New Septic System Troubles

[KYErik]

Do you have a sizable ditch within 100 feet of your house? If so, it might be easier for them to replumb your washing machine and shower drain lines into a 2" grey water line (assuming grey water lines are legal in your state). Installing a grey water line might save them some time and $ over making a major expansion to your drain field and it would likely result in your system lasting a lot longer. Even if they can add just enough leach field to keep it from coming out the top now in the dry summer, you might have the same problem sometime in a year or two during an exceptionally wet period.

 

[jrdepew]

Quick Update...

Finally started to really draw the attorney card about a month or two ago. Suddenly, everyone became a lot more responsive.

Long long long story short...

A different septic company came by and dug some small test holes by hand...easy digging in this sand. They verified that the organics/clay layer was never removed. They stopped hitting organics/clay about 16" down.

Another soil classifier was also sent by and did soil borings...he also verified that the organics/clay was not removed. He also discovered some roots and clay in the fill that was supposed to be clean sand fill. He advised removing this fill where possible and replacing it with the fill that is to be brought in (see below).

Both of them reported into the engineer. We all met and/or talked on the phone a few times and devised a plan to get this thing fixed once and for all.

1. All of the original septic system minus one of the original beds will be removed and the spoils hauled away. One bed is being left in service so we can stay in the house. This is a big deal since my wife and I both work from home.
2. As much of the soil in the buffer zone and taper of the original bed that is being left behind is to be removed.
3. Septic installer will continue to remove material until all organics/roots/clay has been passed. The installer advised that this has been as much as 4ft of material in past installs, but is usually <2ft.
4. Clean fill will be brought in to replace all removed soil and to build up the area of the septic system to original grade. I hand delivered a sample of this sand to the soil classifier and he verified that it is a "Class 1" sand and is perfect for septic systems. This is the fill that was originally called out in the engineering drawings.
5. The new septic system will be installed per the new engineering drawing. This septic system is identical to the design of the original septic system in size. Therefore the resulting system (remember that one bed is being left behind) will be 150% the size.
6. Sod will be brought in to cover all exposed soil.

I have not been asked for a dime, and will not be paying for any of this.

We have now had this issue for ~1yr and have had our septic tank pumped 6-7 times at 300-400 dollars a pop.

I also talked extensively with the DHEC during this time about what is going on.

I hope this fixes the issue, and I will keep doing updates until this is resolved. They are supposed to get machines delivered and the fence to the back yard taken down today.

I forgot to report earlier...but was looking at getting gutters on the house (builder offered to pay and sent a gutter company over). I finally agreed after some back and forth and they came to do the install. We have a shadowboard on our fascia (essentially a stepped fascia). Instead of getting the special brackets that fully support the gutter with this style fascia, or installing a PVC adder board to support the fascia, the gutter installers were going to tuck the gutter up hard against the shingles and OVER the dripedge. They showed me what they planned to do and after explaining to the installer all the things wrong with what they were doing I asked them to leave...so, no gutters yet for me.

I have since noticed that there are TONS of gutters installed this way down here. Many of the new developments have house after house after house with the gutter up tight to the shingles, over the dripedge, and inadequate support for the gutter. The question I keep asking myself is...in an area that gets as much rain as Charleston, SC...why the heck would a shadowboard be used on the fascia, which makes gutter installs more complicated ?! Especially since the gutter will cover the shadowboard detail anyway...

Makes me sick to my stomach looking at some of the building practices down here and I wonder what issues I will have with my house in the future. Good thing the beach is so close so I can crack open a few Coronas and forget about it on the weekends

-Joe

 

[hawkeye08]

Sounds like some progress, hopefully you get some positive progress and get this behind you soon.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Quick Update...

Finally started to really draw the attorney card about a month or two ago. Suddenly, everyone became a lot more responsive.

Whoda thunk.

 

[RNeumann]

Quick Update...

Finally started to really draw the attorney card about a month or two ago. Suddenly, everyone became a lot more responsive.

Long long long story short...

A different septic company came by and dug some small test holes by hand...easy digging in this sand. They verified that the organics/clay layer was never removed. They stopped hitting organics/clay about 16" down.

