How to Repair a Lawn After Sewer Replacement

Locate where your current septic tank is in the yard. The new tank will be installed in the same location. The day the tank is to be replaced, dig up the grass in that area. Dig down about 3 inches to remove the grass and roots. Place the grass on a plastic sheet in the shade that is well out of the way of where the work will be done. Saving the grass will make some of the yard repairs a little easier. You can also do this with sewer pipe locations if you know where the pipe is that needs to be worked on.

Take note of areas where vehicles drive on the lawn during repairs. Heavy vehicles compact the earth and will cause problems for grass growth in that area.

Smooth out the dirt over the new tank or sewer pipes after the project is through. Remove enough dirt so that you can place the grass back in its spot without it being higher than the rest of the lawn. Set the grass in its location as best you can, moving the pieces around to get the best fit.

Till up the areas where the trucks drove on the lawn. It might seem unnecessary if the grass is intact; however, the trucks compacted the dirt which will affect drainage in the area, might have caused low spots and will decrease grass growth in the area. Tilling will loosen the soil back up, help it drain better and allow you to add soil if needed. Till to a depth of 8 inches, and add top soil if needed to bring the height of the tire track area level with the rest of the yard.

Cast grass seed by hand over the freshly tilled areas as well as over the septic or sewer pipe area. The seeds will fill in any gaps or open spots with new grass. Use grass seed that is the same as the grass on your lawn.

Sprinkle top soil over the areas where you cast new seeds to help them germinate.

Water the repaired areas daily for the first 30 days to dampen the soil. Afterwards water the entire lawn about 2 inches a week if there is no rain.