44 months of drought, and your drain field is paying attention.
The Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer has been in drought for over three and a half years. Stage 3 restrictions are active across most of Central Texas. What most homeowners don't realize is that drought doesn't just stress their water supply — it stresses the biological system that treats their wastewater.
What drought does underground
Your drain field relies on soil microbes breaking down effluent. Those microbes need moisture. When soil dries and compacts, treatment slows. Effluent travels farther than it should before it's fully processed. In a bad drought year, drain fields that worked fine for 20 years start to back up.
Why failures cluster during dry periods
Two reasons. First: dry soil compacts and seals, so effluent pools instead of percolating. Second: households often use more water during drought (hotter weather, irrigation workarounds) just as the drain field's capacity drops. The system gets more input and less output.
What to watch for
Slow drains in multiple fixtures at once. Gurgling when the washing machine drains. Greener grass in a stripe over the drain field — that's effluent surfacing. Unusual smell near the lateral lines. Any of these, get a pump and an inspection.
What helps
Shorter pumping intervals during drought years (a 3-year tank might need 2 years). Fixing leaky fixtures. Spreading laundry across days rather than running 4 loads on Saturday. Not driving heavy equipment over the drain field. And — we'll say it — having someone check the tank who actually measures what comes out.