Many researchers and onsite professionals have long recognized the benefits of periodically resting all or parts of a drainfield to restore soil infiltration. Intermittent resting lets bacteria mineralize the organic matter to unclog soil and ultimately restore infiltration. However, there are many factors to consider when resting a system.The main problem with resting is creating a long enough time period necessary for beneficial resting that generates long-term improvement. Depending on homeowners’ water use, pumping the septic tank followed by two to three days of resting usually won’t restore soil infiltration. Within a few days to a week, however, you can
