nieghbors septic system placement

[InlineDieselFan]

Each county and or state seem to have different rules and laws.

For us we can put our septic lines within five feet of the property line. But our well must be drilled at least 100 feet from any property line and from any septic tank or drain field.

Find out the rules for sure as you could be the one out of luck, at least in my county you would be.

steve

 

[RayH]

I truly hope you get your situation resolved, but I have to ask...do you have some evidence pointing to what you allege in the above quote, or do you just make that assumption based on the builder being a big business and thus apparently successful?

Evidence of what, that it wouldnt surprise me? No allegations or accusations, just a statement that I wouldnt be surprised thats all.

The couty inspector called me back today. The conversation started off bad with him basically saying that he had already approved it and nothing can be done about it now. After going back and forth for a few minutes, the conversation ended with him saying the situation would be rectified by him if the builders didnt fix it first.

 

[hockeypuck]

That is BS. Hold that county inspectors but to the fire and threaten to go over his head to the state EPA. I would take the time to get the name and address of a State EPA inspector and write a letter describing you situtation. Show this letter to the county official and tell him if you do not rectify the situation, you will be mailing a copy to the county official and the state epa, certified mail. You should not have to pay for the county inspectors fault. Do not let them push this on you!

Puck

 

[RayH]

That is BS. Hold that county inspectors but to the fire and threaten to go over his head to the state EPA. I would take the time to get the name and address of a State EPA inspector and write a letter describing you situtation. Show this letter to the county official and tell him if you do not rectify the situation, you will be mailing a copy to the county official and the state epa, certified mail. You should not have to pay for the county inspectors fault. Do not let them push this on you!

Puck

He told me it would be taken care of. Im definately holding him to that. Im not a big fan of the building inspection system here anyway so it doesnt take much to set me off. At the beginning of our phone conversation he was definately trying to blow me off. It took me about 5 seconds to set him straight, then he changed his tune. I did notice that the contractor took up the closest set of leach lines that he already had in place so it looks like things will be fine.

 

[Doc_Bob]

He told me it would be taken care of. Im definately holding him to that. Im not a big fan of the building inspection system here anyway so it doesnt take much to set me off. At the beginning of our phone conversation he was definately trying to blow me off. It took me about 5 seconds to set him straight, then he changed his tune. I did notice that the contractor took up the closest set of leach lines that he already had in place so it looks like things will be fine.

Write the fellow a letter thanking him. Review the situation. Tuck the letter away for future reference. CC to anyone who might need to know, like your Attorney. Then, sometime in the future, you have proof that you did the right thing.
Bob

 

[midlf]

Doc Bob - really good idea.

 

[LBrown59]

1*For all I know, the law may have changed in the last 9 years.
2*(old news) L3130, GST, LA723, BL4690B
3*(new blood) BX23 .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1* Whither it's changed or not you still need to know if he's in compliance so check it all out.
2*[Old news] BX23.
3*[New Blood] Cub Cadet GT2554.

 

[LBrown59]

the guy was digging the septic as I was leaving for work so I took a minute to have a talk with him. He told me that the law is still 100ft but he wasnt made aware of any wells within that distance. I walked him over to see mine and my next door neighbor's well. He measured and both our wells are within 100ft of his leach lines. He put a stop to the digging until he can figure out what to do.
Im not concerned about having to move my well because there isnt really anyplace else to move it besides where its at. My neighbor on the left has his septic up towards the road and my neighbor on the right has his septic in the back. I put my septic in the back so the front right corner is the only place left for my well. My well is about 40ft from my neighbor on the right and both our wells are about 80ft from the proposed septic across the road. We will see what happens now. I hate to start trouble with new neighbors, its just not the right way to welcome them but I cant let the septic happen as it is now. My next door neighbor is involved now also but I havent talked to him about it yet. Anyway, for the moment, digging has stopped.

You didn't start any trouble you just saved your self and him from a lot of future trouble ~ ~! ~ ~ ~~!

 

[LBrown59]

1*I have a slightly different take on this.
2*If your well is placed such that your neighbor can't place his septic system, you may have to move your well.
3*He has a right to place his septic within the confines of his property.
*********************.

******************
1*Here is my take on it. First there first rights.
2*Not here as the well has first rights because it was already there before the proposed septic system. The min space between a well and septic system is to protect the well and the underground water table from contamination not to establish any right or rights of the party desiring to have a septic system installed. If a septic system can't comply with permit requirements the only recourse is to deny the permit as you can't force the other property owner to relocate his well.
Relocating the leach bed would require a permit and also require the same min distance from a well as the original permit required and there again you can't force your neighbor to move his well because your septic is out of compliance.
You're the violator so its your reasonability to correct it not your innocent neighbors.
3*Only if that can be done while fully complying to code and permit specs/requirments.
>>> >>> The purity of the under ground aquifers always takes priority over land owners desire to install a septic system. >>> >>>
Just how would moving a well solve anything anyway.
You still would be moving the leach field closer to the same channel to the under ground water table.

 

[8561]

******************
1*Here is my take on it. First there first rights.
2*Not here as the well has first rights because it was already there before the proposed septic system. The min space between a well and septic system is to protect the well and the underground water table from contamination not to establish any right or rights of the party desiring to have a septic system installed. If a septic system can't comply with permit requirements the only recourse is to deny the permit as you can't force the other property owner to relocate his well.
Relocating the leach bed would require a permit and also require the same min distance from a well as the original permit required and there again you can't force your neighbor to move his well because your septic is out of compliance.
You're the violator so its your reasonability to correct it not your innocent neighbors.
3*Only if that can be done while fully complying to code and permit specs/requirments.
>>> >>> The purity of the under ground aquifers always takes priority over land owners desire to install a septic system. >>> >>>
Just how would moving a well solve anything anyway.
You still would be moving the leach field closer to the same channel to the under ground water table.

