FREE Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Construction, Diagnosis, Maintenance & Repair No ChatBot Pledge: The accuracy & trustworthiness of every InspectApedia article or Q&A is researched by human experts.
How to Measure & Sketch the Location of a Septic Tank
POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to sketch out a septic tank and septic tank cleanout cover location details
How to document the septic tank location - making a septic layout sketch.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
How to DOCUMENT the SEPTIC TANK LOCATION - How to Measure and Document the Septic Tank Location
When the septic tank needs to be pumped, a regular
maintenance task, the cost of that service will be less if the property owner found the septic tank location and perhaps even uncovered the
septic tank pumping access cover.
Other reasons to make a drawing of the the septic tank and drainfield location include enabling the inspecting and testing septic systems
when buying a home or for safety, to assure that the septic tank cover is in good condition.
Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved
to the author. Reviewers and content suggestions are welcome and are credited at "References."
This article is part of our series: SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE COURSE an online book on septic systems.
To remember the tank location in the future and to help future owners of the property, you should:
Mark the tank location with a flat stone or slate
Make a sketch Measure the exact location of the septic tank cleanout opening relative to the building: using "triangulation" you need to make only two
measurements.
From the tank cleanout, measure the distance to a permanent site feature such as the left corner of the building.
Then measure
the distance to a second permanent site feature such as the right corner of the building.
These two distances can be set off in the future, even
if the tank is hidden from view.
Where the two points meet will be the tank cover.
Recording Septic Tank Location in our
"Septic Tank Pumping Guide" includes a nice example of how to take measurements to document the exact location of
a septic system component.
When you find your septic tank, if other clues helped you do so, please forward them to me by email
so we can help others. Photos are very welcome too.
Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.
Search the InspectApedia website
Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed:if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.
Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca
SEPTIC TANK/SOIL-ABSORPTION SYSTEMS: HOW TO OPERATE & MAINTAIN [PDF] - , Equipment Tips, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 8271 1302, 7100 Engineering, 2300 Recreation, September 1982, web search 08/28/2010, original source: http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfimage/82711302.pdf.
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and
Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)
Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies, Anish R. Jantrania, Mark A. Gross. Anish Jantrania, Ph.D., P.E., M.B.A., is a Consulting Engineer, in Mechanicsville VA, 804-550-0389 (2006). Outstanding technical reference especially on alternative septic system design alternatives. Written for designers and engineers, this book is not at all easy going for homeowners but is a text I recommend for professionals--DF.
In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.