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EPA Sketch of a modern seepage pit or cesspool systemDrywell FAQs

Q&A on design, construction, use of drywells or pits

Drywell or seepage pit construction & use FAQs.

This article series explains what a drywell (or seepage pit) is, describes how drywells are used, gives safety and maintenance advice for drywells, and defines the criteria for drywell failure.

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Drywell or seepage pit FAQs

Concrete precast drywell (C) Daniel FriedmanThese questions & answers about how to design, build, use or troubleshoot drywells used to dispose of graywater or surface water were posted originally at x - please be sure to read that article too.

On 2018-05-08 by (mod) - stay safe around old drywells, seepage pits, cesspools, septic tanks

Thank you for your very nice note. Means a lot.

I agree that the best approach is to completely fill in the old cesspool which of course will eliminate any falling in Hazard.

Details are at CESSPOOL SAFETY WARNINGS

On 2018-05-08 by Raul

I appreciate you. It has 1 - 4" ceramic pipe and 2 - 2 1/2 steel pipe that enter into this cesspool. Reading the Safety advisories I feel pretty fortunate not to have suffered the "ugly death." While tilling on the property, as I was shoveling, my shovel dropped 2' and out of my hands.

Curiosities of course wanted to dig in further.

But... After reading both the property owner and me agree to toss a penny for luck re-pack it, better cover and build a mock well over it. Thanks for being there you may have saved a life.
SINCERELY,
RAUL RUIZ JR

On 2018-05-06 by (mod) -

Raul

I see a dirt, mud, and debris-filled hole that looks like a site-built seepage pit or drywell that has been filled-in and is certainly not usable. I can't quite make out the dimensions of the entering pipes. If the larger one is 3" ID or greater then this may have indeed been a cesspool.

On 2018-05-06 by Raul Ruiz

Sorry more in formation as to home inwich well is on. Family home built 1950. Land is in Stockton California, and was agricultural land prior to re-zoning.

I am trying (without further excavation) to determine if the well I unearthed is drywell or cesspool?

Collapsed seepage pit, drywell, or cesspool - unknown may be unsafe (C) InspectApedia.com Raul Ruiz

On 2018-04-27 by (mod) - Pumping a drywell does little to extend its life and can be dangerous i

Yes.

Pumping a drywell does little to extend its life and can be dangerous if the drywell is constructed such that it could collapse. If someone falls in they could be injured or worse.

On 2018-04-27 by Gretchen

If a dry well was pumped 12 years ago, and now is almost full, does that mean it is not functioning properly?

On 2017-11-29 by (mod) -

Posting Q&A received by private email

Hi,

I have a home in NC built in 66. There is a septic tank for the bathroom and all the fixture in there but the washing machine and the kitchen sink are grey water drains from the original construction.

The house is on a concrete slab and the grey water drains are on the opposite side of the house from the septic tank. I am now trying to sell this home and my realtor is telling me we cant sell the house with a grey water drain of any type and there isn't any grandfather for the situation.

trying to resolve the grey water drain is going to cost about $4000 and we don't have that in the budget. Is it true that in NC you cant sell a house with a grey water drain?

It seems to me that as long as its disclosed and the buyer agrees to deal with it then it would be fine. But my realtor is insisting it cant be sold with the grey water drains intact.

Thanks in advance for the information. - anonymous by private email

Reply:

OPINION:

"Can't sell" probably deserves some more-careful explanation - best to come from your realtor. In my experience, even where there is no law forcing a home seller to do anything to fix or repair a home, some older or outdated or defective components or systems can become a stumbling block in the sale of the home because the buyer's bank might, on learning of the issue, say they won't give a mortgage until the item is repaired.

The bank is protecting itself against ending up holding an expensive bag.

There is always a solution - like obtaining a construction loan or bridge loan, or granting an allowance to a buyer. But for a buyer who's not got a lot of cash reserve and is dependent on a bank who really doesn't care a fig about either of you, you can indeed run into a "can't sell" issue.

On 2017-04-19 by (mod) -

Travis,

Thanks for the comment, your suggestion is excellent.

On 2017-04-19 by Travis

I installed a dry well with new construction in order to keep salty discharge from our water softener out of our septic system (when the water softener cycles). Works great, though I guess at some point the salt in the subsoil could accumulate enough to kill vegetation. 11 years on, no problems. Just another suggested application for a dry well.