You can disagree with me all you like, I simply had to follow the LAW. Not subject to interpretation, not subject to my opinion, yours, or anyone else's. I'm just telling it like it is here from personal experience. You CAN force a well to be moved if it is located within 100' of the property boundry, like it or not. Maybe your area is different, but my guess is there are laws and regulations that govern it, and opinions won't matter much.

 

[LBrown59]

1*You can disagree with me all you like, I simply had to follow the LAW.
2*Not subject to interpretation, not subject to my opinion, yours, or anyone else's.
3*I'm just telling it like it is here from personal experience.
4* You CAN force a well to be moved if it is located within 100' of the property boundry, like it or not.
5*Maybe your area is different,
6 but my guess is there are laws and regulations that govern it,
7*and opinions won't matter much.
8561
===========

1*Not really disagreeing with you__Jist pointing what I've learned By experience in my area.
4*I never heard of this around here. I have 2 wells. One on each side of my property and both are within 100 feet of my property.
I had the first one drilled in 1966 and the second one in 1971.
Both are over 100 feet from the neighbors septic systems. If either neighbor or even myself wants to make any changes in the septic we would have to get a permit to do so. If the permit states 100 feet from a well the specs for the septic would have to be changed not the location of the well.
5*I think it is~ I've see some screwy rules and regulations in some of the New England and Western states. Not that Ohio and the county I live in don't have their share of them too!
6*Yes there are rules and regulations here also.
But when it says a septic system must b at least 100 feet away from a well that don't mean the well has to be moved to allow the septic installation.
If the well is already there it means the septic must be placed so that it's not within 100 feet of the well.
If the septic is already there it means that a new well can't be drilled within 100 feet of the septic system. There again It's first their first rights.
7*My post was based on hands on experience from drilling some water wells and installing a few septic systems over the last 42 years.
>>> >>>
>>>> >>>>

 

[vintovka]

I'm newcomer to the forum and it was hard to resist commenting on this very touchy topic.

First off I've spent most of my very long adult life investigating and attempting to correct rural water quality problems. Setback distances between well and leach fields were set long ago on best guess and what politics would allow. Long as no one could see, smell or taste it (or get sick) everything was fine and no one wanted to know anything more. That time is pretty much over. As technology to detect water borne pathogens/pollutants gets better and cheaper the whole concept of parcel size and setback distances may change radically. Between the use of special dyes, tracers and instrumentation it's not hard to see cross contamination in rural areas with the simple mix of shallow wells and small parcels. IMHO the only way to protect yourself think about installing a small home reverse osmosis system. usually under $175 at the big box stores.

Tested several systems (including my own) for total, fecal and fecal strep coliform and most inorganic contaminant removal (TCE, PCE benzene the works). The Labs say the things actually work with better than 95% removal. Side benefits include providing 5 gallons of drinking water (under pressure) during power outages or while your chlorinating the well. I

Sorry if this offends but truth is we all drink recycled water to some degree and yes there can be "nasties" in it.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Sorry if this offends but truth is we all drink recycled water to some degree and yes there can be "nasties" in it.

No offense taken.
Bob

 

[LBrown59]

I'm newcomer to the forum and it was hard to resist commenting on this very touchy topic.

First off I've spent most of my very long adult life investigating and attempting to correct rural water quality problems. Setback distances between well and leach fields were set long ago on best guess and what politics would allow. Long as no one could see, smell or taste it (or get sick) everything was fine and no one wanted to know anything more. That time is pretty much over. As technology to detect water borne pathogens/pollutants gets better and cheaper the whole concept of parcel size and setback distances may change radically. Between the use of special dyes, tracers and instrumentation it's not hard to see cross contamination in rural areas with the simple mix of shallow wells and small parcels. IMHO the only way to protect yourself think about installing a small home reverse osmosis system. usually under $175 at the big box stores.

Tested several systems (including my own) for total, fecal and fecal strep coliform and most inorganic contaminant removal (TCE, PCE benzene the works). The Labs say the things actually work with better than 95% removal. Side benefits include providing 5 gallons of drinking water (under pressure) during power outages or while your chlorinating the well. I

Sorry if this offends but truth is we all drink recycled water to some degree and yes there can be "nasties" in it.

Informative post; but what about this bit of being able to force your neighbor to move his well simply because you want to install a septic system or modify an existing one?
?

 

[Phils]

I'm newcomer to the forum and it was hard to resist commenting on this very touchy topic.

Well.... WELCOME to TBN vintovka! And with your experience I predict you will be a valuable resource to Rural Living. As you know, there are other threads dealing with water issues.

Phil

 

[JJT]

Our rules - 100' separation, unless the well is downhill from the septic, then you have a 200' separation required. Also your septic must be 100' from your property line, otherwise you are encroaching on your neighbors property. In addition to this we also have a 2 acre minimum lot size. All in all I think these rules make sense. We have some 30 - 40 houses in the village with .5 acre lots and many of the wells are contaminated, (most of these houses are 75+ years old, predating any health regulations).