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Q&A on how to find the drainfield

FAQs about how to find the septic system drainfield, soakaway bed, leach field, absorption bed.

This article series and video explains how to find the septic drainfield or leach field or soakaway bed.

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Q&A on how to Find the Septic System Drainfield

How can I prove where my septic leach field is located?

I am a 85 year old woman and I have a 1,500 gallon septic tank. We purchased our home in 1971 and have used the septic tank ever since without any problems other than having it pumped out every 2 to 3 years. We have an individual that owns a lot next to our home and he has alleged that my drain field is on his property.

How can I prove where my drain field is? I have read most of your articles above, but I am not completely sure of what to do.

We have 4 bedrooms in our home and at one time had 9 individuals living in our home (son and his 2 and a daughter with her 3,my husband and myself) and didn't have any problems.

Now it is only my daughter , her son and myself. My husband passed in 2016. On 2018-10-27 by Gloria Baysinger

Answer by (mod) -

Gloria

There may be an "as-filed" (obtaining a permit to build) and less often as "as-built" plan for your septic system including location of tank and drainfield on file with your local building or health department. That's a good place to start as it's inexpensive and simple.

IF there is nothing on file at all it is still possible to locate a drainfield exactly with a bit of work - basically by a combination of visual inspection, common sense, and if necessary, sending cables down drainfield lines and detecting those cables from above ground using electronic equipment.

Details are at SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION

We're selling a house where the pool is on the drainfield - is that a concern?

A GC installed an above ground pool in my back yard 3 years ago. It is 18x18x5.

My septic tank is 20 + feet to the left of it. The contractor never mentioned anything about a drainfield. I am unclear where it is located. The grass seems to be alot greener straight out in front of it and a bit on the sides... this house was built in 1966 and the records of where any of this is, is lost.

I am in the process of selling my house, actually have a contract on it but now the buyers realtor is requesting that the drain field be located in case the pool is sitting on part of it. I have read on several sights that it will not hurt the lines as they are deep enough down... and I have read the opposite.

Like I said, it's been up for 3 years with zero problems. Is this a problem? On 2018-07-06 by Jeanette

by (mod) - Yes

But if they drove equipment over the drainfields or drove a pipe or buried a line or wire the work could have contacted or damaged a buried drain line, pipe, or septic drainfield.

by Jeanette

There was no heavy equipment used, no lines buried, nothing like that. The grass was removed and ground smoothed out. The pool is simply sitting on the ground.

by (mod) - swimming pool over the septic leaching field?

To be clear,

If the pool is atop the drainfield, that's a mistake that would interfere with its operation - as the pool blocks both transpiration/evaporation disposal of effluent and it blocks the absorption of necessary oxygen into the soil.

As the pool is hardly likely to cover the entire drainfield nor even most of it, such an obstruction wouldn't destroy or block the entire field but if it is over the field it's reducing its capacity and possibly life.

In the absence of a sign of failure in the septic system - as might be discovered by a septic inspection and loading/dye test, in my OPINION it'd be an error but not a show stopper.

Often by inspecting the property you can get an idea where the drain field is located just by eye; if not then some tracing of piping from the tank to a distribution box and D-box to drainfield lines can be done by any experienced plumber with a snake, pipe detecting equipment etc.

We have a sewage treatment plant for a 4 bed house - where do we put the drainfield?

we have installed a sewage treatment plant for a 4 bed house and now need to design and install a drainage field.

the site is approx 10m wide and slopes uphill 120m at 500mm every 10m and slopes across the 10m line as well. we have a pumped system for the grey water. Ive been told to trench the 50mm poly pipe Can anyone help with this? On 2017-08-22 by Steve -

by (mod) - sewage treatment plant requirements

Steve

I'm unclear what you have installed as a "sewage treatment plant" - the design requirements for an effluent disposal system or "drainfield" have to be matched to

- the daily wastewater flow for both blackwater (sewage) and graywater and the portion of wastewater handled by your graywater system

- the location and soil area already in use for the graywater disposal

- the soil percolation rate or absorption properties

- the site properties such as slope

- the site space and shape and location of required offsets for well, property lines, rivers, streams, etc.

So you really need an on-site septic engineer. An arbitrary remark like "trench 50mm poly pipe" leaves us with no useful idea.

How far from the inspection tube should the septic chamber be located

How do i locate my septic chamber about how far out from my 6 inch Inspect Tube should it be located?

I have taken a metal rod ( 5foot tall with T handle) an drove it into ground but nothing yet. any help would be great..... dan.blackburn23@yahoo.com

Reply:

Septic,

There is not a standard distance as septic tank location depends on site and soil properties, space available and other factors.

You could open the line and run in a snake until it touches the tank baffles and you'd then have an idea of the distance. You need to know that location anyway in order to pump out the tank.

But perhaps I've misunderstood what you're looking for as you say the tank was pumpe

...

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