Did you ever throw $2000 down a hole?

John White · Jul 24, 2013

Ok: Hers is what I think I am going to try. Give me your opinion before I start. I think I am going to buy one of these Poly septic tanks. Maybe a 1000 gal or 1500 gal. Bury it as deep as my tractor will dig. Dig two ditches, (one from each end) extending about 50' in each direction and have them to drain into the tank, dig a ditch from each eve spout, install the black coragated pipe, (will have the pipe buried , but not connected to the down spout, so leaves don't plug it up) then fill the ditches with 57 gravel. Question? Should I use the slotted, or the O hole with holes up, and should I lay straw over the pipe before adding gravel, to prevent the fines from filtering down?

dodge man · Jul 24, 2013

Do you have a pick up truck? If you do, bury the tank and just haul water to it. Most towns have a place you can fill up a water tank for a dollar or two.

SPIKER · Jul 26, 2013

dodge man said:
Do you have a pick up truck? If you do, bury the tank and just haul water to it. Most towns have a place you can fill up a water tank for a dollar or two.

This is a good thought too, we have them in our local towns & they operate like a car wash only the hose is a old hunk of fire hose

If you go this direction DONT stick the hose in the tank and turn it on, as there is invariably some sort of rust sludge or ??? that comes out in the first 10 gallons or so.

The Septic tank idea should work OK just need to make sure you will have access into the tank for pump access. A good drop tube into it for filling from above should you find cheap hauling water or someone to haul it in. (Just make sure to have a good sealed locking cap so you dont have to worry about something getting into it.)

On the two longer leach lines running into it should work OK, I would buy the black plastic with the filter cloth on it or buy the slitted type and install the filter cloth yourself. it is not too hard to install use about 4 or 6' of 6" PVC slip the filter fabric onto the PVC and drag the tile thru the pvc with the filter fabric trailing off of it. (I've done this 2 different time works well and you can get a full roll of filter fabric onto 5' of PCV just bevel and burn edges of PVC some so they are smooth.)

I would forgo the straw and use landscape fabric or Geo-textile fabric. dig the trenches (V-Bottom) lay out some plastic in bottom good thick 6mil stuff. lay in the pipe and cover with some WASHED "Crusher Run" for 1/2 trench then WASHED 57 limestone up to about 2 feet. Put in a layer of Geo-textile Fabric or 30 year landscape fabric. then some sand to 6" finish with some good peat & soil mix leave it sink in some so they are small trench and seed well. the water will filter thru the peat/soil/sand and into the tank. should be very clean coming into the septic tank and provide extra water. run some good filters in house/shop and to make the stuff drinkable you should install UV Filter and a Carbon/DI under sink filter that would make one point drinkable.

Peat Moss makes a pretty good filter. BTW
Mark