Another soil classifier was also sent by and did soil borings...he also verified that the organics/clay was not removed. He also discovered some roots and clay in the fill that was supposed to be clean sand fill. He advised removing this fill where possible and replacing it with the fill that is to be brought in (see below).

Both of them reported into the engineer. We all met and/or talked on the phone a few times and devised a plan to get this thing fixed once and for all.

1. All of the original septic system minus one of the original beds will be removed and the spoils hauled away. One bed is being left in service so we can stay in the house. This is a big deal since my wife and I both work from home.
2. As much of the soil in the buffer zone and taper of the original bed that is being left behind is to be removed.
3. Septic installer will continue to remove material until all organics/roots/clay has been passed. The installer advised that this has been as much as 4ft of material in past installs, but is usually <2ft.
4. Clean fill will be brought in to replace all removed soil and to build up the area of the septic system to original grade. I hand delivered a sample of this sand to the soil classifier and he verified that it is a "Class 1" sand and is perfect for septic systems. This is the fill that was originally called out in the engineering drawings.
5. The new septic system will be installed per the new engineering drawing. This septic system is identical to the design of the original septic system in size. Therefore the resulting system (remember that one bed is being left behind) will be 150% the size.
6. Sod will be brought in to cover all exposed soil.

I have not been asked for a dime, and will not be paying for any of this.

We have now had this issue for ~1yr and have had our septic tank pumped 6-7 times at 300-400 dollars a pop.

I also talked extensively with the DHEC during this time about what is going on.

I hope this fixes the issue, and I will keep doing updates until this is resolved. They are supposed to get machines delivered and the fence to the back yard taken down today.

I forgot to report earlier...but was looking at getting gutters on the house (builder offered to pay and sent a gutter company over). I finally agreed after some back and forth and they came to do the install. We have a shadowboard on our fascia (essentially a stepped fascia). Instead of getting the special brackets that fully support the gutter with this style fascia, or installing a PVC adder board to support the fascia, the gutter installers were going to tuck the gutter up hard against the shingles and OVER the dripedge. They showed me what they planned to do and after explaining to the installer all the things wrong with what they were doing I asked them to leave...so, no gutters yet for me.

I have since noticed that there are TONS of gutters installed this way down here. Many of the new developments have house after house after house with the gutter up tight to the shingles, over the dripedge, and inadequate support for the gutter. The question I keep asking myself is...in an area that gets as much rain as Charleston, SC...why the heck would a shadowboard be used on the fascia, which makes gutter installs more complicated ?! Especially since the gutter will cover the shadowboard detail anyway...

Makes me sick to my stomach looking at some of the building practices down here and I wonder what issues I will have with my house in the future. Good thing the beach is so close so I can crack open a few Coronas and forget about it on the weekends

-Joe

It will work out and the correct fix will happen. Sounds like the contractor is doing a lot- including bringing in a new septic contractor.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Quick Update...

Finally started to really draw the attorney card about a month or two ago. Suddenly, everyone became a lot more responsive.

Long long long story short...

A different septic company came by and dug some small test holes by hand...easy digging in this sand. They verified that the organics/clay layer was never removed. They stopped hitting organics/clay about 16" down.

Another soil classifier was also sent by and did soil borings...he also verified that the organics/clay was not removed. He also discovered some roots and clay in the fill that was supposed to be clean sand fill. He advised removing this fill where possible and replacing it with the fill that is to be brought in (see below).

Both of them reported into the engineer. We all met and/or talked on the phone a few times and devised a plan to get this thing fixed once and for all.

1. All of the original septic system minus one of the original beds will be removed and the spoils hauled away. One bed is being left in service so we can stay in the house. This is a big deal since my wife and I both work from home.
2. As much of the soil in the buffer zone and taper of the original bed that is being left behind is to be removed.
3. Septic installer will continue to remove material until all organics/roots/clay has been passed. The installer advised that this has been as much as 4ft of material in past installs, but is usually <2ft.
4. Clean fill will be brought in to replace all removed soil and to build up the area of the septic system to original grade. I hand delivered a sample of this sand to the soil classifier and he verified that it is a "Class 1" sand and is perfect for septic systems. This is the fill that was originally called out in the engineering drawings.
5. The new septic system will be installed per the new engineering drawing. This septic system is identical to the design of the original septic system in size. Therefore the resulting system (remember that one bed is being left behind) will be 150% the size.
6. Sod will be brought in to cover all exposed soil.

