County coming down on septic systems,, opinions wanted.

[Rat Rod Mac]

Wife and I recently received a letter in the mail from the county health department concerning septic systems in the county. Evidently every home owner that lives in the country or has a private septic system will receive one of these letters over the next year or two. I am going to write a section from that letter and see if any of you have a response.
Requirements: Your septic system must be serviced one time per year by a manufacturer qualified service person. Any secondary treatment such as leaching trenches must be evaluated. If this is a discharge septic system, the final effluent quality must be observed and assessed. The report for this service must be submitted to the county health department within one month of the service by the service providers. A list of providers is included on the back of this notice.
The wife called one of the service providers to see what is involved and was told it's a two part setup. First the come out and evaluate your system and then come back to pump your tank. My question is how do they inspect your system? I can take them out back and say ok here is where the leach lines go across my yard, but I'm not going to dig the yard up to prove it. Do any of you know how they check your leach lines? Do they have some kind of device like a hand held detector that can tell if there are lines in the ground? Have any of you gone through anything like this? If so what took place. Thanks to all who may respond to this situation. Oh, by the way, this is in Ohio. RRM

 

[teejk]

Every year seems excessive. Wisconsin is pretty strict on septics but even that involves inspection/pumping every 3 years. Our inspection involves opening the tank and looking at sludge levels. If more than 1/3, pumping is required. Our septic guy will pump every 3 years regardless. We don't have requirements for leach fields but I know that a pre-sale inspection will flush dye into the system and check the surface for any sign of it.

 

[dmccarty]

Seems VERY excessive for a conventional septic system.

In my part of NC, we do not have any inspections for conventional septic systems. Low Pressure Pipe(LLP) systems require twice yearly inspection but the home owner can go to a class to be able to do the inspection.

Later,
Dan

 

[GLyford]

"Inspect" means dig up the top of the tank and check for cracks and leaks. Pull the covers, pump out, and check for cracks on the inside.

Then uncover and do the same for the distribution box. I am glad I had mine looked at, it was eaten through at the water line (where air and water meet).

So yes, lots of digging.

There are several types of solids filters they can add to tanks now to keep them from plugging the field. They now add control caps inside the d-box on all the pipe runs so that they all accept water at the same time (there is an offset hole and they are turned until they are at the same level). And depending on how well your leach system runs and the soil it is in, they sometimes add vent(s) at the far end of the field to change the system from anaerobic to aerobic.

For a partially clogged field ("biomat" from trying to process fats/oils) they can sometimes charge the system with enzyme and rejuvenate it. Might need to be redone every several years.

If your county is all on clay, I can see it being needed to do every year. Probably ledge, too. I am lucky, I am on sand...I am told every three years at the most or the active cultures start to die off.

I also have an "old school" 4" perf pipe field. I don't know if having the dome tunnels changes anything.

 

[oosik]

After twenty seven years I had my septic system upgraded to a septic tank - pump tank - pressurized drain field. Initially the health dept was going to require a "permit to operate" that had to be renewed every three years. Renewal required evaluation of my system. So I began keeping records of the conditions of my system and recorded same every six months.

For whatever reason the "permit to operate" went by the wayside and now I check, evaluate and service my system based upon my 2X annual inspection and evaluation.

I'm located in Spokane County, WA.

 

[GLyford]

If your county is all on clay, I can see it being needed to do every year.

Sorry, this is not clear...I mean "maintain" (pump out, peek inside tank)...a full dig-up inspection "should" only be needed at (hopefully much) longer intervals.

 

[Gary Fowler]

With just the wife and I on our system and the occasional group of visitors during holidays, my system is 8 years old, never been pumped, cant tell by the grass greening where the field distribution lines are at. They are pretty deep under ground and very little water/solids goes into the tank daily so I don't expect to require pumping in less than 10 years

 

[oosik]

Mine was last pumped four years ago. I just did my 6 month eval last week. Based upon the solids accumulation in the first compartment of the septic tank - I'll be able to go, at least, another 12 to 14 years before needing to be pumped. Its only me on a system designed to handle six people.

However - as efficient as you may feel a septic system is - even a system with such light loading as mine or Gary F - they will need eventual pumping.

My pressure drain field area alway looks really weird this time of year. Three bright green rows - each 100 feet long by 2 feet wide - in an otherwise sea of dead field/bunch grass.

This time of year and until late Sept or mid Oct - the scene out here is tan, tan and a lot more tan. And still another day of smoke, ash & crud from area wildfires.

 

[Einthewoods]

Seems more of nanny state BS. Every year is ridiculous. Being forced to have the system checked (outside of a sale) at all is ridiculous.

If it passes the standards at time of install, that should cbe all the government intrusion. After that it is the owners responsibility. If you as the owner want to pump/inspect every year, great. If you want to wait 5 years, great.

Sorry to hear you got the letter. Would not make me happy in the least.

 

[Einthewoods]

Btw, what state are you in?