Riding on septic system??

[WiJC]

I have a kubota b7610 that I mow with. Part of the mowing includes a fairly large mound/drainage field for the septic. I have been told by people I cannot drive something that heavy on it, and others have told me I could.

Up till now that whole area has been mowed with a push mower, but that is getting old. Can I ride over it? or do I need to purchase a smaller "rider" to do it?

Thanks
John

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin John,
I have a 1000 gal tank with three 75' leaching fields. I drive my Massey 1040 with loader and bushog on it all the time with no apparent problems. Total weight has to be 5500 lbs or more. Im not sure your system is the same construction but I dont have any problems. I try not to drive over the tank area when possible.

 

[KubotaSteve]

I mow over my drainfield with my B-7800. I think the main concern is the actual tank. I mow over mine with the B-7800 but try not to keep running over it while mowing.
I've driven cars across the draifield and haven't noticed any problems.
I definitely wouldn't be push mowing all of that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dmccarty]

WDZ,

I don't get my tractor on top of the tank. I think my tractor weighs in at around 6,000 pounds maybe a bit more with the backhoe...

The septic installer said to stay off the drain field. I have an Infiltrator system which is basically 3' wide half plastic pipes laid in a trench and dirt put on top. He covered the trenches with a bull dozer but told me to stay out. They had to redo a field when a guy got a skid steer into the drain lines and tore it all up.

The first summer I cut the weeds with a gas weed wacker and the human power one. I have a bad back and it was not fun. This year I have a DR mower. Still not fun but easier. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I figure its too costly and a real pain if I mess up the field so I'm staying off of it.

Later,
Dan

 

[woodlot]

To clarify: is this is a pressurised mound system or a conventional system with gravity drainfield?

I've been told that going onto a mound system, even with a small riding lawn mower is an absolutle no-no. I've even herd that kids should not play on those mounds. My vacation land soil tested-out for this type of system, I'm bummed, they are expensive.

If its a conventional system, well, I think you'll get about a 50-50 response rate on your question. I drive on mine, I told the skid steer operator ( a contractor) to stay off.

 

[WiJC]

The system has gravity flow from the house to the holding tank. The liquid is then pumped to the mound.

 

[Highbeam]

That's an important point. A mound system is an an expensive and relatively sophisticated device. It is also one of the most fragile types of system that there is. The key thing is that this is a pile of sand with pipes in it. If you go putting a bunch of weight on a pile of sand it will squirt out the sides and the layers will be disturbed.

I wouldn't put a machine on a mound. I would rather poison the vegetation to death and consider that piece of your property a waste. You do not want deep rooted vegetation growing on that mound since the roots will seek the warm and nutrient laden effluent. Kill it good and if you want it green then get a nice weed eater.

This is not your daddy's drainfield.

 

[BamaRob]

I guess you could always cover it with artificial turf. Might get a pretty good deal from one of the stadiums that are reverting back to natural grass.

Actually, I'd love to do my whole yard if I could afford it. Nice green yard year-round and never mow again. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

BR

 

[PineRidge]

Ours is the conventional design and I routinely drive over it with the New Holland which probably goes more than 5000 pounds with the BH mounted. I do hold my breath while driving over the concrete tank lid and try not to make waves.

 

[Dargo]

Okay, can someone tell me if this is a problem or not; I did not realize that the 5th leach line of mine was close to the woods on one side of my house and I planted a row of white oak trees all the way down that side of my property two years ago. I wouldn't have noticed still except that the oak trees that are over that 5th leach line are growing faster than the other oaks in the 1000' row of oaks.

Is this a problem, or will those oaks just drink their fill from that last line? They are actually only on about half of that last line, and there is nothing running away from that last line. I'd really like to leave the trees there, but I don't really want a problem. Right now I'd be hard pressed as to what to do if I needed to change things; cut down my oaks, or move that last line. Thoughts?