Leach Line Repair
& Replacement

Leach lines, also called a leach field or drain field, are where your septic system actually gets rid of water. The tank holds back the solids, and the lines spread the liquid through gravel trenches so the soil can absorb and treat it. When the lines stop draining, everything upstream backs up.

Valley Drilling Co is a family-owned, C-42 licensed septic contractor that has worked in the Inland Empire and across Southern California since 1950. We diagnose before anyone digs, and we'll tell you plainly whether your lines can be saved. Call (909) 795-6164, seven days a week from 8 AM to 8 PM. After-hours emergency calls are answered too.

What Are the Signs Your Leach Lines Are Failing?

• Soggy ground or standing water over the leach field, often with a sewage smell
• Strips of grass over the lines that are greener than the rest of the yard
• Slow drains or gurgling all over the house
• Backups into the lowest fixtures after laundry or showers
• A tank that fills back up soon after it's pumped

If sewage is coming up in the yard or back into the house, stop using water and call us.

What Causes Leach Field Failure?

• Solids carryover. When a tank goes too long without pumping, or a baffle breaks, sludge and grease wash into the lines and clog the gravel and soil. This is the most common cause and the easiest to prevent.
• Roots. Trees and shrubs find the water and grow into the pipes and trenches.
• Compaction. Driving or parking over the field, or running heavy equipment across it during construction, crushes pipes and squeezes the air out of the soil.
• Hydraulic overload. More water than the field was sized for. A running toilet, back-to-back laundry loads, extra people, an added ADU, or roof and yard drainage aimed at the field can all do it.
• Age. Over decades, a biological mat builds up where the trench meets the soil and slowly cuts how fast water soaks in.

How We Evaluate a Leach Field

We start at the tank, because a lot of leach line problems begin there. We check the levels, the baffles and the outlet, then look at the lines with a camera and probe the field to find where water is sitting and where it isn't.

After that, you get a plain explanation of what we found, what your options are, and an estimate.

Repair or Replacement: How Do We Decide?

If the damage is limited to one section, like a crushed pipe, a root-clogged line or a broken distribution box, we can usually repair that section and leave the rest alone. If the tank was the cause, fixing the baffle and pumping on schedule may give a stressed field a chance to recover.

Replacement makes sense when the soil has sealed along most of the field, when the lines are too small for the house, or when repair after repair keeps failing. Sometimes the answer is adding new lines next to the old ones instead of replacing everything. We'd rather fix what works than sell you a system you don't need.

What Does a Leach Line Replacement Involve?

A replacement is a permitted job. It usually starts with soil or percolation testing to confirm how big the new field needs to be, then a layout that meets the county's setbacks. We pull the permit, and when the county requires it, the plans are stamped by a licensed engineer.

Then we dig the trenches, lay gravel and perforated pipe, and connect the new lines to the tank, usually through a distribution box. The county inspects before anything gets covered. If the lot can't fit a new field, a seepage pit may be the alternative.

Do Leach Line Repairs Need a Permit?

Drain field repairs and replacements generally need a permit from the county's environmental health department, and each county handles it a little differently. Our county pages cover San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

How Can You Keep Leach Lines Working?

Pump the tank on schedule. It's the simplest protection a leach field has, because it keeps solids in the tank and out of the lines. Our septic tank pumping page covers how often.

• Spread laundry out over the week instead of doing it all in one day
• Fix running toilets and dripping faucets
• Keep cars, trailers and heavy equipment off the field
• Plant grass over the lines, and keep trees well away
• Point gutters and yard drainage away from the field
• Keep grease, wipes and harsh chemicals out of the drains

Leach Line Questions

How long do leach lines last?

A well-sized field on decent soil, with a tank that's pumped on schedule, can last for decades. Fields that take solids from an overdue tank, roots or heavy water use can fail much sooner. There's no single number, which is why we look at the field before giving you an answer.

Can roots be cleared from leach lines?

Often, yes. If roots have grown into the pipes but the trench and soil are still in decent shape, we can clear or replace the affected section. If roots have filled the trench itself, that section usually has to be replaced. Removing or moving the plants nearby keeps it from coming back.

Will pumping the tank fix my leach lines?

Pumping won't unclog a field that's already sealed, but it's still the right first step. It takes the load off the lines for a while, lets us see the tank and baffles, and stops more solids from reaching the field. If backups return soon after, the lines need a closer look.

Do I need a permit to repair leach lines?

Usually. Most counties require a permit for drain field repairs and replacements, and an inspection before the trenches are covered. We pull the permits for the jobs that need them.

More answers on our Septic FAQ, or read about our company.