septic

[Dirthog]

That is cheep for a system here in Pa. they are using a lot of what is called sand mound I put in three this year for customers and the cheepest was real close to $10,000.00 the biggest was over $16,000.00 with the tanks pump and mound

 

[schmism]

ya they were trying to "sell" me a sand mound/pit whatever ... to me it sounded like a lot less work for a lot more money... (no wonder they like to put them in)

 

[shaley]

Wisconsin Sand Mound. Dr. Gerry Tyler's invention . Best thing since Wisconsin cheese. Usually used where there is a shale layer or other limiting factor near the surface. We don't use them much East of the Blue Ridge and that is a good thing.

 

[Boondox]

Wisconsin Sand Mound. Dr. Gerry Tyler's invention . Best thing since Wisconsin cheese. Usually used where there is a shale layer or other limiting factor near the surface. We don't use them much East of the Blue Ridge and that is a good thing.

Tell me more about that...and some other alternatives to conventional systems. We have a cottage across the road from our meadow that we rent out. The 50 year old septic system has completely failed: the pipe from the cottage is partially crushed, the 400 gallon metal tank is completely rusted thru, and since the baffles went first the grease the tenants dumped down the sink has ruined the leach field.

The only spot with decent depth is right where the old tank is. Five feet downhill there is just a couple of feet of dirt over granite ledge, which is where the original 20 foot long leach field was located. Since I only have about 20 feet where a tank can be buried, my engineer wants to place the leach field in the meadow across the road. That means a couple of expensive issues need to be addressed.

1. There is granite ledge between the cottage and where the new field will be, so blasting is involved.
2. The new field will be slightly uphill from the drain, so a pump will be needed.
3. The pipe from house to field will pass under our dirt driveway, which is also the route I take when bringing heavy loads of hay to the barn, so the run has to be very deep.
4. If we ever sell the property the buyer has to be willing to accept having a leach field up there, and directly downhill about a hundred yards is our pond, which I don't want fouled with coliform.

It sure would be nice to keep the crap on the other side of the road. So we've been looking at some of those treatment systems that use pumps to aerate the mix. Are they any good? Are they reliable?

Pete

 

[Jagmandave]

Quote here in Johnson County for a sand mound ranges from $20k - $25k...........and that's the only kind the county will approve.........

 

[john_bud]

Hey Boondox,

I thought you had your own backhoe (wink).

jb

 

[shaley]

Boondox, I'd review your state's septic regs to see what systems are approved in your area. Manufactures may have some of their units approved in your state and some not. The aeration units you speak of are probably Areobic Treatment units which use a turbine blower to aerate the mix. No moving parts other than the blower. ATU's will produce waste water as clean as storm water so their might be an option for spray irrigation if you have a secluded area. Take a look at the Biomicrobics website, they have a Microfast unit which is a ATU that fits inside a conventional concrete septic tank. If you can go the drain field route this will allow the drain field to be gravity fed eliminating the pump. Pumps are a big deal in VA because they require a 900 gal chamber in addition to the pump and controls so they add about 4k to the cost. Lots of expensive options at this point. The biggest thing to realize is that the engineer may not have your best interest at hand. In VA the designers actually receive a sales commission for specifying a mfg. product. PM if I can help.

 

[flusher]

so we are in the process of biding our septic (new) for our new apt/house on the property.

got the soils test back today

seasonal high water table is 18" (yes thats inches not feet)

NOW WHAT!

toward the back of my property it starts to fall off a BIT... (im talking 5-6' tops) so im hopeing the water table would drop off back toward the back but that means a) more tests. and b) the locaion isnt going to be cental to the buildings meaning id likely have to put in 2 complete systems (one for the apt one for the big house in a few years) which we were trying to avoid.

<sigh> nothing is ever simple

Bummer.

I live on the valley floor here in the North Sacramento Valley. Lotsa clay. I had to have three trenches dug (3'W x 10'D) before we hit gravely loam in the backyard area here on my 10-acre spread. Lucked out. The health inspector asked me how many bedrooms. I said three. He said 1250 gal tank and 100 ft of leach line buried 4-ft deep over 2-ft thickness of drain rock. Total cost: $3500 for the system installed and $250 for the permit.

I was lucky to have an area that perked well with water table well below the surface. Otherwise I would have had to get good perking soil trucked in. Cost probably would have been $10-15K.

 

[Boondox]

Hey Boondox,

I thought you had your own backhoe (wink).

jb

JB -- I got rid of it when I traded up from the L3010 to the L4630, intending to get a 9 footer. But then a friend let me borrow his mini excavator and it completely ruined backhoes for me! If I can put an aerator unit on the same side of the road as the cottage, it would be a powerful argument for getting the excavator this year. If it can't fit on the same side of the road I'm out of luck because the only way to run the septic over there is to blast thru the ledge. Don't need the excavator for that!

Shaley -- Good advice. I'll check with the town tomorrow morning. Thanks!