Newer septic system design, installation, maintenance & repair guide questions & answers:

Frequently-asked questions about installing, diagnosing, or repairing septic tanks & drainfields.

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 FAQs #5

These questions & answers were posted originally at SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR - the home page for an extensive library of onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems.

On 2018-11-02 by (mod) - where to measure distance from septic sand mound to water well

Charles

You would measure from whatever mound component (such the nearest end a distribution pipe) is closest to the well.

On 2018-08-19 by Charles

Wheh measuring the distance between well and sand mound where do you measure from the distribution box on sand mound ?

On 2018-07-05 by (mod) - what to check when buying a home with a private septic system & septic tank

Anon

My best advice in more detail than I can re-type here is at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Guide_for_Home_Buyers.php

Take a look and feel free to ask if any questions remain.

In general if your home has no working septic system (no drainffeld or leach field could mean that) you need to know that a properly-designed system can fit and be installed on the property - if not it may not be salable.

On 2018-07-05 by Anonymous - we heard the house we're buying has no leach field

Hi,
We are in the process of home buying. The inspection and septic inspection are coming up shortly.

We heard word of the property not having a leach field. What should we expect at the inspection?

On 2018-06-14 by John

Great - Thanks for your help!

On 2018-06-14 by (mod) - does soil around a failed leach field have to be removed and disposed-of? No.

I'd review this question with your local health officials. I'd expect they'd be ok with a bit of soil mixing on the existing property - at most you might need to top it with clean fill.

On 2018-06-13 by John

Thanks for the info - I was not thinking that the soil had to be removed, but if it is, I have been told it is considered toxic.

I am interested in re-using the land in a manner that requires some excavation and so my concern is for the safety of doing so. It has not been an active leach field for 20 years so it sounds like I should be OK - does that sound right?

On 2018-06-12 by (mod) - I was told I have to remove and dispose of old septic drainfield soils

John,

In my experience your understanding is not correct. There's no regulation, color, or guideline that I have been able to find that suggests that when a leach field or drain field is abandoned that the soil has to be removed from the site.

Length of time for soil bacteria to completely process the remaining Biomet could be 3 to 20 years depending on the soil properties and the Biomat thickness. That does not mean at the site should be considered toxic. In fact if there's no sewage on the surface there's no reason to be concerned with normal use of such a property.

On 2018-06-12 by John

My understanding is that when a leach field is taken out of service, the dirt/sand/gravel is considered toxic and must be disposed of accordingly if removed. How long does it take for it to lose it's toxicity and can be considered safe?

On 2018-05-29 by Ron

I have an aerobic system. Here lately the alarm started going off at odd times.

When I pour water in / down one of the pipes in the aeration and/or clarification chamber the alarm goes off. The alarm will eventually go off again, and I repeat the water in the pipe routine until the alarm goes off. Do you have any idea what could be causing the alarm? (i.e. pump failure / low pressure, etc.)

On 2018-05-27 by (mod) - septic tank is under the garage floor

Judy

Most likely what you're being told is that the septic tank is under the garage floor not really the entire septic system - unless it's a cesspool.

I would expect this situation to show up at an older system which by age alone would raise questions about its capacity and its remaining life. I'm referring to both the septic tank and the drain field or absorption system.

Typically we find this when a garage was added to an existing structure. You're going to want to check for permits and approvals.

If it's a cesspool that's not likely to continue to be a functional system for a modern household.

If it's a septic tank, there could be safety issues with methane gas escaping into the building, as well as sanitation issues regarding accessing and cleaning the tank. There could also be tank collapse hazards given that you're parking over it unless the tank and garage floor were specifically designed to carry those loads.

In any case even if the installation was approved some time ago it's not likely to be approved by modern post. You can confirm that by checking with your building department.

In sum , you need an on-site expert inspection to tell you what is installed and what is its condition and what safety hazards are present

On 2018-05-27 Judy Keller

Recently looked at a home tp buy that has septic. Owner says it is under the concrete garage floor! Is this right?

On 2018-05-24 by (mod) -

Anita

Check with your local building officials. Typically proper abandonment would have the tank filled-in.

If the system is not in use you don't need a "septic inspection" but your home inspector should certainly advise you of

- any apparent health and safety risks from the abandoned tank

- any signs of building water entry related to the tank's location close to the foundation

On 2018-05-23 by Anita Ott

I am looking to buy a totally remodeled home located in Lake Ozark MO...Lake of the Ozarks.

