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• Grazing animals over septic fields
• Advice for planting or animals over or near septic systems

This article discusses the passage of grazing animals over or near septic fields or other septic system components. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

Grazing Animals Over Septic System Fields?

Is it acceptable to permit grazing animals such as cows, horses, or sheep to occupy a field over a septic system? No, placing horses, cows, sheep, or other grazing animals over a septic field is a bad idea for several reasons. Heavy animals are likely to damage the drainfield by compressing the soil and possibly by damaging buried piping. Compressing the soil over a septic drainfield interferes with soil transpiration, cutting the oxygen level needed by soil bacteria in the biomat and reducing removal of septic effluent through evaporation. There is some chance that pathogens from septic effluent may pass to and infect the animals. More about the chemical and pathogenic risks associated with plants over septic systems is discussed at Gardens Near Septics. In sum, it's better to keep livestock off of a septic field. In the photograph just above we show deer grazing on a field along the Virginia Skyline Drive at Big Meadows. Deer or other wild animals passing occasionally over a septic drainfield are unlikely to cause serious damage to it. The page top photograph of mountain sheep resting under trees was taken over a septic field serving a park service building in Jasper, British Columbia.

Use links just below or throughout our website links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Links to articles on plants or animals over septic system components:
PLANTS OVER SEPTICS
   Gardens Near Septics
   Grasses or Flowers
   Grazing, Animals
   Ground Cover, Ivy
   Trees or Shrubs
   Using Root Killers
   Using a Roto Rooter

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More expert information on this topic

More Information on Septic System Diagnosis, Maintenance, & Repair

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.

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