What A Brown Patch in Your Yard Says About Your Septic System

We all know that we didn't get a lot of rain this summer. But my backyard has one rectacular spot that is completely dead, and now I know why.

The Outline of My Septic Tank

I live in the town of Windham, Maine, and like many parts of Maine, we have a septic tank as the town does not have a town-wide sewer system.

As the summer went on, I could see small parts of the grass dying from the drought, and one large rectangular part in the lawn that was deader than a doornail.

So I was curious about what causes this. I'm no handyman and had no idea why it was doing this, but I assumed it was a combination of things.

How a Septic Tank Works

This video showed me exactly how a septic tank system works. I had a general idea, but this video went step by step with the details.

Why is the Grass Dead?

According to soils-inc, dead grass over the septic tank is a good thing. Could have fooled me.

They say that the grass over your septic tank dies because the soil there is usually thinner than the rest of your yard, and when the weather gets hot and dry, with days and days of no rain whatsoever, the thin layer of soil over the tank dries out and dies under the stress.

However, this is a good thing because it means the septic tank is doing its job. It just comes at the expense of some dead grass, which will most likely grow back. Plus, the tank underneath is doing its job, breaking down waste.

So I won't panic. It seems everything is as it should be. I'm going to go turn in my man card now.