There is literally an abandoned septic tank 6 feet from the front door. Home is now on city water and sewer. Should the owner have filled it in??? Since it wasn’t removed? This is the main concern I find with this home.

Do I need a separate septic inspection? I think the seller would have to fill it in for safety and health reasons.

I’m disabled and have many health issues including 3 autoimmune diseases. Concerned about the safety, smell, cave ins especially being disabled. Thank you for your time!

On 2018-05-14 by (mod) - odors from a household septic lagoon

Larry

See your question that you also posted at LAGOON SEPTIC MAINTENANCE https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Lagoon_Maintenance.php

On 2018-05-14 02:51:19.776005 by Larry Larson

My household lagoon has waste floating on the top and has created a strong odor. The lagoon is 18 years old. Is there a product to help eliminate the waste and odor?

On 2018-05-08 by (mod) - types of aerobic septic system aerator pumps

Vickie (and for other readers)

In these aerobic treatment unit septic systems, you may find two different pumps:

a dosing pump operated by a timer sends effluent to the disposal or dispersal system - a dosing pump will not run continuously.

an aerator pump provides air (oxygen) for proper bacterial action in the treatment tank. An aerator pump usually is designed to run continuously.

To understand the aerator pump on an Aqua Safe 500 ATU system we excerpt from the system manual:

Aqua Safe series models of wastewater treatment plants are made with an outer mixing compartment and a center settling or clarifier compartment. They are in many ways similar to large township or municipality sewage treatment plants. They employ an extended aeration, activated sludge process.

This type of treatment depends primarily upon the use of air that is introduced by air passing from the aerator compressor to four air lines located around the perimeter of the aeration mixing compartment.

As wastewater enters the aeration mixing compartment, simple hydraulic displacement is accomplished by the introduction of air which promotes the growth of aerobic organisms in much larger quantities than would occur naturally.

These bacteria break down the organic solids in the wastewater. From the aeration mixing compartment, mixed liquid enters the cone-shaped settling or clarifier compartment from the bottom.

No mixing occurs in this quiet zone where solids separate from liquid and settle to the bottom of the clarifier and re-enter the mixing compartment.

The liquid that separates from the solids in the clarifier continue to flow upward to the discharge pipe.

Details about the company ECOLOGICAL TANKS INC and access to the manual for your system are at AEROBIC SEPTIC SYSTEM ATU SUPPLIERS inspectapedia.com/septic/Aerobic_Septic_Supplies.php

To start addressing an aerator pump noise complaint let's look first at how the system was actually installed at your property. Here is what Ecological Tanks Inc. says:

The aerator compressor must be installed in a well ventilated, relatively clean and dry location. Install the aerator compressor on the treatment plant=s tank top or at a remote location no more than one hundred (100) feet from the treatment plant.

The aerator compressor is supplied complete with all discharge fittings. Install 3/4" Sch. 40 PVC piping (supplied by others) between the aerator and treatment plant.

A minimum of twelve (12) inches ground cover is recommended over the 3/4" Sch. 40 PVC air piping.

On 2018-05-08 by Vickie

is an aqua-safe as-500 atu motor supposed to run continually? We have a new system and we can hear the motor hum continually.

On 2012-02-05 by (mod) - locate the septic after a house fire

Jessica,

We we sorry To read about your house fire and loss.

You might want to rope off the location of septic tank, piping, and drain field to keep anyon from driving over (and damaging) those components during reconstruction.

Also be sure the drain line into the septic tank is capped off to keep debris out of the lines.
A month or so before ready to return the system to use ( to give time if repairs are needed), pump the tank and have tank and baffles inspected for damage or trouble signs.

On 2012-02-04 by Jessica

My house burned down and I won't be using the septic system until the house is rebuilt about 6 months from now. Live in NJ, have septic tank with two cesspools 60 feet away. Is there anything I should do? Thanks, Jessica

On 2012-01-23 by No one knows why.

I writing to you in hopes you can help me with a plumbing problem. I live in a ranch style 1300 square foot house on a crawl space. We were reclassified as a flood zone two years ago. I live on a road of about 20 houses with the elevation going up as you turn on my road from the main state route. I’m the fourth house off the main road and from the fifth house up they seem not to have this problem.

My question is. I’m the only one having problems flushing my only toilet when we get a lot of rain. Dry days and light rain is not a problem. My other neighbors can have standing water on top of their leach fields and can still flush. I’ve relocated my toilet and couple years ago and did not move the vent pipe but the plumbers I asked said the way I did it shouldn’t effect on this.

