Questions & answers about sewage or septic holding tanks.

These septic system articles explain how to buy, inspect, install, test, diagnose maintain and repair septic tanks, drainfields, and all other components of all types of septic systems. Page top: a peat mound septic system in Two Harbors, MN.

Septic System Holding Tank FAQs

These questions & answers were posted originally

at HOLDING TANK SEPTIC SYSTEMS or else at HOLDING TANK DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS - Be sure to see the detailed holding tank regulations, designs, and uses given in those articles.

How to add a high water alarm to our septic holding tank?

I have a 2000 gallon, never used, concrete holding tank that needs to have a high water alarm installed.

The tank is buried about 3 feet below the ground and has one lid directly on top.

There is a second concrete riser on top of that one with another concrete lid.

I was told I should drill thru the top of the tank to run the float wire up from inside the tank to the outside.

I was wondering if the top riser had a good seal, do I need the first lid that sits directly on the tank, or could I just use the top lid and run the float wire thru the top riser or lid?

I am hoping to avoid drilling thru the top of the tank and getting inside to run the wire out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated? On 2020-06-29 by Jim M

Answer by (mod) - In installing your high water alarm in a septic tank, you do not normally leave the septic tank access cover in place if septic tank risers are installed atop the tank.

Jim

If I understand the situation, there is a concrete septic tank with concrete lid with an access opening, apparently closed, perhaps over the inlet end, and there is a concrete riser - shown in your photo, with its own lid (SEPTIC TANK RISERS).

In a usual septic tank riser installation, the cover on the tank top itself is removed,

and the septic tank riser bottom edge is sealed to the top of the septic tank so groundwater can not leak into the tank and so that the riser doesn't move

the riser has its own secure, child-safe lid.

In that installation your high sewage level alarm is installed and secured in and near the top of the tank and its control wires and alarm signal wires are run up through the riser and probably out along the riser side, well above ground.

You'll want a suitable and stable stand to mount the alarm and controls.

Watch out: unless we're seeing just an access riser, the septic tank in your photo may not be big enough nor designed for nor usable for sewage - and in any event may need a better access for cleaning.

See details at SEPTIC PUMP ALARM SYSTEMS

and at AEROBIC SEPTIC ALARM SYSTEMS - be sure to check the advice given in those two articles.

Is our 1500 gallon septic holding tank at Lake George NY Legal?

I have a 1500 gallon holding tank for a 3 bedroom Home in lake George NY
It does not have an outflow and we have it pumped out when the Level alarm reaches 3/4 full.

Is this a legal system.?

We prefer to do this due to we are close to the lake. We only need to have it pumped out 3x per year due to the home is only part time. I

s this a NYS code approved way of dealing with the sewage On 2020-06-13 by Tomr

Answer by (mod) -

Tom

Your sewage holding tank may be grandfathered "in" as are some at properties right along the Hudson River, and thus permitted but no, in New York, including around Lake George, the building authorities generally won't approve a new installation of a "septic" system that uses only a holding tank. You could face a hurdle when property is to be sold.

If you have sufficient land you can perhaps install a pump-up mound system up-hill and sufficiently back from the lake. I helped install such a system at Lake George - it included a freeze protection system since there is so much rock it's tough to get below the frost line.

You might also ask your building department if they'll approve an advanced mini wastewater treatment system that can operate with a smaller footprint, then get some design advice from a local septic engineer.

What's the cost to install a septic holding tank now that my mound septic system has failed

I have bad mound. Get sewer in 2 years. How much to install holding tank. Family of 4.

Considering the purchase of older house, says needs new septic. How do i go about finding out what type, and cost of fix b4 purchase? On 2019-10-03 by Tammy Mitchell

by (mod) - a septic holding tank is not likely to be permitted where you live

Tammy

First it's not likely that your municipality will approve installing of a holding tank for your home.

Second, you can avoid that cost and instead spend the money on regular pumping of your existing septic tank. IN essence you're using the existing tank as a "holding tank" and having it pumped monthly or more-often.

Regrettably there is no good option other than trying to fix the mound or pump the tank very often.

At $400. per pump out and pumping every few weeks at the least you'll spend in the ballpark of 10,000 before your sewer connection has been installed. Horrible I know.

Monitor at the pump or D-box; by pumping and resting the mound you may be able to stretch out the pump-intervals.

Watch out: even worse: when the septic tank is pumped check with the pumper to assure that effluent is not simply running backwards into and re-filling the tank.

At a properly I've monitored for several years that was an issue; the owners kept pumping the tank and thinking they were gaining something but in a day or two the tank was filled again with surface runoff - so they were not giving their mound or field a rest at all.

Will a septic holding tank cause a smell problem?

I am looking at putting a septic holding tank at my workshop, as we are near a river, It will be only used for a toilet for 1 person, would it cause to much of a smell if I only get it pumped out once a year?
Thanks
Jim On 2015-04-17 by Holding tank pumping

Answer by (mod) -

Not in my experience. If there are odors then the something in the plumbing or septic system is not right.

