Laundry/Septic Drain water

[OKnewguy]

Hey gang, I have a dilemma. Our 45 year old septic system is having issues keeping up with the water volume when we use our washer a lot. I am thinking about doing a few things to help it out.

1. Run a trencher as deep as I can between trees and the leach field to try and sever the roots that might be getting in the laterals. This step would also include a healthy dose of copper sulfate into the distribution box.
2. I can separate out the kitchen sink and laundry from the system completely. I would like to either run this into its own lateral line or a drain (like a french drain). I am not sure which style to go, and sizing.

What are your thoughts?
Thanks for taking the time, Dave

 

[RoMad]

At 23 years old my drain field was overcome with roots from all of the trees in my front yard. I went to the local plumbing supply, bought the plastic dome shaped drain field pieces that come 6' long each, rented a terra mite and had the job done in one day. Total cost was less than $800 including the rental and having my septic tank pumped the day before.

We bought a fixer upper and put the same drain field in there also. Because it had less bathrooms it didn't take as much material and I borrowed a mini x to do the job so it was considerably cheaper.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

The water from a clothes washers, showers, etc., is sometimes referred to as gray-water.

It is viewed differently in different parts of the country. See:
Recycling Gray Water

Sheriff John Whetsel may come to get you if you don't run it through the septic tank, especially if you are in the Arcadia watershed.

 

[OKnewguy]

I treated the system a few years ago with some copper sulfate, and had a few years with out issue. So I am hoping I can bring the system back. To be clear, the grey water would not be draining into a ditch or anything like that. I do understand that this might not be code, and the grey should run thru the system. Does water from a kitchen sink and washer machine, really present an issue if it is on its own leach system?
I have been reading old post about leach fields and have seen some with the plastic domed 6' sections. I hope it does not come to that.
Dave

 

[dex3361]

A few years ago I started having a few problems with water coming to the top and it gradually got worse. I pumped the tank and it over full, I dug up the field tile and it was clear but was no longer taking all the water from the tank. I opted to add biodiffussers onto the existing system essentially doubling the size of the system. Here is a link to the job if your interested. Septic System Upgrade/ Yuck what is that smell

 

[Western]

Some systems need that gray water to function and flow right is what I've been told, you don't want a "rat" getting stuck in the main line because there isn't enough water flowing.

Just a thought

 

[CurlyDave]

Some systems need that gray water to function and flow right is what I've been told, you don't want a "rat" getting stuck in the main line because there isn't enough water flowing.

Just a thought

There are only two of us on a fairly large septic system. I always flush a few extra times just to make sure it has enough water.

 

[OKnewguy]

Hey Dex, yours is one of the threads I have been reading up on. I read it completely a few weeks ago, and I am sure I will do it again in the next couple of days. Has your system been working well since your upgrade? BTW, I am not having wet spots in the leach field. The way I know it is not work up to par, is an occasional wafting coming from the septic tank. I put a riser on the top of the tank the last time I had it pumped (I did not want to go thru digging every time I have it pumped) If I lift the lid to the riser, there is water seepage thru the tank lid and riser starts to fill up.
I know this is very bad, due to solids being able to go into the leach field when this happens.

I have the next couple of days off, and I am going to go ahead and rent the trencher and try and sever the roots that might be getting into the laterals. Does any one have any idea of a barrier I could place in the trench to keep the roots away for a longer period of time? I was thinking about the rubber used to make show pans???
I know that this might not solve our issues, but it is a logical first step (I hope).
Thanks, Dave

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

We have been here 20 years, had to redo the septic once. Now you are supposed to put in aerobic but they are a pain in the butt. We did some work on ours quite a few years back. We have a tenant next door and his washer was to much for the small septic so we let the gray water from his washer go on the yard. It just helps water the grass a bit in back. He lives alone in a mobile.

Our water from the kitchen sink and washer go in a drywell in the back, was that way when we bought the house. Since we have 2 full bathrooms and 2 half bathrooms, there will be another full one day, and a laundry sink in the garage I think our system gets plenty of water. Our septic guy said get it pumped about every 2 years, its about due again.

 

[SixHoeBob]

There are only two of us on a fairly large septic system. I always flush a few extra times just to make sure it has enough water.

The less water that goes into the system, the better off the system will be.
Dishwater, showers, washing machine, etc. should add more than enough grey water to keep the pipes open. If the sewage is not flowing, then the plumbing should be corrected. Sewage will flow in an almost flat pipe, as long as it has a smooth slope with no hills or valleys. Put enough 1/4" stone in the trench to create a very smooth slope the full width of the trench, for the length of the trench. Then lay the pipe in the trench. Use Sch 40 PVC so the pipe remains round after being backfilled. Backfill to at least to the mid line of the pipe with 1/4" stone, four inches above the pipe would be better if stone is available. Careful digging to the correct trench grade will save a lot of stone. Anywhere that is too deep, must be filled with stone to prevent the pipe from settling. Once the pipe is properly bedded, backfill the trench with clean dirt, i.e. no rocks.

Cutting the tree roots off might be part of the long term solution. Pump the tank before any solids can overflow the outlet baffle. Solids that make it to the drain field will clog the pores of the soil.

It should be possible to find a product on line to rejuvenate flooded drain fields.

Obvious short term solution to the swamp in the yard, is to drastically cut back on the amount of water flowing into the system.