Drain Field Pipe Information Page

A typical drain field pipe is 4 inches (10 centimeters) in diameter and is buried in a trench that is 4 to 6 feet (about 1.5 m) deep and 2 feet (0.6 m) wide. The gravel fills the bottom 2 to 3 feet of the trench and dirt covers the gravel. The purpose of the drain field pipe is to disperse the effluent, or wastewater, uniformly over a larger area. Unlike the pipes encountered earlier in the system, the drain field pipes are perforated. This allows the wastewater to drain into the drain field and starts the treatment process.  Many people are now using the Infiltrator systems in place of a conventional gravel and pipe drain field. It consists of an interlocked series of high-density polyethylene chambers that rest on the bottom of the drainfield trench. The chambers have louvered sidewalls that allow the effluent to pass directly into the soil and they are completely open at the bottom. There is no gravel and no horizontal pipe. The system is said to require as little as half the space of conventional drainfields due to greater infiltrative capacity per foot. Tree roots can get into and damage your drain field pipe. Especially notorious for line clogging are water-loving trees such as willows and poplars.  For more information on septic tank maintenance, go to http://www.laundry-alternative.com/septic_system_maintenance.htm