Include an alarm so that you know when pumping is needed. And of course you'll need local building or health department approval.

We have a Lake home with septic holding tank - no septic system - Legal?

We own a lake home with a holding tank.

We thought it was a septic when we purchased the home but our septic man told us it was a holding tank when he came to pump it out.. We have it pumped regularly but we only see one tank. Is there a second tank? How would we find it, if so? We see no holes, pipes, nothing going into this tank when it's open for cleaning.

Also, our home was built in 1962. Is there any way to get the sewer & drain plots for this house? And, are holding tanks legal for a permanent residence? (May 16, 2014) Fran said:

Reply:

Fran, your local building department might have plans on file, but often those agencies don't.

Even if there was a filed plan, we can't know if the plan shows what was approved or instead, what was actually built. Nor do we know what repairs or changes may have rearranged things in the intervening decades.

In most jurisdictions septic holding tanks are not approved as a "septic system", with occasional exceptions granted by local authorities.

This article shows how to find buried septic tanks and piping

SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND

What are Signs of groundwater or rainwater leaking into my septic holding tank?

Have a 1000 gallon concrete holding tank that we had installed a couple of years ago. We were ready to hook our RV up to it.

The tank was full of fairly clean water. The opening does sit in a low spot. Have a 12" plastic riser. Had it pumped out.

Dug out around the septic tank riser and filled with rock around the opening and riser.

After a full week of rain the tank has about a foot of water in it. This water looks muddier than the time before we had it pumped.

Could it be that the riser wasn't sealed very good and that we need to add another riser? On 2019-05-05 by Ellen

Reply by (mod) - leaks at the septic tank riser connection to the septic tank?

I agree that it sounds as if water is leaking into the tank.

But without inspection we don't know if the problem is a poorly sealed septic tank riser (giving access for inspection and cleanout) or at a piping connection or around the septic tank lid or cover itself. A bit of careful excavation (by a professional) can diagnose that problem.

My property has no room for a septic system so we just have a holding tank: what can we do so it's not necessary to pump it often?

I have a property that has a holding tank system assuming because we could not put drainfield is there another alternative so it does not have to be pumping regularly. - On 2018-12-19 by Jim

Reply by (mod):

Provided that septic holding tank systems are legal (permitted) where your property is located (they are not permitted in most jurisdictions except in special circumsdtances),

your septic engineer will calulate your anticipated daily or monthly wastewater volume. That data will guide selection of a larger septic holding tank that in turn will reduce its pumping frequerncy.

The other key step for you to take is to reduce the wastewater volume at your property to an absolute minimum

Take a look at WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES 

Also take a look at ALTERNATIVE & WATERLESS TOILETS for water saving toilets & accessories.

Our property won't fit a septic drainfield; can't we just use a septic holding tank and pay for pumping?

If our property is too small for the required drainage of the septic system, would having a monthly scheduled emptying of the tank make a difference on what is drained into the ground? On 2017-08-25 by Juan

by (mod) - usually not code approved, very high pumping costs, try an aboveground treatment system

Juan

You ask a reasonable question.

The answer is in the hands of your local building or health or plumbing department who give construction permit approvals. In most cases communities don't permit holding tanks as a substitute for a working septic system.

You are proposing a hybrid - emptying the septic tank. I've spoken with some septic pumping contractors in areas where septic systems function poorly.

The contractor's view was that it was cheaper for the homeowner to pay hundreds of dollars a month for tank pumping than to install a legal, working septic system.

I suspect that local health or plumbing officials would not be happy with that approach. In part that's because there is no control over the property owner or manager to assure that the tank is actually pumped so often that it never is contaminating the environment.

You can figure that at a typical household a completely-pumped septic tank is re-filled with wastewater in 2-4 days of normal occupancy of the home.

After the fifth day we're back to discharging effluent into an onsite disposal system that we already know is inadequate.

To me that means we're peeing into the local wells, streams, lakes.

Instead of a hybrid combination of trying to sometimes pump out the tank at a system that does not and cannot work with a conventional septic drainfield, I would ask for help from a local septic engineer.

See SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES - home

and SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS, RESIDENTIAL

The engineer can tell you what alternative septic system designs, including an onsite packaged wastewater treatment system or a disinfection system will both work and will be accepted by local code officials.

I want a dual tank septic system that doesn't have a leach field - just tanks

I have a very high water table and my septic is leaching. In Mexico they have a fiberglass dual tank system that does not have a leach field. Is this system used in New Jersey, summerset county? On 2015-12-25 by Anonymous

Reply by (mod) - your local inspector is not likely to approve a holding tank system alone

There are no septic tank systems that work without a drainfield; the effluent has to go somewhere.

And your local inspector is not likely to approve a holding tank system alone - that's not likely to be legal nor practical for a normal homeowner.

But there are alternative septic systems such as mound systems that work above wet soils or mini septic treatment systems that can work entirely above ground.

See details and options

at SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES - home

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