Drainfield · SW Florida

Replaced our drainfield two years after Ian — finally back to normal

Name: Replaced our drainfield two years after Ian — finally back to normal
Item: Drainfield septic service
Rating: 5
Author: M.R.

★★★★★·M.R. · 2025-09-18

Property

1998 single-story, freshwater canal lot, 3 bedrooms, full-time household

Situation

System took surge water during Hurricane Ian. Worked technically for a year, then began surfacing after every heavy rain.

Our system passed an inspection in early 2023 but never really came back to itself. By the rainy season of 2024 we were getting wet spots over the drainfield within hours of any storm, and a real sewage smell when the AC kicked the air a certain direction.

The contractor we used pulled our original permit, did a proper soil test (turned out the seasonal high water table was higher than the 1998 drawings assumed), and designed a slightly elevated replacement field. The work took about 9 days including the permit hold, mostly waiting on the county.

What I'd tell anyone in Cape Coral: don't assume a post-storm system is fine because it didn't immediately back up. Saltwater damage is slow. Get a follow-up inspection at the 30–60 day mark, and a second one at a year if you took surge water.

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