CAUTION! Got A Leaking Septic Tank? Understand The Risks

There's a horrid smell circulating in the air and scum oozing up from under the ground of your property. It sounds like you have a leaky septic tank! This is definitely  foul problem that you will want to get fixed as quickly as possible, but a lot of homeowners put off repairs or the replacement of their septic tank. If you find yourself in this position, it is much better to go ahead and get the septic tank repairs. A leaking septic tank can actually be pretty dangerous. Take a look at why that is the case. 

Raw sewage emits a gas that can be dangerous.  

You see (and smell) it as a bad odor, but what you are really experiencing is a form of complex gas that happens as a direct result of human and organic waste decomposing. This gas is a culmination of several different forms of gas most of the time, and some of them or the combination of them can be really dangerous. hydrogen sulfide, methane, and carbon monoxide gases can all be found radiating from most sewage-holding receptacles. These gases can be:

• irritants to your respiratory system
• combustible or flammable
• toxic to plants, animals, and humans

Raw sewage can be an environmental threat on your property.

When you think of an environmental threat, you probably envision major chemical spills or something of that nature. However, even a small septic tank leak can be an environmental threat. The compounds and gases in the septic tank can leak out and trigger all kinds of problems for the natural surrounding environment. You could change the delicate pH balance of the soil and threaten plants and animals that rely on it. You could create an atmospheric hazard for the people who live in your neighborhood. A septic tank leak can even create the potential for water contamination.

Raw sewage can host and exude illness-causing bacteria. 

There are all kinds of bacteria that thrive in fecal matter. From dangerous shigella to salmonella, you do not want these forms of bacteria littering the property that surrounds your home. All it would take is a child or pet packing in the bacteria on their hands or feet to potentially make someone in the household extremely ill. The longer the bacteria-filled matter is allowed to seep out into your property, the higher the chances of someone contracting a bacterial illness because of it.