When we can’t flush due to high water everything else works fine, tub, sinks (both bathroom and kitchen) I’ve asked a couple of plumbers their thoughts and they say it sounds like a clogged toilet but when I tell them it’s almost a straight shot down to the drain pipe and a 3” pipe and why it doesn’t do it on a dry day they don’t know.

Here are the old and the new layout of the system starting at the septic tank and working back to the vent pipe. I forgot to mention that we’ve had the septic tank pumped twice when we had this problem and both times the septic tank was full. Water from the leach field was running back into the tank filling it up again.

OLD WAY

1. Septic tank

2. Pipe into the house

3. Kitchen sink drain (Y’s off)

4. Tub

5. Bathroom sink

6. Toilet and the vent pipe

NEW WAY AFTER RELOCATING TOILET

1. Septic tank

2. Pipe into house

3. Kitchen sink drain (Y’s off)

4. Tub

5. Toilet (without vent pipe relocated)

6. Bathroom sink

7. Vent pipe with the old toilet location plugged.

Please help.
Thank you
Ralph Weaver (AKA Mr. no heavy rain flush)

On 2012-01-21 by (mod) -

R Termehr, because you are describing a change in how your home's plumbing & septic systems work and the appearance of a plumbing drain sound not heard before, it's worth tracking down the sound to its source to determine if it indicates a problem, such as with drainage or plumbing venting.

Under NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE (links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) you'll find a series of articles that will help track down the source of plumbing noise and that help diagnose the cause as well as recommending the cure for most plumbing drain & noise problems. Let us know what you find - what you learn will help others.

On 2012-01-13 23:17:53.979058 by RTermehr@yahoo.ca

We share a septic system with approx. 8 other homes in a mobile home park. In July 2011 we started to experience the sound of the flushing of another toilet, like if you are do in a motel. At first it wasn't often but now it is quite frequent.

The water in our toilet does not move, we just hear the sound of another toilet being flushed.
Should we be concerned and we should get a plumber? I repeat, the water in our toilet does not move either in the tank or the toilet itself. We just hear the sound.

On 2011-12-07 by (mod) - normal levels of sewage that should be found in septic tanks

William:

We describe the normal levels of sewage that should be found in septic tanks in the article titled SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS (links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) . Remember that a normally operating septic tank is always full, right up to the level of the exit pipe that drains off effluent to the drainfield or soakaway bed.

Abnormally high sewage levels in the septic tank are any levels above the outlet pipe - indicating a blockage, clog, or flooded drainfield.

Abnormally low sewage levels are any level below the outlet pipe, usually indicating that the tank has a leak.

Exceptions to low levels include, of course, the period right after the septic tank has been pumped. Depending on septic tank size and the level of its usage, number of building occupants, amount of wastewater sent daily into the septic tank, it can take a few days for it to refill after pumping.

On 2011-12-07 by (mod) -

Dee: I'm not sure what those lumps are if not pieces of floating sewage. Though the lumps may seem hard and heavy (implied by your use of the term fossilized) as they are floating they're clearly not a heavy mineral deposit. One would have to see the material or have it analyzed to know for sure. You didn't mention color nor size nor density.

If you are talking about a sewage ejector pump that is in a chamber that receives direct blackwater, and presuming no one is flushing inappropriate trash down toilets, besides sewage (fecal fragments) one might find lumps of toilet tissue, clots of laundry powder if excessive powder is used in a washer that drains into that system.

If we were discussing an effluent pump in a multi chamber septic tank I'd add that there should be no significant solids present in that pumping chamber and I'd suspect an overloaded septic tank not being pumped often enough.

On 2011-12-07 by Dee

What is the fossilized lumps that I find floating in the scum layer when I clean out my well that holds the submersible waste ejector pump? Is there anything I need to do to reduce these large lumps from accumulating?

On 2011-11-18 by william rebman

hi I have a 1200 gallon tank that was installed new 6 years ago. It is taking care of a rented duplex unit (2 famly) I recently had it pumped out. When I looked into the tank I saw water and other things floating within aprox 4 inches from the top.

When I commented to the tank truck guy that it looks as though the tank was full and needed pumping out he said yes. When I mentioned to someone else that the tank was full I was told that the tank is always operating with the water up to within inches of the top of the tank.

So I ask you ifI remove the cover from the tank at anytime will the water level always be that high? Thank you in advance Bill

On 2011-10-30 by Jim

Just replaced the pump at my dosing tank and as I finished, the PVC line (from the pump) exiting the tank to the field which was firmly in place now slides.

