Question about my septic leach field size

[Wilburn Cox]

My septic system was installed in 2002 in Erath County (Stephenville Texas) Was installed by licensed installer and inspected and approved by the County sanitation department. I was on site during the installation.
2 five hundred tanks were placed. Corrugated leach chambers were installed in trenches. I am looking at the site drawing and 2 trenches were first dug and each trench contains 12- 2' x 8' x1' chambers. The county inspector then wanted additional chambers so one trench was extended and 8 more chambers of the same size were added.
By my figures I have a total of 32 chambers that are 8' x 2' x 1' or 512 sq ft of chambers. The site drawing does not show how far apart the trenches are but it show 1500 Sq ft of leach field as required by the inspector.
Am I missing something? I hope there may be a septic system installer on this forum who can enlighten me. I have searched the internet on sizing a field using this number of chambers but have not found an answer.
Any assistance will be appreciated. Thanks and have a great and prosperous new year. Red Cox

 

[prof fate]

What is your question/problem with your system?

much depends on your soil and the perc test. What was 'legal' years ago today is often consdiered unacceptable - locally they're doing a lot of sand mounds - a pump to push the liquid up to an above ground pile o sand, monitors for pump failure, back flow preventers, etc. and while i've not heard of anyone replacing a mound they life expectancy is 10-15 years. We do have a lot of clay soil here.

I have an 1930s septic and the leech bed was redone in the 80s - perf pipe buried in gravel about 5' down and then covered in dirt, 3 50 foot or lines.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What is your question? Are you having issues?

 

[jaxs]

As the prof said,it depend's on soil perk so there is no standard number for xx gallons per day.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

As the prof said,it depend's on soil perk so there is no standard number for xx gallons per day.

This.

What, specifically, is the issue you're having now?

 

[RNeumann]

The “chambers” sound like Infiltrators which is a brand. Typically the rating is in cubic feet instead of square feet. That rating is the amount of leaching surface area- so 1sf of leach field that is 4’ deep is 4cubic feet of leaching. Infiltrators have a conversation factor that I don’t know off the top of my head. But let’s say your 8’x1.5’ “chamber” has 12sf of surface area may have something like 15 or 20cubic feet of leaching since the chamber can leach out the sides too.

Is this what u r asking?

 

[oosik]

Red - I oversaw the design, installation and approval of over 28,000 septic systems in my years with the Health Dept. There is no such thing as a "standard system". You must determine the rate at which the soil will accept the effluent( percolation rate ), the degree & type of primary treatment ( septic tank or whatever ) & the maximum amount of sewage produced per day. From these numbers - the secondary treatment and disposal system is designed( drain field or whatever ).

This is the BASIC DESIGN of any septic system. Every jurisdiction has their own special quirks added to this basic design.

There has been a total change in this concept in the last 15 to 20 years. The idea of a higher levels of treatment has been introduced. In both primary & secondary treatment & in the area of disposal methods. This has been most unjustified, in my opinion, in two areas. What would normally cost $3500 to $5000 now costs $15,000 to $20,000. A system that the normal homeowner might have understood and been able to maintain has now become a system beyond his comprehension and is computer controlled. He gets a twenty page operators manual( if lucky ) using terms he has never heard of and describing treatments and operations well beyond his understanding.

This has all come about because many, many companies have taken concepts, components & practices used in large utility sized systems and downsized to the individual home size. What has been forgotten and left behind - the homeowner is not a sewage treatment plant operator. Nor does he want to be. So companies have sprung up, in some areas, to fill this void. In a whole lot of areas - there is nobody to help the homeowner. They call the Health Dept. - Standard answer - "read your owners manual".

This is a terrible disservice to the homeowner. The very highest state of the art and technology has been used to design the most expensive system humanly possible. It functions on the knifes-edge of reliability. It requires a sewage treatment plant operator with the knowledge of this system to keep if functioning.

