Grazing Animals Over Septic System Components

Horses, cows, livestock grazing over the septic fields?

The cow is ok in the meadow, and the sheep can't do much damage in the corn, but horses, cows, and maybe some oveweight sheep stomping around in the septic absorption field is another matter entirely.

This article discusses the passage of grazing animals over or near septic fields or other septic system components.

Page top photo: mountain goats resting, and of course grazing from time to time at the headquarters of Jasper National Park (photo by DJF).

Grazing Animals Over Septic System Fields?

Is it acceptable to permit grazing animals such as cows, horses, or sheep to occupy a field over a septic system?

No, placing horses, cows, sheep, or other grazing animals over a septic field is a bad idea for several reasons.

• Heavy animals are likely to damage the drainfield 
  
  by compressing the soil and possibly by damaging buried piping.
  
  Compressing the soil over a septic drainfield interferes with soil transpiration, cutting the oxygen level needed by soil bacteria in the biomat and reducing removal of septic effluent through evaporation.


• There is some chance that pathogens from septic effluent may pass to and infect the animals.
  
  More about the chemical and pathogenic risks associated with plants over septic systems is discussed at Gardens Near Septics.

In sum, it's better to keep livestock off of a septic field.

In the photograph just above we show deer grazing on a field along the Virginia Skyline Drive at Big Meadows - favorite camping area of the Hoff family who took the author (DF) there in the 1950s.

Deer or other wild animals passing occasionally over a septic drainfield are unlikely to cause serious damage to it.

The page top photograph of mountain sheep resting under trees was taken over a septic field serving a park service building in Jasper, Alberta, and the lower photo was taken of a large herd of deer grazing over a field along the Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Watch out: If sewage contaminants are present in grass or other forage, those may be a hazard to grazing animals as well as to people consuming meat from such animals.

See SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES for details.

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Continue reading  at GROUND COVER, IVY OVER SEPTIC FIELDS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ANIMAL DAMAGE to BUILDINGS - home
• DRIVING OVER SEPTIC SYSTEMS
• PLANTS & TREES OVER SEPTIC SYSTEMS
  • GARDENS NEAR SEPTICS
  • GRAZING ANIMALS OVER SEPTIC SYSTEMS
  • GROUND COVER, IVY OVER SEPTIC FIELDS
  • ROOT KILLERS in SEWER LINES or SEPTIC PIPES
  • SEPTIC TANK GRASS or SNOWMELT
  • SEPTIC TROUBLE SIGNS, OTHER
  • SOAKBED SOIL CONDITIONS
  • SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES
  • TREES or SHRUBS OVER THE SEPTIC FIELD or TANK
• SEPTIC TANK & SYSTEM CARE BASICS

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