine and emergency septic services. Give us a call at (208) 991-7184 or fill our our online contact form for more information today! We are eager to serve you and help you better understand and care for your septic system.

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