Septic tank location FAQs: about how to find the location of a septic tank.

This article series (seelinks listed at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article or below) tells how to locate a septic tank or other buried site components such as the distribution box, drainfield, or a cesspool or drywell when it's placement is not already known or when the location of the septic tank is not visually obvious.

Q&A on How to Find the Septic Tank or Soakpit

Watch out: for unsafe septic tank covers that can collapse - falling into a septic tank is usually fatal.

Don't use a heavy iron wrecking bar to "probe" for the septic tank by jamming it aggressively into the soil.

That's a good way to punch a hole in a steel septic tank lid, cause a tank cover to collapse,or to burst a buried pipe or break a toe.

See SEPTIC TANK COVERS - important safety concerns.

Recently-posted questions & answers about how to find the septic tank, where to dig, where to look - these Q&As were posted originally at SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND - home. Please be sure to review the advice found at that article.

On 2020-01-02 by (mod) - previous owner doesn't know where the septic tank is

In the ARTICLE INDEX on this page you'll find an article on septic tank depth that will confirm that the death can vary considerably depending on site condition. However it should be trivial to inspect through the inspection opening to see the steps to the level of sewage in the tank. I will give you a clue as to the tank dip.

Watch out: if the previous property owner does not know where the septic tank is located that's strong clue suggesting that proper septic tank maintenance (regular pumping and cleaning) were not done - so the septic system drainfield may be at or near end of life: you could be facing costly repairs.

On 2019-12-31 by Randal Snyder

The previous owner doesn't know where the septic tank is, but I located a black capped pipe about 6 inches around a few feet from one side of my house that my neighbor says is the "inspection pipe" for the septic tank...he thinks...

and that the manhole cover for the tank must be nearby, which would sort of make sense since this is on one side of the garage with a rather large area of just plain dirt and is the only part of the backyard that is not covered with kooldecking.

he said if I want to have the tank drained it'll cost me a fortune since the pumping company will have to dig several feet down to fined the cover, but I find it hard to believe it would be buried that deep?

On 2019-11-09 by (mod) -

Ann

Aw shucks; this means you read all my advice in the article above on this page and figure there's nothing to do but get a camera going.

Well OK, the camera is not a bad idea at all, though I'm disappointed that the builders didn't include a single septic line clean-out anywhere, making toilet pulling necessary. Are we SURE there is no cleanout opening anywhere? Not even where the sewer line leaves the home?

A camera will also tell you the condition of the line between house and tank.

Unfortunately even finding the tank we're not going to know the whole story. There is indeed very useful information to discover by opening (and pumping) the septic tank but that procedure, even if (in ouir fantasy world) the septic tank seemed to be wonderful, may leave a question about the condition of the drainfield - the second half of the system.

A house seller may balk at letting a buyer dig up the yard only to discover a problem that may lead the buyer to bail, leaving seller with an ugly dug-up yard and expense to repair it.

Of course, with apology for sounding a bit like a smarty-pants, if a septic system is 30 years old and the owner doesn't know where the tank is we already know it has never been serviced, and thus we already would be smart to bet that the new owner is going to face significant costs to repair or replace some or all of the system.

Be sure to read HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Guide_for_Home_Buyers.php

On 2019-11-08 by Ann

Hello--we are doing our due diligence before purchasing a property. The current owner is not completely sure where to locate the septic tank/lid.

It is over 30 years old and hasn't been cleaned/inspected in over 18 years. One local service provider has suggested running a camera down the toilet line to locate the tank. He says this requires removing the toilet first prior to running the camera. Is this necessary to run a camera?

Otherwise we are out walking the property before ground freezes to try to locate it and hire an excavator

On 2019-10-31 by (mod) -

Inspecting the septic tank itself is beyond the scope of a normal home inspection, and worse, can be dangerous if the inspector doesn't know proper safety procedures.
A septic loading and dye test might have been in order when buying the home and that test *might* have found evidence of trouble.

