Installing new septic system

[LC Brewing]

The corners of the tank have small depressions (maybe 2"x2") at the mid-points, which the chains slip into when picking the tank. While not nearly as fail-safe or sturdy as the clutches used on more industrial vaults, that's pretty much the way every septic tank I've seen delivered looked.

 

[monkeymonk]

Infiltraitors?correct.
How many feet did you lay? how many leach lines?

starting mine soon, plastic tank.

 

[stumpfield]

Infiltraitors?correct.
How many feet did you lay? how many leach lines?

starting mine soon, plastic tank.

2 leach lines. 100 feet each and a 1500 gal tank. Original plan called for 3 lines at 70 feet each but because of the slope, the inspector suggest 2 lines at 100' each would be better.

 

[CurlyDave]

I am freaking amazed that they didn't use pick holes with the tank to lift it off the truck.

I had a septic tank installed in Southern Oregon last week and that is exactly how they lifted it off the truck and placed it.

2 leach lines. 100 feet each and a 1500 gal tank.

How many bedrooms? I have four and OR required 450 feet of leach line. That seems like an awful lot to me, even though I am a big believer in overkill.

 

[stumpfield]

How many bedrooms? I have four and OR required 450 feet of leach line. That seems like an awful lot to me, even though I am a big believer in overkill.

3 bedroom 3 baths. It depends on your soil and how well it drains. I got mostly DG that looks just like sand. It drains very well. I don't see how I can ever fill that up. My system is consider overkill too but that's the typical for a 3 bedroom system in this area.

 

[Highbeam]

I guess I just never have seen one of these unloaded. I get called before and after the drop. I've seen plenty of storm and sewer manholes dropped with actual holes to attach the rigging. I'm not going under that septic tank hanging by those divots. Eeek.

 

[dfkrug]

Since you are in California, do you need to have a septic person design a system? They seem to have lots of rules down there.

Wow, ain't that the truth! In CA, each county has an Environmental
Health Dept that has seemingly unlimited and arbitrary authority. Leach
field size requirements have been used for years here to deny
development of vacant parcels.

I had to fight mine tooth-and-nail to be allowed to install an engineered
pump-up system which used Infiltrator Systems chambers. I have
2 1500 concrete tanks, an Orenco Systems submersible pump and vault
system, and 300 feet of leach line 400 feet away. At 200 feet of
head and 2" PVC pressure lines. The pump control system and alarms,
plus pump and vault was something like $1500 just for the parts. I have
had a few failures (under-specced flex lines and poor factory assembly).
I also had to pay a septic engineering firm for design services.

 

[stumpfield]

Wow, ain't that the truth! In CA, each county has an Environmental
Health Dept that has seemingly unlimited and arbitrary authority. Leach
field size requirements have been used for years here to deny
development of vacant parcels.

I had to fight mine tooth-and-nail to be allowed to install an engineered
pump-up system which used Infiltrator Systems chambers. I have
2 1500 concrete tanks, an Orenco Systems submersible pump and vault
system, and 300 feet of leach line 400 feet away. At 200 feet of
head and 2" PVC pressure lines. The pump control system and alarms,
plus pump and vault was something like $1500 just for the parts. I have
had a few failures (under-specced flex lines and poor factory assembly).
I also had to pay a septic engineering firm for design services.

I had an apportunity to chat with the health dept. inspector while he was there. He did mention there are many complex septic system like yours over here too. It all depends on the location and the soil type. That's why when looking for rural land, this is one of the many important things we need to be aware of. An engineered septic system is to mitigate the not so perfect location for a septic system. On small parcels and with all the design constraints, they may not be buildable land. I'm sure nobody wants to live 20 yard from a failed septic system.

 

[bugstruck]

What diameter is that corrugated pipe in photo 4? The world sure is changing. We ran 4" perf PVC here until they went sand mound happy.

We had relatively few failures with leech fields and even fewer with drywells so I don't know the full reasoning on the mounds. I suppose the 1/2 acre lots didn't have replacement field areas so they started with them and then made nearly everyone go that route. Sand mound doesn't make much sense on a 2-3 acre lot if the soil perks well IMO. The sand mound failures are coming. In about 6 or 7 years it will be fast and furious. Then they'll change something else. They went past the good solutions to the bad one IMO. I'm on a 34 year old drywell and the lid may fail before the drywell does. I have an inspection pipe in it and I'd guess it has at least 15- 20 years left based on effluent levels. I'd be on sand mound # 3 right about now had that been the design installed in 1972. Others here are on 50+ year old conventional systems that still function well. At 17,000.00 a crack that sand mound is no bargain. Did I say I don't like them? Some members have them and do like them though and get some longevity but they are in arid areas as best I recall. Does anybody have a sand mound that has some real years on it? They are failing just over the PA line, north of me at around 13 years. Been doing it longer there and the failure rate is nuts. They are virtually all failing. I do understand you can put them back in the same location in some jurisdictions. That's the only advantage I see.

 

[stumpfield]

What diameter is that corrugated pipe in photo 4? The world sure is changing. We ran 4" perf PVC here until they went sand mound happy.

They called it "Infiltrator". It's half of a pipe about 3 feet diameter. There's an inspection pipe at the far end and at the distribution box. You can regulate the flow by adjusting valves at the distribution box to control how much flow to each line.

Over here, you either install exactly what was specified by the health dept as stated on the permit or you hire your own septic engineering firm to design an equivalent system. I knew nothing about septic system so I did exactly what they want. Besides, it's a free design. Your tax dollar paid their salary. Why not let them work for you. Which system is the best is questionable because each location is somewhat different and so many variables can affect it's performance.