Symptoms that are the field, not just the tank
Spongy ground in the same rectangle every spring, grass that is greener only over the laterals, sewage odor after rain, or effluent surfacing. Slow drains in one bath can be a clog. Slow drains in the whole house plus a wet field is the system.
Do this before you talk replacement
Pump the tank. If the field still weeps after a proper pump-out and a few dry days, you are in repair or replacement territory — and St. Clair County Health Department review. Do not keep adding “septic treatment” bottles. Call (810) 777-8732.
Yale-specific notes
High water table and freeze-thaw on rural Yale lots beat up old laterals. Clay pockets hold effluent. A new field is a different job than pumping. Installation and repair are the next pages if pumping does not clear it.