My general advice to people buying a home with a septic tank includes finding septic maintenance records and in many cases having the tank opened and pumped - as a lot of key diagnostic information comes from that operation. For other readers who are buying a home, see

HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Guide_for_Home_Buyers.php

I can't bet a thing on a septic system about which we know so little, but the level in the tank suggests you're going to need a new septic tank. Pumping the tank extends the life of the drainfield.

Replacing the septic tank is costly - several thousand dollars depending on where you live - but pumping now (as it's due now) can both diagnose system condition and, when the tank is emptied, permit inspection (by a professional) of the septic tank to identify its materials and condition. That'll tell you if it needs to be replaced immediately, and it'll also help protect the drainfield.

Particularly when the condition of the septic tank isn't known, it's worth the cost of a tank inspection to assure that at least the baffles are in place to protect the drainfield from ruin.

But the cost of bringing out a septic person to open the access ports and inspect the baffles gets close to the cost of pumping the tank. I'd prefer to do it all at once rather than pay nearly double over the next 2 years. sfd

Doing nothing increases the risk of ruined fields and down the road a still-more-costly septic repair.

On 2019-10-31 by KurtS Curtis

Thank you for this information
I suppose my pre-purchase home inspection did not catch that important fact that the tank likely leaked out and solidified the scum and sludge layer. What a mess, I can only imagine....

My city is slated to install a city sewer disposal system within a few years. I have a mound type field adjacent to my home (and I suppose, a leaking tank). I think I will choose to remove the mound after connection to the city system, and thus, also the tank.

Need I pump the tank, now at 11 years on schedule, or is it possible that my system will last an additional two years as is? NOTE: I am especially careful not to allow grease, toilet paper, wipes, cleaning fluids, etc. to enter my system and I live alone on a very limited budget.

I am tempted to open the lid and take a look inside. But I would rather not at all.. :)
Thank you again for your reply and continued interest.

On 2019-10-31 by (mod) -

Thanks for the question Kurt.

A septic tank, even when not in use, will normally be "full" of sludge (on the bottom), sewage (in the middle) and scum (a floating crud layer on top); the sewage level - the liquid level - will normally come up to the very bottom of the septic tank outlet pipe.

So if you open a septic tank and the top of the scum layer is at mid-tank, the most likely the tank is damaged and leaking - seeping effluent into surrounding soil. Unless the tank sat open to the atmosphere for years, it ought to have been full.

You never pumped the tank since 2008. Take a look at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Pumping_Schedule.php and you'll see you are EXACTLY on schedule to pump the tank now.

The "brick" will NOT have dissolved nor digested; it's a coagulated layer of oils and floating solids atop the sewage in the septic tank.

An effective septic tank pumpout operation will require that the pumper break up the floating scum layer and pump it out during the tank cleaning process. Sometimes the pumper will even need to add water (from a garden hose) to provide enough liquid to break up and pump out the solids at the tank top and bottom.

Details of that procedure area at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Pumping_Procedure.php

Watch out: some septic pumpers don't do the real job of cleaning the septic tank.

For example, just poking a pumper hose down through a narrow 8" diameter access pipe into the liquid center of the tank and pumping out that material will not and cannot break up and remove the scum layer nor all of the sludge layer.

Better to open the tank's access port - removing a cover (not the whole septic tank top) to give the pumper access space to reach into the tank with a tool (similar to a giant long-handled hoe) to break up the solids during the pumping operation.

Worse, some septic pumpers run a scam of pumping the tank the returning some of the now macerated pumped sewage back into the tank. Do not permit that - it increases the risk of an early drainfield failure by sending macerated floating solids out into the drain field.

On 2019-10-31 by KurtS Curtis

I purchased a 2004 Florida home in 2008. After a few months I hired a 'Pump Out'. We (the operator and I) found the tank to be 1/2 fluid filled to top and a large brick of effluent floating atop. Assuredly, the house had been empty for some time and the tank had dried out and solidified.

The tank was pumped, the effluent filter cleaned, the brick remained. Now, 11 years (900 gal/ one occupant) later, I am planning another pump out. Will that brick have dissolved and been digested?

