Well, we have our own water crisis and many others in the country. Four or five days ago, the water in the toilet kept backing up. It just got worse over the weekend, and today, Scott from Snell Septic came and said the water level had risen so high that the water from the kitchen or toilet had no place to drain.
The winter cold and snow and rain have complicated things because we need a new septic system but can’t get a look at it or start work until late spring. In the meantime, we have to slash our water use and take advantage of our new composting toilet, which uses no water and has turned out to be simple.
We’re also getting plastic tubs to soak the dishes rather than run the water each time a dozen dimes a day. Scott is terrific, as always, but he showed that the water wasn’t draining out of the tanks outside.
The water usually flows into the pasture, but when Scott tried to drain it out of the septic tanks, it didn’t drain much. It has nowhere to go.
This will be an expensive problem to resolve, but we can’t even understand how bad it will be until May or June.
For several years, we have followed the trials and suffering of people hit by droughts, flooding, and fires. We now have a genuine crisis of our own. It was just a matter of time. Climate change will spare no one.
We are very fortunate to have a company like Snell backing us up. They are responsive and considerate.
The farm has taken a beating in recent months. We will hang in there and do what needs to be done.
wow, the adventures just continue at Bedlam! I’m not *all* that well versed on septic systems….but we are on a septic system here as well…..and it sounds to me as if the ground and your leach field may just be saturated SO much that yes……there is no where for the water from the tank to drain *to*. Had similar experience here about 25 years ago….. I recall you had water seeping up through the floor in your cellar/ basement last year as well…..and for my uneducated response……sounds like it’s all mother natures work…….. but certainly challenging to deal with. We were fortunate (for our pocketbooks, anyway) that we rent here……..so our landlords were the ones that had to bear the financial aspect of repairing septic/ leach field issue.. Glad at least that you have your new composting toilet…… and you already know all the other measures to take….but as you always say…..challenges are best faced head on! (no pun intended)
Susan M
Had a similiar issue here, but when the septic guys came out to empty the tank, they found part of the problem was the filter where the tank drains out into the leech field was clogged up and once that was cleaned, it helped a lot and the water started draining out, but agree, the ground is so saturated it is causing havoc everywhere. Replacing a septic system is major ordeal and I feel for you facing that come Spring, but it will sure change your lives. Another huge expense-life sure keeps throwing things at the proverbial fan!
It’s interesting to me that the problem of too much water requires some of the same measures as that of too little water. When we were suffering from drought several years ago, we had to do some of the same things that you are doing by using as little water as possible. I learned to do dishes in a dishpan instead of the sink and, as an additional measure, toss the water from the dishpan out into my garden. A little soap and dirt didn’t hurt the plants and they got a bit of a drink. That may not be practical in the dead of winter.