Many people who own homes with a septic system are not familiar with the various components of their system. It is not uncommon for a homeowner not to know where their septic tank or drain field is, even though this is important information to know. However, knowing where your system components are located and what to look for if there is a problem is important to prevent complete septic failure. One of these elements is a biomat.
If you are unfamiliar with a biomat, that may be a good thing. A biomat is something you do not want to occur if you have a septic system. To understand what a biomat is and why it is a sign of a septic problem, you need to know how your drain field works.
Drain Fields and Biomats
Your drain field is used to filter the waste water that comes from your septic tank. The effluent or waste water comes through a distribution box from the tank and is slowly spread over the drain field area through small underground pipes. If the soil is not allowing the water to go down fast enough or too many solids are in the effluent when it reaches the drain field, a bacteria-created layer is created called a biomat. This covers the ground and can prevent waste water from entering the soil to be filtered, causing a pooling of waste water and a septic backup.
Biomats don’t occur overnight. If there is an issue with the drain field, often there will be pooling water, a bad odor or abnormal plant growth in the area. This is the time to call your septic professional for an inspection to get the problem fixed before it becomes a full septic failure.
Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(678) 873-7934