I feel I should have insisted that it had been removed the first time I saw it.... I was a first time homeowner and I didn't know. What if I (we) find it again, how can should it be dealt with?

On 2019-03-0 by (mod) -

Quite possibly, Maria.

The steps in the article above & onsite help from an experienced contractor, perhaps augmented by a sewer line camera, can find the septic system components.

On 2019-03-06 by maria

I have no idea where the tank is because the house is very old and the people all died off. The only possible clue is a vertical uncovered pipe sticking about fifteen inches out of the ground near an open drain which looks as though it is a vent.

Everything is underground. I wonder if this vent is a sign that the tank is connected?

On 2018-12-11 by (mod) -

If you dug 5 feet down next to a septic tank lid without hitting the tank then you might be digging next to a septic tank Riser - that is a large-diameter pipe with a lid on top that was made to give access for cleaning for a septic tank.

Take a look through the septic tank lid and you can see how far down the top of your septic tank is. Most septic tanks have two openings one over the inlet and one of the outlet. Some have a third opening in the center for more thorough cleaning.

Other septic tanks such as some of the old round steel tanks had no clean out opening at all and the entire lid had to be removed. From just your note I can't quite tell what kind of septic tank you have.

Watch out, never work alone and never lean over and open septic tank. You can easily be asphyxiated or fall in which is a quick and nasty death.

On 2018-12-11 by Rodd

Do ALL septic tanks have two lids? we dug 8 feet out and 5 feet down from the exposed lid and can not find the second lid

On 2018-11-04 by (mod) -

Jenna please see your photo again - cropped a bit - and our detailed answer in the bottom of the article SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND.

Or just hop right over to SEPTIC or SEWER CONNECTION?

On 2018-11-04 by Jenna

First, please excuse my ignorance. Now...We are considering the purchase of a new home BUT I am completely confused/concerned with the sewer/septic situation. The home is owned by a company and the disclosure is basically worthless.

There are two “covers” on the side of the house. One, concrete, I assumed was a septic? The other looks like a sewer manhole cover. The neighbors home also has the metal “manhole” cover.

So I guess my questions are...does this home have a septic system?

Or is it connected to a city system? Isn’t this rather close to the house if it is a septic tank?

If not...why does this house and the neighbors (presumably all) have a manhole access in the yard? And are there any precautions/inspections/advice we need before proceeding with this house? THANK YOU!!!

On 2018-08-03 by (mod) - should we just fill the depression over an old septic tank?

Dan:

Not quite.

Watch out: IF the depressed area is caused by a collapsing cover on an old septic tank, just adding dirt can leave a very dangerous, potentially fatal hazard: later someone walking over the area could fall through into an improperly-abandoned septic tank.

A bit of careful (so as not to fall in and not working alone) exploration is appropriate, using help from an experienced excavator, to find out if there is an empty tank that needs to be filled-in before finishing grading off the depression.

See SEPTIC TANK ABANDONMENT GUIDE https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Abandonment_Guide.php

On 2018-08-02 by DAN

My house was built in 1954, its on the city water sewer system. We discovered a depressed area in the backyard and it appears to be an old septic tank, should we just fill in the hole?

On 2018-01-20 by John

My house was built in 1957 .

Can’t find access hole to pump tank where do I look ?

On 2017-10-21 by (mod) -

My best advice for finding an old septic tank is in the article above on this page. Start at your 1929 home by finding where the waste pipe exits the building.

On 2017-10-2 by Anonymous

how do I find a old septic tank house was built in 1929.

On 2017-08-02 by (mod) - Can a septic tank be pumped through the inlet pipe ?

That's doubful, John. The inlet pipe runs into the tank and stops there where it faces a baffle.

The septic pumper hoses I've seen won't make the necessary turn to reach down into the tank.

Even if we could pump through that opening it wouldn't be the best job since the pumper won't be able to remove much of the sludge and floating scum that fall down in the tank as liquid is removed. That requires agitation during pumping and moving the pump's pick-up end about in the tank.

