Why is There a Mound of Dirt Where My Sewer was Repaired?

There’s no way around the need for a sewer repair. If your sewer line is broken, offset or cracked, you must repair it in order to prevent a mess in and around your home.

As the Crete drain and sewer repair experts, we also know needing a sewer repair is no fun. Not only does the repair come at a significant price, but now that it’s been completed, you notice a large mound of dirt in your yard after the dig crew has left!

What is the significance of the mound of dirt and what should you do with it? Read on or reach out to the pros at Reid & Pederson Drainage if you have any questions!

South Suburbs
NW Indiana

The Dirt Mound Serves a Purpose

Your first reaction may be to think that the repair was not fully completed or that it was done incorrectly. Surely they wouldn’t leave a large mound of dirt in the middle of your front yard, right? Wrong, actually. The mound of dirt is left because it must settle. If the dirt is taken away too soon, you could end up with a nice hole in your yard instead. How’s that for a parting gift?

Why & How Does Dirt Settle?

Let’s take a look at how and why dirt settles. Soil is typically composed of a mixture of minerals, organic matter, air and water. The minerals found in soil typically vary in size, from small stones to tiny particles. The air and water? They end up between these particles. When soil continually sits in one spot, it becomes more and more compressed as time goes on. When that same soil is dug up during a sewer repair, all those years of compression are undone as soon as the excavator hits the dirt. And while any contractor performing a sewer repair will do their best to compact the soil the best they can before leaving, there still needs to be a period of time to allow the dirt to settle and eliminate as much air in the soil as possible.

How to Speed Up the Dirt Settling Process

There are some things you can do to help speed up the settling process such as digging small holes in the mound and letting water from your garden hose push out air pockets in the soil. Aside from doing this, there’s not much else you can do to speed up the settling process, which can generally take several months.

Sewer Repair Experts in Illinois’s South Suburbs & Northwest Indiana

The bright side of the whole sewer repair process? A brand-new sewer and the elimination of costly and messy sewer backups in your home. You can’t put a price on that! If you think you need to have your sewer repairs or have any questions at all about the sewer repair process, call or book an appointment with Reid & Pederson Drainage today!

Learn More About Sewer Repair in Crete & Beyond

Check out our other blog posts below for some helpful info, expert tips and more!

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