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A few signs can indicate that your cesspool needs to be emptied outside of its typical schedule. An unpleasant odor coming from your pipes or near the cesspool, gurgling noises in your pipes, and uncharacteristically good growth in your yard are signs of cesspool problems that suggest build-up or overflow. If your pipes back up, you should have your cesspool looked at right away.

To get rid of a sewer smell in your crawl space, you’ll have to find the source of the problem. If it has to do with your sewer lines, then repairing the line will help. You may need to make other repairs, like fixing your sump pump or encapsulating your crawl space to reduce moisture. After you make the repair, depending on the issue, you may still need to clean out your crawl space to get rid of the stink.

Your septic tank naturally contains the beneficial bacteria it needs to function, so you typically don't need to add more. However, if you wish to replenish the bacteria, you can use natural methods. For example, you can add three overripe tomatoes to your garbage disposal or flush 1/4 ounce of active yeast down the toilet every three months. While store-bought septic enzymes and chemicals are available, many experts consider them unnecessary and potentially harmful. The most effective way to maintain a healthy bacteria population is to avoid using chemical drain cleaners, which can kill the good bacteria in your system.

A leach field can take several days or weeks to dry out, even with help from additives designed to improve bacterial activity and promote draining. Because of the risks to health and the potential for wastewater to run off into drinking water sources, it’s better to hire a pro to fix a saturated drain field than try to wait for it to dry out.