Driving over a septic tank

[SATOHBULL]

Funny story: Way back when we built a new home on a rural acreage. Heavily wooded and we only clear a acre or so for the house. Had a few stumps in the front yard for a couple of years. When the next door sold my soon to be neighbor was prepping his lot and had a dozer onsite. I arranged for the operator to bring his D7 sized machine over an remove a few of my stumps. He drove over, idled it down, stood up and yelled 'where's your septic tank'?

I pointed at his tracks. He had stopped dead center of the tank, after driving over most of the drain field.

There was no problem whatsoever. It's not so much the total weight as the loading per sqft. With tracks it's very low, and with nice wide tractor tires it's not much more.

Boy I sure wouldn’t drive over the tank with anything heavier than a riding lawnmower.

 

[Jaygyver]

Worked in that industry for a few years and 10" is just too shallow for that weight.
I'd be even leery of taking a smaller car across it. I just don't trust manufacturers any more. I've seen 3 month old new concrete tanks break.
As been mentioned before, different tanks, the age of the tank, soil, etc, plays a big part.

With that being said, mine is a concrete tank and it's down about 24" and we have driven the car over it and our lighter JD-770 a few times. We do have another route we made years ago so nothing goes over it now except the mower or our lighter SxS.

 

[5030]

Like I said previously, nothing more stinky than going through the lid of an older concrete tank.... and I've had first article experience. I had to pressure wash the back end of the tractor after that self imposed fiasco.

I suspect than when a concrete tank ages, the lids get more brittle. My origional tank was around 50 years old.

 

[RB5]

Try it a couple times then send us pics. j/k.. I wouldn't.

 

[jr838]

I have an LS 4140 with cab and loaded tires. Estimated weight is 5500 lbs.

Would it be safe to drive over a septic tank buried 10” below grade?

Do not do it, I dropped the front of a 444 IH tractor in one! Not fun getting it out.

 

[DarkBlack]

Pump it out every 3 years or less.

Yeah right, maybe if you have a family of 12 spicy burrito lovers , on an old one bedroom spec’d septic system

 

[caver]

Slightly off topic but lagoons are allowed and fairly common where I'm building due to clay and maybe an inch of top soil. Is it better to still have a septic tank before the lagoon? My neighbor says she does not have a lagoon but it seems like If I can get one in it would be better. No inspectors, no codes blah blah.

 

[deadheadmartin]

I have an LS 4140 with cab and loaded tires. Estimated weight is 5500 lbs.

Would it be safe to drive over a septic tank buried 10” below grade?

Concrete or plastic tank? Makes all the difference in the world. Yes, I would drive over a concrete tank with said tractor but not a plastic tank nor the leach field.

 

[RayIN]

Like I said previously, nothing more stinky than going through the lid of an older concrete tank.... and I've had first article experience. I had to pressure wash the back end of the tractor after that self imposed fiasco.

I suspect than when a concrete tank ages, the lids get more brittle. My origional tank was around 50 years old.

when I was young, the old-timer concrete men told me when concrete is poured, the first 50 years it slowly gets harder, the second 50 years it is in the softening/degradation stage.
The qualifier is; what concrete "recipe" was used. I've seen 5 yr-old concrete crumbling already.

 

[TORQUIN]

I agree with better safe than sorry, here. I would suggest a solution a septic guy told me when he pumped mine many years ago. Do away with the lid, whichever one used for pumping, and put a 36" well casing and lid on top. This way you never lose sight of the location of the septic tank and everyone can easily avoid it. I also planted roses and put a decorative windmill beside it. It's also easy access when it needs to be pumped in the future.

Chris