When the buzzers sound, the red light come on and the pumps, aerators, filters, etc, etc shut down - the homeowner is left with his operators manual and nobody to assist him. The Health Dept will be there - Johnny on the spot - should sewage discharge to the surface of the ground. However - they are very wary about acknowledging that the were the ones that originally approved this system. Especially, now that it has failed and there is nobody to assist in get it back operating.

It just like your car. Years ago the average guy could change the spark plugs & change and adjust the new points. Now a days - he can only stare in amazement at what lies under that hood.

And believe me - new autos function to a MUCH higher degree of reliability than modern home sewage treatment/disposal systems.

 

[prof fate]

Is/Was there a problem with the old way of doing things?

My old house (built 1937) has a two chamber 'crock' septic tank, 250 gallon capacity the pumper guys have told me. Back in 37 folks probably showered less, washed clothes less, used less chemicals overall, and many things went strait to the leech bed, the gray water, rather thru the tank itself, compared to day. SO I see some changes.

But has there been a problem with the old systems? Is my ground contaminated, the groundwater contaminated, since I don't have all the fancy tech of the new systems? If not, then why the new systems?

Red - I oversaw the design, installation and approval of over 28,000 septic systems in my years with the Health Dept. There is no such thing as a "standard system". You must determine the rate at which the soil will accept the effluent( percolation rate ), the degree & type of primary treatment ( septic tank or whatever ) & the maximum amount of sewage produced per day. From these numbers - the secondary treatment and disposal system is designed( drain field or whatever ).

This is the BASIC DESIGN of any septic system. Every jurisdiction has their own special quirks added to this basic design.

There has been a total change in this concept in the last 15 to 20 years. The idea of a higher levels of treatment has been introduced. In both primary & secondary treatment & in the area of disposal methods. This has been most unjustified, in my opinion, in two areas. What would normally cost $3500 to $5000 now costs $15,000 to $20,000. A system that the normal homeowner might have understood and been able to maintain has now become a system beyond his comprehension and is computer controlled. He gets a twenty page operators manual( if lucky ) using terms he has never heard of and describing treatments and operations well beyond his understanding.

This has all come about because many, many companies have taken concepts, components & practices used in large utility sized systems and downsized to the individual home size. What has been forgotten and left behind - the homeowner is not a sewage treatment plant operator. Nor does he want to be. So companies have sprung up, in some areas, to fill this void. In a whole lot of areas - there is nobody to help the homeowner. They call the Health Dept. - Standard answer - "read your owners manual".

This is a terrible disservice to the homeowner. The very highest state of the art and technology has been used to design the most expensive system humanly possible. It functions on the knifes-edge of reliability. It requires a sewage treatment plant operator with the knowledge of this system to keep if functioning.

When the buzzers sound, the red light come on and the pumps, aerators, filters, etc, etc shut down - the homeowner is left with his operators manual and nobody to assist him. The Health Dept will be there - Johnny on the spot - should sewage discharge to the surface of the ground. However - they are very wary about acknowledging that the were the ones that originally approved this system. Especially, now that it has failed and there is nobody to assist in get it back operating.

It just like your car. Years ago the average guy could change the spark plugs & change and adjust the new points. Now a days - he can only stare in amazement at what lies under that hood.

And believe me - new autos function to a MUCH higher degree of reliability than modern home sewage treatment/disposal systems.

 

[Trillium Farm]

I remember I had a dry well for all liquids except bathroom flushings, but as someone already said, in hose days we didn't have all the chemicals of today that are being flushed down the pipe.

 

[Wilburn Cox]

What is your question? Are you having issues?

Thanks wroughtn_harv; No, I have no problem with the leach field. May have to sell our property due to wife's health. Looking at all papers on septic system including site drawing, perk test, County requirement and final inspection and pictures I took during installation. There were a total of 32 leach panels/chambers placed in 2 separate trenches. Each panel is 8ft long 2ft wide and 1 ft tall. By my figures that is 512 Sq ft. The Sanitation Dept. inspection shows 1500 Sq ft of leach field.
My question is how was that determined. The two trenches were about 3ft wide and shows 30" deep. I don't know how far apart the trenches are.
I apologize for any confusion. Thanks for your input. Red Cox