On 2017-08-02 by John P

Can a septic tank be pumped through the inlet pipe ?

On 2017-05-13 by (mod) -

Anon / Rich:

You will need to call a local septic contractor. Emptying the septic tank will absolutely not fix a clogged pipe or failed drainfield, though it will give you more information about the condition of the septic system and it will give a few days of relief.

On 2017-05-13 by Anonymous

is there someone I can get a hold of to locate the septic tank and get it emptied that wont charge a lot as I am a compat wounded vet and my wife is handicapped.thank you.

On 2017-05-13 by rich

I have water bubbling up in my kitchen sink, and I had to flush my basement commode and plunge it, know it wont plung at all.when I run my washer water bubbles up in my sink when the washer drains,my double kitchen sink bubbles on either side when I drain one side.

On 2017-05-12 by (mod) - how do I find out if I have a septic or am connected to the sewer?

Be

Using the Inspectapedia search box above I searched for "connected to septic or sewer" that found this article that should help you out. Please take a look and let me know how that works for you.

SEPTIC or SEWER CONNECTION?

On 2017-05-12 by BeC

I rent a place, how do I find out if I have a septic or am connected to the sewer? (Without my landlords​input...)

On 2017-05-04 by (mod) -

Richard, at
SEPTIC CLEARANCE DISTANCES

you'll find a table of various distances and clearances for septic tank, sewer pipes, and drainfields. I found this link by using the Inspectapedia search box just above to search for "SEPTIC DISTANCES"

There we see that distances vary from 5 to about 15 feet (3 meters) depending on local codes.

On 2017-05-04 by Richard

How close can a septic tank be from wall

On 2017-04-04 by (mod) -

Milt:

On a rectangular concrete septic tank the tank typically has 2 or 3 openings, one at either end and perhaps one central opening - that may differ in multi-compartment tanks (more accesses). So the openings will be in a straight line across from one another.

Searching (using the search box above) for "Septic tank dimensions" finds SEPTIC TANK SIZE - https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Size_Tables.php
that includes a table of common septic tank dimensions that should show you how far apart the second tank opening will be on your septic tank.

On 2017-04-04 by Milt

Found 1 lid and I know where the 2nd one location but not sure where to dig how far away are the lids and are they straight across from one another or diagonal

On 2017-04-04 by (mod) re: how far apart are septic tank lid openings or access covers?

Milt:

On a rectangular concrete septic tank the tank typically has 2 or 3 openings, one at either end and perhaps one central opening - that may differ in multi-compartment tanks (more accesses). So the openings will be in a straight line across from one another.

Searching (using the search box above) for "Septic tank dimensions" finds SEPTIC TANK SIZE - https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Size_Tables.php
that includes a table of common septic tank dimensions that should show you how far apart the second tank opening will be on your septic tank.

On 2017-04-04 by Milt

Found 1 lid and I know where the 2nd one location but not sure where to dig how far away are the lids and are they straight across from one another or diagonal

On 2017-03-24 by (mod)

At my first house we found the septic tank when the backhoe ran over it and collapsed its cover.

There are ground scanning techinques though I think they work best with steel tanks.
Check out the live link at the start of this article
... on how we figure out where a septic tank could or could not be located, see SEPTIC VIDEOS.

Walking a site can often suggest where people would be most-likely to locate a septic tank or drainfield and other spots (next to the well) where that's unlikely.

On 2017-03-24 by Anonymous

Thank you! We figured if there was one, we wouldn't be able to use it. We just want to figure out where it is located before we start digging and leveling the ground out. Again, thanks for help and advice!

On 2017-03-24 by (mod)

My best suggestions for finding a septic tank are in the article above. To adapt those to a site where a house burned down years ago, if you can find the remains of the house foundation look for the main waste line exit point as a starting point.

My principal concern would not be the fantasy of finding useful septic components - that's not likely; rather I'd want to be sure that there are no un-discovered un-filled empty tank hazards: a collapse or someone falling into such a tank could cause injury or death.

