New Septic System Troubles

[Will_C]

You need local code on the black water/gray water question. In NY and PA, they must into the same system. 30-40 years ago when I helped my dad install septic systems, he always would pipe gray directly into a dry well or sometimes a separate dry well-heck, at my mother's house there is dry well for the kitchen sink, one for the garage sink, and one behind the septic tank for bathroom waste. Of course dry wells aren't even allowed now....

Will

 

[longshot47]

Probably a little off original topic, but what I've learned about the black/grey water systems is that whether you use one [tank and drain field] or both [tank, field and grey water pit or cistern -preferred] its most likely the kitchen grease that will create problems. Grease flowing slowing [by code] to the tank cools and congeals creating issues in the main drain elbows, long runs and at the tank baffle. The grease that reaches the tank is, in 'normal' situations, pretty much offset by a healthy bacteria colony. The grey water dry well, if it catches kitchen/dishwasher grease, suffers eventual congestion, attributable to the high temperature of discharge water and the presence of detergents attacking bacteria. Most powdered clothes washer detergents compound the problem, regardless of which way they are directed.

 

[jenkinsph]

Probably a little off original topic, but what I've learned about the black/grey water systems is that whether you use one [tank and drain field] or both [tank, field and grey water pit or cistern -preferred] its most likely the kitchen grease that will create problems. Grease flowing slowing [by code] to the tank cools and congeals creating issues in the main drain elbows, long runs and at the tank baffle. The grease that reaches the tank is, in 'normal' situations, pretty much offset by a healthy bacteria colony. The grey water dry well, if it catches kitchen/dishwasher grease, suffers eventual congestion, attributable to the high temperature of discharge water and the presence of detergents attacking bacteria. Most powdered clothes washer detergents compound the problem, regardless of which way they are directed.

For the reasons you state I never hook up kitchen sinks to gray water systems. The water closets, kitchen sink are hooked to the black water, the showers, vanities and clothes washer are on the gray water.

People who run a lot of grease down the drains have to pay the piper sooner or later.

 

[tractorshopper]

And in thinking more about this, new construction in SC is not dictated by county, it is controlled by your local DHEC office, so I'm about certain even though I'm in a different county, the OP would have the same SC DHEC requirements that I do, so the grey and black water are combined in the septic and he has only one septic system.

Some people later split their washing machines and some gray water off into a pit that they install after the fact, primarily because they think the surfactants in the wash water cause issues with the bugs in the septic system, but DHEC doesn't allow this in new construction.

 

[GLyford]

I then had my friend come back and we dug up the field according to the as built drawings. We found out that not only were the drawings inaccurate but the type of system described was incorrect.

My as-built showed the correct tank and distribution box locations, but showed the field as a single line running 40' straight out. It even showed the wrong driveway location (front vs. actual end garage door).

My system was failing, and when they started checking, the d-box was worn out (concrete eaten through by microbial action at the air-water line after 30 years, apparently a common problem). It had two lines coming out, both parallel to the house, 9 feet apart. One had settled over time and was actually angled slightly uphill, so in effect I only had one 19' line.

Not a month earlier I had had a cement truck on the lawn just short of it (did not cause settling, wrong end). There is also an electric line run over it, because we were trying to avoid the system as marked on the as-built when we had it installed.

They replaced the box, ran an enzyme solution to break up the grease in the field, and added a 3rd line straight out.

My wife wants a pool, and had the surveyors from the pool company come out. They checked the town for the files...the septic company didn't file a new as-built for the location corrections and added line.

We are also a title-V state, where septics must be inspected, including d-boxes, before property can change hands. If they had inspected the box, they should have at least seen that there were two lines out and not one as in the town records when they pulled the cover.

All this to say: take any as-builts with a very large grain of salt.

 

[jrdepew]

My as-built showed the correct tank and distribution box locations, but showed the field as a single line running 40' straight out. It even showed the wrong driveway location (front vs. actual end garage door).

My system was failing, and when they started checking, the d-box was worn out (concrete eaten through by microbial action at the air-water line after 30 years, apparently a common problem). It had two lines coming out, both parallel to the house, 9 feet apart. One had settled over time and was actually angled slightly uphill, so in effect I only had one 19' line.

Not a month earlier I had had a cement truck on the lawn just short of it (did not cause settling, wrong end). There is also an electric line run over it, because we were trying to avoid the system as marked on the as-built when we had it installed.

They replaced the box, ran an enzyme solution to break up the grease in the field, and added a 3rd line straight out.

My wife wants a pool, and had the surveyors from the pool company come out. They checked the town for the files...the septic company didn't file a new as-built for the location corrections and added line.

We are also a title-V state, where septics must be inspected, including d-boxes, before property can change hands. If they had inspected the box, they should have at least seen that there were two lines out and not one as in the town records when they pulled the cover.

All this to say: take any as-builts with a very large grain of salt.

Thanks for this...I took one look at the as-built and knew it isn't exactly what is there...the pipe exit from the house isn't in the right place to begin with, and I am pretty sure the tank location is incorrect as well. I also think the tank is rotated 90 degrees from the as-built.

One would think that there would be a little more control over this as far as a marked up drawing being made during the install. It wouldn't be hard to pick one reference point on the house and pull a tape a few times...

Thanks,
Joe

 

[GLyford]

One complication with mine is the original as-built referenced a deck which is no longer there.

 

[Dirthog]

I know in Pa. they have to be inspected BEFORE they are backfilled and they MUST be where the drawings say because the inspector will check. I have been allowed to move a certain amount after talking with and showing the inspector why then the drawings have to be redone. Oh and in the case of a sand mound you have to have power and water in it so he can see if the piping and pump is working correctly.

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks for this...I took one look at the as-built and knew it isn't exactly what is there...the pipe exit from the house isn't in the right place to begin with, and I am pretty sure the tank location is incorrect as well. I also think the tank is rotated 90 degrees from the as-built.

One would think that there would be a little more control over this as far as a marked up drawing being made during the install. It wouldn't be hard to pick one reference point on the house and pull a tape a few times...

Thanks,
Joe

Unless you were there when any pipe/line was put in, I wouldn't trust a 'drawing'.

When I went to prepare the ground for my shed's pad, I called the "Dial Before You Dig" people. They emailed me their site plan for the buried phone lines... no drawing for buried power line but I 'knew' where that one was. Well, their drawing showed direct line-of-sight lines to myself and to 3 neighbours (one of which I know is "off-grid"). I called them up again and said that the drawings are wrong, especially as it indicated that one of the lines to my back-neighbour ran under my house.

They said that they would send someone out to re-sight the lines but if the original drawings were correct then I would have to pay for the survey. Well, I had to know for certain so I had them send someone (a contractor from Launceston). Yep, their drawings were a guestimate from 20+ years ago and the lines ran nowhere near where 'they' said they were. The bloke they sent even confirmed where my power line was.

Trust, but verify.

 

[jrdepew]

I know in Pa. they have to be inspected BEFORE they are backfilled and they MUST be where the drawings say because the inspector will check. I have been allowed to move a certain amount after talking with and showing the inspector why then the drawings have to be redone. Oh and in the case of a sand mound you have to have power and water in it so he can see if the piping and pump is working correctly.

Luckily, I have been burned by enough contractors/inspectors, that I don't trust much anymore. :dance1:

Septic guy had to re-schedule to sometime later this week due to Hermine blowing through close to Charleston on Friday...I will updated with what he says.

Thanks for all the info everyone!

-Joe