Whether installing a new septic system or buying a home with an existing septic system, many homeowners are concerned with how long the septic system will last. Homeowners are concerned about the entire system, but the reality is that it will probably be the leach field that fails and backs up the entire system.
A septic system is a simple concept that does a very complex job. A septic system consists of a drain line that collects the household waste and allows it to flow into the septic tank. A septic tank is little more than a large concrete or plastic tank with a few baffles in it. At the other end of the tank toward the top is a pipe that is connected to a distribution box. The leach lines are connected to the distribution box.
As mentioned, the septic tank is just a large holding tank where solid material settles out of the wastewater. Other than cracking or disintegrating over time, there is not much that can go wrong with the septic tank as long as it is regularly pumped. Regular septic tank pumping will remove the accumulated solid material and allow the septic tank to continue to do its work.
If the septic tank is pumped regularly, only effluent should be getting into the leach field and a properly designed leach field should be able to handle the effluent and last 30 years or more. Where people get into problems is with poor maintenance, especially waiting too long between septic tank pumping. If too much solid material accumulates in the septic tank, it will flow into the leach field and clog the lines and the soil beneath the leach lines. In these conditions, the leach field can fail in just a few years.