When the pump comes on the exiting line jumps about a foot more into the tank in a horizontal direction and can be pushed back easily after pump stops (tank about 30 feet from field and line must turn 90 deg.

after exit from tank). My question is if I dig down to the line (about 2 ft. down) outside the tank, does this sound like a simple PVC line repair or something major? Thanks in advance!

On 2011-10-06 by (mod) -

Barb,

If you mean that there is air bubbling back up in the toilet bowl then you have an air or possibly worse, sewer gas backing up through your house drain system from the septic tank. To me that suggests that the septic tank outlet may also be blocked, the drainfield clogged, and the house drain-waste vent piping system is not handling air or gas backups.

Normally any gases backing up a drain waste vent pipe would be vented out through the vent piping system above the building roof.

I'd call a plumber to inspect the house vent piping and you'll need to check on the condition of the septic tank, its outlet piping, and for evidence of tank outlet clogging or blockage as well. Keep us posted; what you learn will help other readers.

On 2011-10-06 by Barb

We have bubbles in our toilets that are spraying significant water up into the toilet. If the lid is not on the toilet the bathroom would be very wet. We have a septic system that when pumped last year appeared to be working well even though it is 30 yrs old. Can you help???

On 2011-10-03 by (mod) -

Mary, effluent dispersal by spray is used to dispose of effluent produced by aerobic or other wastewater treatment systems that perform a very high level of treatment inside the septic tank before the effluent leaves the system.

But I doubt you'd obtain permission to spray septic effluent from a system that was designed to work with a drainfield because you'd be spraying into the air and onto the ground surface effluent that was not sufficiently treated.

In a septic tank and drainfield system the tank performs just about 40% of the treatment, the remaining 60% being accomplished in the soil. By contrast, an aerobic system may perform up to 95% of the effluent treatment before it's released to a surface spray system.

On 2011-10-03 by Mary

We have a septic tank system with a drain field. In times when the ground is saturated and there is too much rain, the drain field water goes back into the septic tank and will not allow us to flush our toilets. Forget washing clothes.

I wondered if we could rely on a septic effluent sprayer system that would not back up. I also wanted to know if the system could be attached to the septic tank and replace the drain field permanently.

On 2011-09-17 by Donna

We have a septic tank -holding tank commercial where can the pump guy dispose of the waste?

On 2011-08-16 by (mod) -

Curt:

If there is leakage out of the septic tank when you use water in the house your system is in trouble. Normal sewage level in the tank is below the top of the septic tank - and effluent is intended to flow out of the tank into the drainfield.

So for effluent to flood out of the tank top, the tank is flooding, which in turn means the outlet from the tank must be blocked or the drainfield flooded.

Pumping the tank is good maintenance and it affords the pumper a chance to inspect the septic tank for damaged inlet or outlet baffles (intended to avoid clogging in the inlet our outlet piping) as well as for evidence of drainfield saturation such as abnormally high effluent levels in the tank. But pumping wont' fix the tank.

Root killer won't have caused this problem either, but roots sure could. Further investigation is needed.

On 2011-08-16 by Curt O

I have a septic tank that leaks out the lid whenever we use the water in the house. I had the tank pumped out in May. The lid does have a broken out corner but it looks like it seals pretty good. Need direction..I have used root killer thinking it could be a root issue in the drain field.

On 2011-07-07 by (mod) -

Tmass: if you want to know if your home is served by a septic tank, or if there was an old abandoned one there, to be thorough, start reading in the article link found(links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) titled

SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND

You can take a short cut and ask neighbors or your local building department if homes on your street are served by a municipal sewer line. If the answer is "NO" you have some sort of onsite waste disposal system, a septic tank, cesspool, something. But you still won't know where it is or what is its condition or if it's even safe, so I'd still want to find and inspect it.

On the other hand if the answer is "YES" homes on your street are served by a municipal sewer, and EVEN if someone tells you that your house was connected to the public sewer we still don't know whether or not there is an old abandoned, and maybe unsafe septic tank at the property without further investigatin.

On 2011-06-28 by Tmass

I'm living in house inherent from my grandmom, how can I tell if it has a septic tank?

On 2011-05-28 by Anonymous

you could have a venting problem as well i ran into that once.

On 2011-05-22 by (mod) -

Toilet backup diagnosis tip:

If when you flush one toilet you find that water is backing up into another toilet, most likely your drain or sewer line is blocked.

On 2011-05-21 by Anonymous

if i have 2 restrooms and 1 toietis is not on and the other toilet is flushed would water come up from the other restroom?

...

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