On 2017-03-24 by Chelcie Browning

My husband and I are wanting to purchase a cabin and put it on property that once had a house that burned down in the 1970s. How would I go about finding the septic tank if there is one? We don't know what the exact address was for the house that burned down but my father's house is right next to it and it is on his land. Please help!

On 2017-03-13 by (mod) how deep is the normal septic tank from the top of the ground?

Paul please see

SEPTIC TANK DEPTH

and
SEPTIC TANK DESIGN DEPTH

Also see the full list of articles about finding the septic tank listed in the ARTICLE INDEX to SEPTIC SYSTEMS - live link given above at "More Reading"

On 2017-03-13 by paul

how deep is the normal septic tank from the top of the ground?

On 2017-02-1 by (mod)

Yilliang, 20 ft. is not an issue.

On 2017-02-11 by (mod)

Re-posting without ad-link

Yilliang Peng said:
I did not know that it was an issue to have the septic tank more than 20 feet away from your building. I could only imagine that making it more difficult to connect with and for it to benefit you. This information is important for anyone who is thinking about getting a septic tank or may not know where to place theirs. Thanks for the great advice!

On 2016-12-17 by Swept64

Clarify, 6 foot from back of the mobile home building not the property itself.

Depending on your areas building code, most mobile homes here in SC require the septeic tank to be 6 foot minimum from the back of the property.

If you can try to determine where the back of the mobile home was start 6' out to probe. Here the septic tanks have been concrete, so a metal probe down 3 - 4 inches will usually hit the septic top. Look for entry of a black or white pvc plastic pipe into the ground.

I am a homeowner that suggests this from our past experiences.

The mobile home tie downs were still in the ground and they cut the porches off at ground level leaving 4 x 4 post stubs at ground level. Good luck.

On 2016-12-17 by (mod) - 35 year old septic system can't be found

Advice, Jenny, on finding old septic tanks or wells is in the article above.

I am sorry to say so but I would not assume that a 35 year old abandoned septic system is going to be usable. However finding the tank, and having it opened and inspected can provide key information such as tank materials and conditions. Let me know what you see when your septic contractor opens the tank.

On 2016-12-16 by Jenny

I bought an old acre of land. There are no building structures now but 35 years ago, a septic system was inspected and approved by the locale health Dept.

The only info I have found of yet is a copy of the inspection receipt with a map that shows a house that was never built but septic system was installed and passed inspection.

This map has no comprehenceable scale and is very confusing in trying to locate the septic system and shallow well. We do know it was in use after the inspection in 1986 for about 5 years when a mobile home was put on the land instead of building the proposed house.

After that 5 yrs, the mobile home was removed, the well was marked with a pile of old bricks. Those bricks were moved 3 yrs ago when I first bought this acre.

In an attempt to kill as much razor grass as possible, I had someone turn the soil over with a tractor and that is when the bricks got scattered from the now unknown location that marked the well. I'm a 53 yr old widowed, single, disabled mom of a 15 yr old daughter and our resources are very limited.

My daughter and I are trying to rebuild our lives and make this acre our home after a horrible disaster. We can't afford to install a new system and well so our only option is to find the old 35 yr old system.

Any info that u can provide to help us locate the septic and/or the well would be so gratefully appreciated. Please respond to Jenny Hill at jennjen63@gmail.com Heck, a phone call would be even better if y'all can do that?! Number is 251-518-5076. I'm in Mobile County, Alabama. Thank you so much in advance.

On 2016-12-16 0 by Jessica says there's a septic tank on the property but we can't find it .

I bought some property it says there's a septic tank on the property but we can't find it . The property has a meter pole were there once was a mobile home on it. Is there anyway of finding the septic tank

On 2016-11-19 by (mod) Is there usually a distribution box with a mound system with pump station

John, typically there's an outdoor weatherproof junction box near the pump station, and often a separate D-box combining alarm and switches, in turn powered from the panel.

