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Recent Septic System Repairs May Give Key Information About Septic System Condition
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to spot recent work on a septic system & what that may mean for septic system testing & evaluation
Septic system test procedure: outside inspection for prior or recent repairs: this document describes how visual evidence of septic repairs such as recent excavation or dirt piles can indicate a septic system failure.
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How to Inspect for Evidence of Recent Work on a Septic System
The observations described here can be performed regardless of whether or not a septic test is planned at a property.
Anyone buying a property or owning a property and needing to assess the condition of the septic system should first perform a simple visual inspection of the site, as we are discussing in these articles.
Simply paying attention to a building site's shape, slope, size, and evidence of recent work are clues about septic system condition.
Evidence of recent work:Is there evidence of recent pump-out such as a maintenance record, information from the property owner, or
evidence of recent excavation that could mark an access to a septic tank?
In the photo shown here, discarded waste pipes left on the property
surface were a strong indication of recent septic work.
In this photo of freshly piled soil, dirt had been pushed over septic system components located at the top of a steep slope, suggesting possible
system operating problems which the contractor hoped to "correct" by burying a wet area.
If he/she had gotten off of the backhoe
to walk into the woods and look at the far end of this new dirt pile, s/he'd have seen that the dirt push was inadequate even to
disguise a problem much less fix it.
These measures are disappointing in their ineffectiveness and on occasion are suggestive of malfeasance too.
The straw bales distributed by the property owner around the septic tank and over the area of effluent break-out were an ineffective prior attempt to ameliorate the effluent flow out of this system. [Giving the benefit of the doubt].
The photo below shows a different but very unsafe septic tank condition observed during a septic inspection:
The septic "pumper" or homeowner had tried to "fix" this collapsing septic tank access by piling up concrete blocks helter-skelter over the septic tank, covering these with a round concrete septic tank access cover.
This was a very dangerous condition, risking septic tank collapse. The area was immediately roped-off and covered pending repairs.
These pages are part of our SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE for testing septic system function. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed atReferences or Citations . Comments and suggestions for content are welcome.
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Continue reading at STEP BY STEP SEPTIC DYE TEST or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
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RECENT SEPTIC WORK at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
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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.
- New York State Department of Health, APPENDIX 75-A WASTEWATER TREATMENT STANDARDS - INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD SYSTEMS , [PDF] New York State Department of Health, 3 February 2010, retrieved 3/1/2010, original source: https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/nycrr/title_10/part_75/appendix_75-a.htm
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
- John Cranor [Website: /www.house-whisperer.com ] is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-873-8534 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
- 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
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- 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.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
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.
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