I have not been asked for a dime, and will not be paying for any of this.

We have now had this issue for ~1yr and have had our septic tank pumped 6-7 times at 300-400 dollars a pop.

I also talked extensively with the DHEC during this time about what is going on.

I hope this fixes the issue, and I will keep doing updates until this is resolved. They are supposed to get machines delivered and the fence to the back yard taken down today.

I forgot to report earlier...but was looking at getting gutters on the house (builder offered to pay and sent a gutter company over). I finally agreed after some back and forth and they came to do the install. We have a shadowboard on our fascia (essentially a stepped fascia). Instead of getting the special brackets that fully support the gutter with this style fascia, or installing a PVC adder board to support the fascia, the gutter installers were going to tuck the gutter up hard against the shingles and OVER the dripedge. They showed me what they planned to do and after explaining to the installer all the things wrong with what they were doing I asked them to leave...so, no gutters yet for me.

I have since noticed that there are TONS of gutters installed this way down here. Many of the new developments have house after house after house with the gutter up tight to the shingles, over the dripedge, and inadequate support for the gutter. The question I keep asking myself is...in an area that gets as much rain as Charleston, SC...why the heck would a shadowboard be used on the fascia, which makes gutter installs more complicated ?! Especially since the gutter will cover the shadowboard detail anyway...

Makes me sick to my stomach looking at some of the building practices down here and I wonder what issues I will have with my house in the future. Good thing the beach is so close so I can crack open a few Coronas and forget about it on the weekends

-Joe

Welcome to SC... we lived there for 25 years, good contractors are so hard to find. Even the yankee one's who moved south quickly became terrible...watch them like a hawk...

 

[Tractor Seabee]

It's all about competition and dollars especially the residential trades. If you bid to do it right you won't get the work. The average homeowner hasn't a clue as to workmanship so they drive the train with dollars. I am going through the same thing up here on this new to us house. The younger workers do not know any better and think their sloppy cheap work is the norm. Sad state of affairs. I am redoing a lot of substandard work done in the last 10 years. One furnace crew running gas pipe did not know you were supposed to use a level on both horizontal and vertical work, did not have one on the truck. Piping on an angle instead of square corners and offsets was a new concept to them. Gas pipe is now installed as limber plastic the just draped into place like noodles, not even any hangers.

I am sure your septic installer honestly thought that the specification for the install and fill was not really a requirement and the cheapest material was normal.

Ron

 

[jrdepew]

Quick update....

Septic subcon has been by and set a temporary culvert pipe in the ditch and dropped a couple loads of dirt on it to make a temporary driveway. He is staying off my driveway 100% with his machines, which I appreciate. He dropped off his excavator but it is sitting idle because we have gotten nearly 5" of rain over the past few days...with more in the forecast.

Just called the builder to get my 7th or 8th septic tank pump in a years time because it is full enough again that I cannot flush toilets.

But we are making progress!!

-Joe

 

[hawkeye08]

Keep after them... been very dry here, 5-6 weeks with any moisture, plenty hot.

 

[CincyFlyer]

...in an area that gets as much rain as Charleston, SC...why the heck would a shadowboard be used on the fascia, which makes gutter installs more complicated ?! Especially since the gutter will cover the shadowboard detail anyway...-Joe

Simply. Many houses in Charleston will never have gutters! I happened to visit Charleston quite a bit back in the 1980's and 1990's; my friend's new house had no gutters. He's a civil engineer, and said that's what they do, the general theory being that the coastal soil is great for drainage (at least in some places!) He was on a salt marsh anyway, so there was a place for water to go besides into the ground. I went down there after it had rained for essentially two weeks, because he said that it simply couldn't rain any more. It rained for the whole week I was there; his construction project shut down, normally brackish water tasted fresh. (Charleston gets 9" more rain per year than Cincinnati, and gets it in fewer days.)
Given the growth in the area in the last few decades, perhaps gutters would be a good thing, as long as there's a viable place to drain them (that won't flood your septic field!)