New Septic System Troubles

[jrdepew]

Quick update....

3.5" of rain today...system is totally full. Sitting here covered in sweat from the gym and afraid to shower :thumbdown:

Builder call septic company and they are sending a truck tomorrow between 11 and 2.

It is nice that they are quick to respond to my calls when there is an emergency situation...but this is getting wayyyyyyy long in the tooth now.

Builder says next step is some fill dirt, sod, and gutters on the house...I don't see how that will fix the field itself. I told the builder my concerns and he thinks gutters and sod will work. I told him that I think the septic company is blowing smoke...

-Joe

 

[boggen]

getting water off of dirt/gravel driveways, and then into ditches, and then making sure ditches carry water way...really helps dirt/gravel driveways.

gutters on sheds and homes, in cold areas of the world. really help more so when frost heave comes into play, and/or basements and getting water in basements. and making sure the water gets down the gutters and then is routed away from home.

if they are looking at attempting to build up the area were leach field is. to mound it up. so rain water runs off and away from leach field. and also add gutters to home. so no water is headed towards the leach field but to a lower spot. they are attempting to dry the spot up. instead of turning into a stinky bog.

a general guide line for placement leach fields. is that the area actual drains rain water away. and in that not actually being a low spot were water collects.

i briefly skimmed thread, so maybe i missed something. the handful of pictures do not really tell the tale. of how your property landscape is as far as were run off rain water comes and goes. one picture kinda shows leach line on a hill. and then another picture it looks like leach field is in a low spot of the yard.

=============
it has been to long for me to remember "percolation tests". but if you have a 3pt hitch post hole digger. or if you want rent a one man and more likely a 2 man post hole digger. drill down and clean the hole out as far as you can go. drop a tape measure down into it. (preferably a stick tape measure), fill hole up with water. mark water level on tape measure / stick. and start the clock. and see how long it takes for water to go down inch by inch.

i think there is more to peculation tests, i just do not remember without googling it up and reading over it again. somewhere along the lines of locations of test holes, and how hole/s are dug, what might be required for it to be credited as far as an engineer marking it off as ok to rely on reading, or local plumbing permit department / health department license wise that i was done correctly. along with timing and size and depth of holes. and amount of water. time restraint, as in from digging hole. to how long you have till actually doing the test. any longer than X time, and soil may dry out, or rain water gets in. and tests become voided.

 

[PILOON]

Around here a soil engineer's report as to the absorption qualities of the soil is now mandatory, Getting rid of crap is sure getting to be costly.
20 years ago a proper (and still effective) septic system cost about $3000. but today you are close to adding another '0' with new names like Bionest, Ekoflow etc.
Heck they now have circulation pumps in the field runs as well as 'inspection ports' for each field leg.

Gone are the days of a 45 gal drum filled with crushed stone, (good thing),

 

[Tractor Seabee]

'Iv read through all this and am appalled. Your area is probably going through the trauma of rapid build-up we have been contending with on the west coast for years. Cram as many houses into an acre you can coerce local authority to approve. Stuff gets built in swamps and on the side of rock cliffs to get just one more lot. Out here local jurisdictions have started denying building permits for potential problem areas and we now call them "Green Belts". All new plats and even individual lots also have to have an engineered site drainage plan. Around here you are looking at $60-70K before the foundation starts. A house you may pay $200K in your area is probably $3.5-4K out here.

If the house is worth the effort and money it is time for forensic engineering of the whole plat. Getting lawyers in the act w/o serious/recognized independent engineering practice is a waste of your money and lining for their pockets. These guys are just trying to wear you down hoping you will go away till their one year warranty is past. You probably do need to get a judge to extend your warranty for the whole house and lot until all evidence of problems is past. Remember the original building contractor is the only person you have a contract with. All others work for him. If a third party developer (that the contractor bought the lot from) platted out and developed the lots may be liable for the site engineering and development cost probably has some liability also. Talking to the bit players only weakens your hand. Everybody in the developer/contractor chain has an interest in covering their *** not fixing your problem at this point. Eventually a judge will have to tell each one where they lye. Maybe the end result is the developer/contractor team buys you out with damages included.

Ron

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Builder says next step is some fill dirt, sod, and gutters on the house...I don't see how that will fix the field itself.

It won't. It can't. What's on top has nothing to do with it. Your builder is either an idiot or a crook.


It's long past time you lawyererd up. The longer you wait, the weaker your case.


You are being railroaded to the cleaners and you are paying for the ticket.

 

[downsizingnow48]

They built the wrong system and are hoping to BS and delay and avoid the cost of a complete rebuild.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

They built the wrong system and are hoping to BS and delay and avoid the cost of a complete rebuild.

Exactly. They will play with him until he gives up, if he doesn't wise up.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Sitting here covered in sweat from the gym and afraid to shower :thumbdown:

Joe, here is how you handle problems with work done incorrectly. You stand your ground and insist it be redone, correctly. You will need a lawyer because there are a bunch of bucks at stake, but the principle is the same.

The builder is doing the right thing and getting it taken care of, but it did take some effort on our part.

There's really not much difference in the two situations. Work was done incorrectly, and the only cure is to completely re-do the work.

 

[spokane 1]

read most of the posts and I think your septic guy adding dirt is fine... water peculating upward is a good sign....(let those dam soil scientists smell their problem) and let us bury our lines deeper.

(I wait for the soil science to come in before I decide what systems to use).. heres your system choices......pressure caps,gravity feed,sand filer pools with air aerobic, gravity infiltrator, pressure infiltrator,3 foot wide leech fields 6 foot side leach fields,15 foot wide leach fields, 30 foot wide leech fields. double tanks, double sand pools,

this is just a small list of systems of septic systems available.


do a core sample and if you have clay at 4-5 foot deep you should be able to just cover this with soil and be done.
if your clay is 3 foot deep I recommend abandoning the single line look for your reserve area and install the infiltrator system with no rocks.


most of the thousands of systems ive installed leak upward for a month or two until underground golfer holes fill in and plug or new fissures are carved and the system begins working.
there are so many variables with septic systems its very difficult to sue a installer....they have the act of god on their side.
if its just a small wet spot and the tanks function well just give it more soil....your in a high clay area.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Quick update....

3.5" of rain today...system is totally full. Sitting here covered in sweat from the gym and afraid to shower :thumbdown:

Builder call septic company and they are sending a truck tomorrow between 11 and 2.

It is nice that they are quick to respond to my calls when there is an emergency situation...but this is getting wayyyyyyy long in the tooth now.

Builder says next step is some fill dirt, sod, and gutters on the house...I don't see how that will fix the field itself. I told the builder my concerns and he thinks gutters and sod will work. I told him that I think the septic company is blowing smoke...

-Joe

Johns Island... High water table is also part of your problem. Have you talked to your County Soils Extension Agent? Google soils map for your area, find where you are and you will know immediately what your problem is. County health dept should also be brought in. Kiss your builder goodbye, him and his sub have no idea what they are up against. I lived in SC for 27 years, never assume a builder or tradesman actually knows what they are doing...