Finding septic tanks

Jagmandave · Mar 13, 2006

The way they say they'll build mine, the leach field is actually uphill from the tank, hence the pump. But I thought they had to have aeration blowers to work properly?

And they said the same thing about the ground for mine - undisturbed. I had a couple of trees to cut down, and they said cut them down, grind the stumps to flush, and leave the rest......

tlbuser · Mar 14, 2006

Not really. From the house, 1st tank gets the solids, 2nd tank gets the liquids. Pump / alarm system in 2nd tank sends the liquid uphill to the mound. Typically, the mound will have a sand base, then gravel, then pipes, more gravel to cover. Next, a layer of clay is "wrapped around" the mound to seal it. Add topsoil and grass seed. You now have a somewhat fragile above grade leach bed.

We set a high/low level alarm in the second tank. Gives a nice audible alarm should the pump or mound fail / backup.

You should not use anything heavier than a push mower over the mound area. The less mowing, the better (IMO).It's best for the mound not to allow tree growth. Anything that can permeate the clay cap will result in a blowout and may or may not be fixable. And, bad news is, for us anyways, you can't strip off the old one and use the same site for a new one. If / when these fail, hope for city sewer, otherwise you and the "honey dipper" will get to be good friends.

LBrown59 · Apr 6, 2006

I'm actually quite surprised that a system was approved *without* a drain field ... Perhaps at the time of installation it was approved,
* I doubt a new system could be installed that way ...

========== 
 *Exactly and therein lies the problem: 
Now they want you to add a leach bed to the system which brings you back to the very problem the system was designed to eliminate.
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LBrown59 · Apr 6, 2006

1*Your not counting the fact that a single tank is cheaper and that money is put into the leach field.
2*I'm not talking of adding a leach field to an aerator system.
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2* Well I am because single tanks are no longer permitted here; You have to use the more expesive aerator system then screw it up by adding an expensive leach bed to it.

We used to have to have a septic with a leach bed.
Then along came the system I have that don't require a leach bed but has a drain pipe instead.
Now comes the county who requires that a leach bed be added to systems like mine thus reintroducing the problems that my system was desigined to eliminate.

LBrown59 · Apr 6, 2006

Here along the Ohio River there are numerous plants on both the Ohio and W. Va. banks of the river discharging effluents from the plants into the river.

I've seen any where from 1 to 4 discharge pipes per plant from 4 to 6 feet in diameter spewing this pollution into the water 24/7.
Just one of these pipes probably spews out more contamination than all the residential septic systems in this county put together.

And they're worried about the homeowners causing a problem.
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( ( I am not surprized one bit that the regulations in WA are more stringent and wussy than those in the midwest or in other largely rural states. So many of these local rules are affected by politics.

We can't dump effluent on the ground. In some states, apparently you can. Even if I could dump it on the ground, I think I would install some sort of gravel trench so I wouldn't have to look at it or possibly smell it. Imagine in the summer everything is brown except for a discharge of nutrient rich liquid from your system. Dogs going over there to lap it up, kids making mud balls, etc. )

I agree, but I think that LBrown59 saying his way is the "best" is (excuse the pun) a tankful of sewage.

I'm lucky to have excellent perk values. I have 2 septics with relatively small drain fields on each. Neither gets "overloaded", and the only problems I've incurred is tree roots on an infeed (stupid PO's wouldn't cut one tree in the middle of the forest), and the stump removal (again, stupid PO's wouldn't cut another tree in the middle of the forest).

I also understand that Wood_Butcher_Dav got very similar prices for a septic vs. aerator. That 100' "french" drain mighta been a 100' septic drainfield had they go down another foot or two.

It all involves the site, the perk, and the space. If you perk bad, you might need LOTSA space for a septic drainfield, and less for an aerator. The less excavation, the less cost so the upfront cost of the aerator can pan out.

The days of raw effluent to the surface tho are over folks ... I think federal reqs in 2000 are mandated to be put into effect at some point (and wussy WA state is already there). And in things like this, "grandfathered" in is only good till the property is sold.

)

Highbeam · Apr 6, 2006

The outfalls from treatment plants are monitored for quality and quantity. The treatment process is also monitored for effectiveness and exceeds that done at home. Still, it is effluent and directly discharged into a large body of water for dilution. Back in the day, there was no treatment just dilution.

LBrown59 · Apr 7, 2006

1*The outfalls from treatment plants are monitored for quality and quantity. The treatment process is also monitored for effectiveness and exceeds that done at home.
2*Still, it is effluent and directly discharged into a large body of water for dilution
. Back in the day, there was no treatment just dilution. 
*******************
1* I'm not talking about sewage treatment plant's The plants I told about are chemical and manufacturing plants although there are municipal sewer plants dumping their waist into the river in addition to those plants.
2*Boy O Boy the river is really going to dilute the stuff from all these multiple 4 and 6 foot discharge pipes a bunch compared to my 4'' septic drain pipe.