Only if the mound had a single effluent line would there be no D-box

On 2016-11-19 by John

Is there usually a distribution box with a mound system with pump station

On 2016-07-21 by (mod) evaluating old Vermont septic system

Thanks NHF. I've run into this same situation, especially at older properties. Using septic dye during a septic loading and dye test I turned Wappingers Creek a bright red. After that I learned to always run down to the nearest body of water - if there is one - after inserting the dye and starting my test.

I stand there and contemplate while I watch for spirals of red or green dye appearing in the water.

Bottom line: don't promise anything about buried systems, but do warn about common pitfalls for which there are on-site hints. Good SOP for an inspector who includes septic system is to ask the owner the age, history, and location of the septic system components.

If the owner says, "I've been here 25 years and we've never had a problem with the septic system and we've never done a THING to it" then we know to be pessimistic as the tank was never pumped - if there even is a tank.

It's also the case that a change of use, from a single elderly person to a family of 5 with young kids will often show up a septic failure 24-36 hours after the new owners move in.

On 2016-07-21 by NHFirebear

We once inspected an old house in Vermont and wanted to "evaluate" the septic system.

Couldn't find any signs of a septic tank.

Turned out there was a tile pipe system buried all the way from the house down the hill, across a small cornfield and out to the bank of the Connecticut river -- a total of over 350 feet. It probably worked as well as it had when engineered and installed prior to 1933.

The sellers admitted they had been "planning" to get an approved septic system installed, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Bottom line: there wasn't any septic tank to be found.

On 2016-07-15 by (mod) there is a septc tank on the land but I can't finf it .

Thanks for the question, Marilyn but unlike the great Carno, I can't say by t-text what buried components are at the property nor where they are. The article above as well as a separate one on HOW TO

FIND THE SEPTIC DRAINFIELD (find by searching InspectApedia for that phrase) describe what experts typically do to find these components:

- visual inspection for where a tank and soakaway be would physically fit

- visual inspection for clues such as depressions in the ground surface - or mounds

- tracking using plumbing drain finding tools (snake and electronic detector) beginning at the building where a drain line can be located

On 2016-07-15 by Marilyn

I am thinking on buying 2 acres and there is a septc tank on the land but I can't fine it .

But a little farther is a building with some kind of pipes in it with it looks like some kind of systems in it what is that can it be well water or what the pipes were at some time ripped but it looks like animals roped of the rising can you tell me what it that .I have no experience on things like that thank you Marilyn

On 2016-02-21 by (mod)

Steph

You cannot "lower" the waste pipes connected to the septic tank as then they would not drain into it. So you'd have to add backfill. Take care not to add backfill that puts building siding closer than 8" to the ground surface lest you create a termite hazard.

On 2016-02-21 by stephanie

I found my septic tank, but the tank and main pipes are above ground, what can be done to bury the pipes but still have a working system

On 2015-11-06 by (mod)

Stan my best suggestions for finding a septic tank are organized in the article above. If you cant' stand reading through my prose, near the top of this article you'll see a link for SEPTIC VIDEOS that will walk you through how I look for a septic tank on-site.

On 2015-11-05 by Stan

buying a piece of property that had an old house on it at one time, house was razed, owner of property says there is no septic tank on property and never was. House was never hooked up to city sewer or water. How can I locate if there is a tank any records etc...any help appreciated
thanks you

On 2015-09-29 by Jane

My septic tech was probing to find the cover and pierced a hole in the tank. What happens next? As a homeowner, what should I do.

On 2015-07-26 by Anonymous

im try to find my septic tank

On 2015-06-04 by (mod)

Re-posting

Edmond Vandergraff said:
I just wanted to say that I am really glad that I found this article. My wife and I just moved into a new home that is about 30 years old. We were having trouble finding information about the septic tank. This article pretty much summed up my questions.

On 2014-10-06 by (mod)

Rick that's a question for your local building department, but before giving those folks a call I'd think about making the question more specific. You want to be clear if you are asking about property line setbacks, well distances, tank construction, size, etc.

