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.

Page top photo: an unsafe, open septic tank cover and stacked concrete blocks that could collapse into this septic tank.

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.

...

Continue reading  at INSIDE SEPTIC DYE TEST STEPS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS - complete guide to buying a home with a septic tank
• HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECTION - what a home seller should and should not do
• SEPTIC LOADING & DYE TEST PROCEDURE - home
• SEPTIC TEST PRE-CHECKS
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC PRE-TEST INSPECTION
  • SEPTIC FAILURE EVIDENCE, VISUAL
  • LOOK FOR SEPTIC COMPONENTS
  • DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITE DESIGNS
  • RECENT SEPTIC WORK
• INSIDE SEPTIC DYE TEST STEPS
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC DYE TEST STEPS
• SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS
• SEPTIC DYE TEST REPORT
• SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS
• SEPTIC TEST FINAL OVERVIEW
• SEPTIC DYE SOURCES, SAFETY, TOXICITY, STAINING, MSDS
• SEPTIC INSPECTION & TEST LAWS & STANDARDS

Suggested citation for this web page

RECENT SEPTIC WORK 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

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Questions & answers how to spot recent work on a septic system & what that may mean for septic system testing & evaluation.

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.

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

Citations & References

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

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---