How often do you have your septic tank pumped?

[ultrarunner]

County requires every three years inspection and pump if needed to keep operational permit current. They used to allow owner to do stinky stick check and file report. We now have to pay someone to do it, (like I'm going to deliberately let my system fail.) Cost is about $300 to get it pumped.
System is an 1100 gallon tank that drains onto a pump chamber, from there to a sand filter then to the drain field. System cost about $30K twenty years ago. County health department recommended and approved design, sand filter failed about five years after construction. Have to bypass it periodically to allow biomat to dissipate.
Septic engineer recommended an aerobic digester to replace sand filter, it would have required an ultraviolet sterilizer to kill the e coli bacteria ( area surrounded by cow and horse pastures). County would have required annual uv bulb replacement by "professional" - as owner I could not be trusted. Cost for annual replacement $1500.
Several years ago I built a riser wall out of cinder blocks around the septic tank with a small deck on top of it that I can lift off with the FEL. I was tired of digging up the lawn every three years for inspection and pumping. Have noticed that since my son moved out there is far less accumulation in the tank than before.

I had a regular pumper in Thurston County... in and out no issues.

He retired and the last pump was a lot more involved... digging and more inspection... $350

 

[Doofy]

...and they wonder why their tax base moves elsewhere to retire.

 

[ruffdog]

I added the concrete risers to the two tanks so the covers are at ground level. It is easy to remove them for pumping and gives me a good spot to put the bird baths. Just be sure that the area around the covers is higher than surrounding area so heavy rains or spring melt doesn't run in.

 

[mapper]

I had a regular pumper in Thurston County... in and out no issues.

He retired and the last pump was a lot more involved... digging and more inspection... $350

Had to find a new pumper a few years back, first one was not very good. Got one now that's really good, he's a younger guy that owns the business. Company named Envirotech. I figure he will be around a lot longer than me so I should be good for as long as I live here.

 

[TnAndy]

...and they wonder why their tax base moves elsewhere to retire.

Or even well before retirement.

 

[ultrarunner]

Had to find a new pumper a few years back, first one was not very good. Got one now that's really good, he's a younger guy that owns the business. Company named Envirotech. I figure he will be around a lot longer than me so I should be good for as long as I live here.

Appreciate the lead... being long distance can complicates things... power out at your place with trees down?

Right now nothing going into the septic as no well pump without power.

 

[goeduck]

I’ve only been in this house since last year so I have not had the tank pumped yet. I did have a locator guy come out and find the leech lines for me. They are nothing more than corrugated perf pipe about a foot and a half down under some big cedar trees (it seldom gets below freezing here). He thought that as long as I kept the tank pumped and only clear water was being pumped into the field that I should be fine, the tree roots would suck up the moisture. House has been on those leech lines since it was built in 1988 so I can’t argue.

 

[dmccarty]

I added the concrete risers to the two tanks so the covers are at ground level. It is easy to remove them ...

Good advice.

Our septic tanks has two chambers. The waste pipe from the house goes into the first chamber and the liquid that goes to the leach field is in the second chamber. The second chamber has a filter to protect the leach field.

The code in place when we built our house required a riser on the second chamber but not on the first. Unscrupulous septic tank pumpers have been known to only pump the one chamber, leaving the second chamber unpumped. Our pumper does the job right and we added a second riser for the other chamber. Makes it easy to pump both chambers.

The NC Extension office has information on when to pump which is based on number of people in the house and septic tank size.

We pump every four years or so. Try to do it in a presidential election year since that makes it easy to remember.

Later,
Dan

 

[mapper]

Appreciate the lead... being long distance can complicates things... power out at your place with trees down?

Right now nothing going into the septic as no well pump without power.

Power was out for about four hours night before last. Just enough to give the generator a little exercise. Wind did rattle things around a bit. I did have to run about 150' of extension cord up to the greenhouse to keep it inflated, wind was really shaking it until the walls and roof reinflated.

 

[mapper]

I’ve only been in this house since last year so I have not had the tank pumped yet. I did have a locator guy come out and find the leech lines for me. They are nothing more than corrugated perf pipe about a foot and a half down under some big cedar trees (it seldom gets below freezing here). He thought that as long as I kept the tank pumped and only clear water was being pumped into the field that I should be fine, the tree roots would suck up the moisture. House has been on those leech lines since it was built in 1988 so I can’t argue.

Western Red Cedar roots can invade and plug up your leech lines, and nutrient rich waste water is really yummy stuff to them.