More important, for an older system you'd want to know its safety (safe covers for example) and operating condition.

On 2014-10-05 by rick

are septic taks grandfathered in wyo if built prior to epa>>deq??

On 2014-05-12 by (mod)

Al,

It's not uncommon for an older home to suffer from confused public records about its connection to public sewer for all or part of its wastewater drainage.

A septic tank is always full in normal operation. When there's a backup it's because of some other failure: a failed drainfield or a blocked pipe. When the property owner is facing significant repair costs such as that of a new drainfield, that's the time to go ahead and connect to the now-available public sewer instead. At that time one would properly abandon the septic tank by having it pumped out and filled-in.

Daniel

On 2014-05-12 by al

i bought a house recently,on my disclosure it says i have city sewer,but i discovered from local plumber with the use of video camera that my basement toilet drained into a septic tank which was full and backing up into my basement.plumber could not find a clean out for it but was able to locate part of it under a cement slab and the addition of my house.what to do .

do i leave it alone or do i somehow get it removed.house was built in the 50's.

Question: so how do I find the septic tank

(Dec 27, 2012) connie said:

i do not know where my septic is.i just bought this home and the people before me can not be found.the house was built in 1997 it is now 2013 when does it need to be treated?i have a big front yard and back yard,and i want to build a deck.

(Mar 18, 2014) Dwight Dove said:

I am buying 5 acres of land and know that a septic tank is on the property but do not know where it is. How can I find it?

Reply:

Dwight, have you reviewed the suggestions in the septic tank location article above?
If you knew nothing about a site you'd look at reasonable locations where a tank could fit and where there are not mature trees, away from a well, etc. as suggested above.

Question: septic tank distance from the house?

(Apr 8, 2014) Natalie said:

does anyone know how far your septic tank needs to be away from your house?

Reply:

Sure Natalie,

Near the top of this article click on the "Click to Show or Hide Related Topics"

then click on the article titled

CLEARANCE DISTANCES, SEPTIC SYSTEM

for the details you need

Question:

5/12/14 Al said:

i bought a house recently,on my disclosure it says i have city sewer,but i discovered from local plumber with the use of video camera that my basement toilet drained into a septic tank which was full and backing up into my basement.plumber could not find a clean out for it

but was able to locate part of it under a cement slab and the addition of my house.what to do .do i leave it alone or do i somehow get it removed.house was built in the 50's.

Reply:

Al,

It's not uncommon for an older home to suffer from confused public records about its connection to public sewer for all or part of its wastewater drainage.

A septic tank is always full in normal operation. When there's a backup it's because of some other failure: a failed drainfield or a blocked pipe. When the property owner is facing significant repair costs such as that of a new drainfield, that's the time to go ahead and connect to the now-available public sewer instead.

At that time one would properly abandon the septic tank by having it pumped out and filled-in.

...

Continue reading at SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FINDif you are looking for its location, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK - what are the clearance distances required between a septic tank and other things?
• HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
• HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC SYSTEMS
• HOW TO OPEN a SEPTIC TANK if you have found the septic tank an dare inspecting or servicing the septic tank
• POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS - finding a septic tank includes ruling in and out where it might be
• SEPTIC COMPONENT LOCATION VIDEOS watch a video on how we figure out where a septic tank could or could not be located
• SEPTIC D-BOX LOCATION - find the Distribution Box
• SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION - find the Drainfield
• SEPTIC TANK DEPTH - how deep might the septic tank be buried anyway?
• SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT - plumbing snakes, electronic pipe tracing equipment, etc.
• SEPTIC TANK SNOWMELT - clues to component location
• TABLE of REQUIRED SEPTIC & WELL CLEARANCE DISTANCES
• VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK

If you prefer to watch a video on how we figure out where a septic tank could or could not be located,

see SEPTIC VIDEOS.

Suggested citation for this web page

SEPTIC TANK LOCATION FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to SEPTIC SYSTEMS

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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

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