A properly functioning septic system will remove almost ALL of the bad disease-causing bacteria and viruses from sewage. Wastewater which flows into the septic tank from toilets, sinks, showers and dishwasher contains viruses, and bad bacteria that can be harmful if they come into contact with your well water. The bacteria in the tank start to decompose the sewage and the final decomposition of the waste takes place in your soil. Poorly maintained tanks can have less than half their capacity because the depth of the top grease or scum layer and the bottom or solid waste layer have taken take up more than 50 % of the septic tank’s volume. When there is adequate digestion in the septic tank, only water flows into the drain field and that water is decomposed by microorganism in the soil.
When there is not enough digestion in the septic tank, the fats and greases in the top layer of the septic tank enter the drain field and clog it. When the drain field lines and soil get clogged, then wastewater cannot leach and backs up into the septic tank or it breaks through the ground and causes wetness, greener grass or puddles in the lawn. The harmful bacteria and viruses now have a breeding ground. The water that seeps from a clogged drain field can contaminate your drinking water well through an unsecured well cap or cracks in the well casing. Disease-causing bacteria can enter your drinking water and airborne viruses can be breathed in from the yard’s surface to cause chronic illnesses.
Other factors that contribute to well water contamination:
Abundance of septic systems in close proximity or multiple properties sharing a well – especially when the septic system owners are not treating their systems with the right type and amounts of bacterial cleaners/treatments.
If the soil on your property is impermeable, it cannot absorb the water released from the drain field.
It helps to have the well be dug as deep as possible and it helps to have the well in great distance and uphill from the septic system but the well can still get contaminated regardless of its distance from the septic tank.
Especially if your well is shallow and collects surface water contaminants, have it tested regularly, once a year for biological contaminants. If the water changes color, smells or if you have any signs of a failing septic system, you should test your well water.
What can be done to avoid contamination of your well:
Adding the right types of bacteria clean out the scum and the sludge and increase the septic tank’s capacity. This decreases the pressure within the septic tank and allows more time and better conditions for the digestion of sewage. When your sewage is properly digested throughout your drains, septic tank, drain field and soil, there is less risk of viruses and bad bacteria to contaminate your well.
Everything to do with digestion of waste is what matters in your septic system. Limit your use of chemicals and follow our dos and don’ts blog below.