On 2016-07-10 by (mod) - What sources of wastewater are acceptable for a drywell?

Ted, at GREYWATER SYSTEMS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Greywater_Systems.php you'll find a more detailed definition of "greywater" - generally wastewater that is not from toilets, though I'd watch out about including kitchen sink drainage if a garbage grinder is in use. Toilet waste including feces and toilet tissue are "blackwater" and need the additional breakdown-processing that occurs in a septic tank or sewage treatment system.

On 2016-07-10 by Ted

What sources of wastewater are acceptable for a drywell? Shower? Dishwashing, etc.

On 2015-05-10 by (mod) -

Ian

Is it possible that surface water or ground water are running back into your graywater disposal system?

On 2015-05-02 by Ian

hi I have a grey well system and it pumps out to the weeping tiles for the last mth now water is continually running in well not sure what or why this is happening don't think the weeping tiles are froze any idea as to what could be wrong


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Comments

Doug · Nov 29, 2022

My septic tank and seepage pit (pre 1980) are located 12" from the front of my office building. When I purchased the bldg in 2007, the front offices were not being used-and were shut off. When I began to occupy the space, it smelled strongly of urinal cakes, and overtime invaded the air space soaking into our quarry tile floor tiles. We have had the septic and seepage pit checked and drained-a few times-with a healthy diagnosis. We have also had smoke and other tests done. The last few years, it has smelled like you're walking over a sewer grate on the streets of a big city-becoming unbearable now. I had mold testing done 3 weeks ago with a count of 26600. Aspergillus/Penicillium-600 count for stachybotrys/memnoniella. I am not sure where to turn now. We have ductwork below the slab, (which we stopped using due to the smell some years back. I have no septic experience-have always had municipal water and sewer. Could it be?

1. Did the sellers know that the seepage pit had failed-and closed the front offices off-added urinal cakes to disguise the smell?

2. Did the liquids in the seepage pit overflow (due to no longer being permeable (biomat?) invading my duct space, allowing the mold to form?

3. Who do I call to isolate the source-whether it is in the ductspace-seepage pit or walls, etc.

4. Is the mold growing on top of the biomat?

5. Do I have the seepage pit filled in, or all the rock and soil removed-Move the septic tank out away from the offices and hope that it solves the problem?

Thank you for any suggestions you have for me

InspectApedia (Editor) (mod) · Nov 30, 2022

@Doug,

My first concern with all the septic systems is that you make sure that there is a safe cover over any pits or tanks, because if someone Falls in, death is likely

Next, if a real estate agent has a septic system pumped before a buyer's septic test, in my opinion that's committing real estate fraud because it both prevents proper testing and is likely to hide an existing failure or septic problem.

Third, there's little chance that a 1980s cesspool would still be working so many decades later.

I would expect a septic inspector to warn of that possibility if in fact anyone knew that that's what was installed.

Finally, yes, the proper way to abandon a cesspool or seepage pit, described in more detail in this article series, is to have it pumped or emptied of sewage and then filled in with rock, sand, gravel.

As owner, your immediate concern is safety and second that a functional septic system be peovided.

At least with respect to safety you would not want to defer that one moment while arguing about who's responsible for what.

Doug · Dec 1, 2022

Thank you for your quick response. To your points:

1. No tanks are exposed so no safety risk.
2. There was no pit listed during our real estate transaction, but it is a moot point. My goal is to rectify this situation. I will not be pressing forward to make claim of fraud
3. As to the closing of the pit........I am asking if I need to treat the cesspool before filling in and closing, or should I remove all impacted soil and rock?
4. The mold affected area has been abandoned for some time so; No employees are at risk, and the septic system is fully functional.

InspectApedia (Editor) (mod) · Dec 3, 2022

@Doug,

Thanks for the added detail.

If the cesspool is already filled with rock and gravel I'm doubtful that you need to do anything else UNLESS someone just threw that material in mixed with sewage. You'd know that most likely because you'd see sewage atop rocks at the upper level of the cesspool. If you don't, normally no one would expect or require further treatment. However if there's an odor or you want to be a bit more cautious you could put down a layer of lime.

At inspectapedia.com/septic/Outhouse_Latrine_Construction.php OUTHOUSES & LATRINES we discuss the use of lime for odor control.

Doug · Dec 13, 2022

@InspectApedia (Editor), Thank you for the suggestions. I will get to work to start the means to an end of this situation@InspectApedia (Editor),

 

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