Is it safe for my chickens to graze over an old septic leach field that had leaked?

[KaraColburn]

A malfunctioning leach bed is a whole different animal. With an active functioning leach field, there's no problem. But with the malfunction you get nasty bacteria potentially all the way up from the drain pipes to the ground surface in those wet yucky puddles. Maybe you could ask the companies that pump and design septic systems?

Thank you! That's a great idea. I plan to call the people who replaced it, and I guess I can try the health department too because they inspected it. It really has been hard to find reliable information on whether or not that's safe after a certain period of time. I appreciate everyone's input!

 

[3KillerBs]

IMO, if it's safe for you and your family then it's safe for the chickens.

 

[Egg Blues]

Thank you! That's a great idea. I plan to call the people who replaced it, and I guess I can try the health department too because they inspected it. It really has been hard to find reliable information on whether or not that's safe after a certain period of time. I appreciate everyone's input!

I think it's a bad idea to call out inspectors--they are usually better at providing you with plenty of legalese and unnecessary (expensive) requirements than at actually being interested in your welfare.

From a biologist perspective, I would be far less worried about bacteria than about chemicals. If your leach field had been functioning normally, the "leak" is likely to have occurred because the septic tank overflowed (too full). Bacteria and other natural flora and fauna should quickly compost the sewage unless it was treated with antibiotic chemicals like bleach, pipe cleaners (Drano), or whatever other harsh chemicals might have been dumped down the drain. It's a big no-no to use chemicals on a system that depends on natural decay to neutralize the wastes.

If it's been over a month, nature should have handled whatever was natural, and I would think it was quite safe for your chickens. It might not be safe if the area had become, and still is, swampy. If it is dry, the air (oxygen) is a natural disinfectant.

In cases like this, many people's worries are based more on the "gross" factor (it's just the thought of something that is bothersome). Biologists know, for example, that there are more dangerous bacteria harbored in the average kitchen sink than in the average (flush) toilet--but most people would tend to think opposite to reality, just because...well...they're not thinking in terms of biology, I suppose.

 

[springvalley123]

I think it's a bad idea to call out inspectors--they are usually better at providing you with plenty of legalese and unnecessary (expensive) requirements than at actually being interested in your welfare.

From a biologist perspective, I would be far less worried about bacteria than about chemicals. If your leach field had been functioning normally, the "leak" is likely to have occurred because the septic tank overflowed (too full). Bacteria and other natural flora and fauna should quickly compost the sewage unless it was treated with antibiotic chemicals like bleach, pipe cleaners (Drano), or whatever other harsh chemicals might have been dumped down the drain. It's a big no-no to use chemicals on a system that depends on natural decay to neutralize the wastes.

If it's been over a month, nature should have handled whatever was natural, and I would think it was quite safe for your chickens. It might not be safe if the area had become, and still is, swampy. If it is dry, the air (oxygen) is a natural disinfectant.

In cases like this, many people's worries are based more on the "gross" factor (it's just the thought of something that is bothersome). Biologists know, for example, that there are more dangerous bacteria harbored in the average kitchen sink than in the average (flush) toilet--but most people would tend to think opposite to reality, just because...well...they'reYnot thinking in terms of biology, I suppose.

I'd call the company that works on the systems, see what they think, but NOT the health inspector/govt. good point.

 

[mowin]

I've replaced my share of septic leach fields. If the ground has been dry and have had a few rains to help filter things out, your fine.

 

[KaraColburn]

I think it's a bad idea to call out inspectors--they are usually better at providing you with plenty of legalese and unnecessary (expensive) requirements than at actually being interested in your welfare.

From a biologist perspective, I would be far less worried about bacteria than about chemicals. If your leach field had been functioning normally, the "leak" is likely to have occurred because the septic tank overflowed (too full). Bacteria and other natural flora and fauna should quickly compost the sewage unless it was treated with antibiotic chemicals like bleach, pipe cleaners (Drano), or whatever other harsh chemicals might have been dumped down the drain. It's a big no-no to use chemicals on a system that depends on natural decay to neutralize the wastes.

If it's been over a month, nature should have handled whatever was natural, and I would think it was quite safe for your chickens. It might not be safe if the area had become, and still is, swampy. If it is dry, the air (oxygen) is a natural disinfectant.

In cases like this, many people's worries are based more on the "gross" factor (it's just the thought of something that is bothersome). Biologists know, for example, that there are more dangerous bacteria harbored in the average kitchen sink than in the average (flush) toilet--but most people would tend to think opposite to reality, just because...well...they're not thinking in terms of biology, I suppose.

This is very helpful thank you! I had asked the woman who inspected the new septic before I saw your reply. That was basically a dead end anyway.

What you said makes total sense! I probably wont even use that area for the chickens to graze until next year, so it definitely has time to dry out. My main concern was the bacteria from sewage leaking. It had, at one point, become pretty swampy but that area gets swampy anyway when we have a wet spring and summer. I'm in the Buffalo, NY area so when the four feet of snow melts in the spring, everything is swampy .

We did confirm there was a leak with a dye test before having the system replaced. We never treated it with chemicals in the almost two years we lived here. The only chemical that would have gone in there would be from laundry and dishes, so the occasional bleach from that would be the only thing.

Thank you again for this input, I found it very helpful.

 

[KaraColburn]

I've replaced my share of septic leach fields. If the ground has been dry and have had a few rains to help filter things out, your fine.

Thank you!