Septic drain field issues- advice needed

[Sam Zawatsky]

Hello, I’ve got a property that has a bad septic drain field, evidenced by a soggy and stinky 10 foot wide wet spot right above the septic tank lid and surrounding areas of the backyard. I had the tank pumped 4 months ago, but the wet spot quickly returned. While I understand I need to pay thousands for this issue to be fixed with proper permitting and drain field replacement, I am wondering about if I should also replace the septic tank? The house is 44 years old, currently with the original septic tank. I have heard mixed opinions of professionals, some saying that the tank is probably fine, others saying that the tanks generally only last 50 years or so and that the concrete gets brittle after a while. What do you think? It’s cheaper if I get a new tank to get it all done at once, but also Im not sure how much longer the original tank could last. Do you see a lot of concrete septic tanks that last 70 years or so?