Health professionals warn about the dangers of consuming too much sodium in our diet because too much sodium contributes to high blood pressure and, ultimately, cardiovascular disease.

But the risks associated with sodium usage are not limited to the saltshaker on your table. Sodium may also be the main reason why your household septic drain field is experiencing trouble or has already failed. While eating a lot of salt in our diets can lead to bloating or water retention, it seems that high sodium levels discharged into a septic drain field also have an impact, especially on the ability of the soil to treat and absorb household wastewater. While the type of soil and the volume of the drainage area play roles in septic drain field failures, the root cause of the problem can be traced to sodium.

Where does all the sodium come from? Apart from its liberal use as a preserve and flavoring in countless food products, it is also added to laundry detergents as filler and is present in bathroom and cleaning products. Water softeners use salt to soften household water. Plus, your local water supply may have a high sodium content, which can further compound the situation.

In total, the equivalent of 56 pounds of table salt are discharged annually into a septic drain field’s soil from a household of three to four users. Over time, the sodium discharge creates a condition called “hardpan” – hardened calcium carbonate deposits that form when minerals leach from the upper layer of soil – as the sodium combines with the soil. Hardpan typically starts at the surface and goes down 10 feet, thus preventing wastewater from percolating through the soil. This barrier will prevent the soil from doing its job absorbing and cleaning bacterial wastes.

As the soil becomes less and less efficient, homeowners may begin to notice that toilets and sinks drain more slowly, the lawn may have greener patches or strips over the septic drain field, and a pungent sewage odor is noticeable. When the system is really blocked, a pond of raw sewage may develop on the surface over the septic drain field. Children should be warned against playing in this standing water as it carries disease.

It is recommended by health professionals that we improve our well being by cutting back on the amount of canned or processed foods with high sodium levels. However, this move can have another beneficial effect because it can also contribute to the good health of a septic drain field.

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