Start a septic system inspection by a preliminary look at the site to spot trouble signs.

This page describes the first step in septic inspection or testing: how to look for visual evidence of septic failure without or before testing a septic system and also difficult site conditions that may require special measures to install a working septic system.

Safety Advice for Septic System Testing & Inspection

Anyone buying a property or owning a property and needing to assess the condition of the septic system should consider this easy procedure.

Simply paying attention to a building site's shape and other visual clues can give critically important information.

There are often visual clues, such as the ones described here, which can be strong indicators of a history of septic system problems or of a building site which will involve special difficulties in installing an effective onsite wastewater disposal system..

These septic system site observations can be performed regardless of whether or not a septic test is planned at a property.

While visual inspections cannot directly disclose all buried hazards and problems, there are often immediately obvious and very important clues that can indicate dangerous conditions (such as the collapsing septic tank shown in our photo ), a history of repeated repairs, septic system failures, and even dishonesty or malfeasance.

These site observations can increase the property owner, seller, or buyer's understanding of the chances that significant costs are likely to be faced in providing or repairing the septic system.

Critical site observations before starting a septic loading & dye test

Are there visually obvious unsafe conditions?

Watch out: if you spot a missing, broken, collapsing, or un-secure septic tank cover like that shown in our photo above, you've found a very usafe condition that can result in a quick and ugly death if someone falls into the septic tank.

Not only is the cover not over the septic tank access in this photo, but we see dry-stacked concrete blocks that appear to form the septic tank or its "cover" - an un-stable, home-made, and dangerous construction.

A septic tank like this should be roped-off and perhaps covered with heavy plywood to be sure that no one walks over or near this septic tank before it can be safely repaired or replaced. If you find a condition like this one be sure that everyone affected has been notified right away - both orally and in writing.

If you think that these septic tank cave-ins and fatility don't occur,

see SEPTIC TANK ACCIDENT REPORTS

Also see SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY for details about Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners

The next four septic field inspection documents provide details of what you can see outdoors that indicates either a septic system that is in failure or a system that probably required special measures to deal with a difficult site, such as a steep or hilly site, a rocky site, or a septic system near a lake or stream.  

Separately, our article on septic system FAILURE SPOTS describes where you're likely to see actual evidence of septic failure during a septic loading and dye test.

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Continue reading at SEPTIC FAILURE EVIDENCE, VISUAL or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Septic System Inspection, Loading & Dye Test Articles

• 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

Suggested citation for this web page

OUTSIDE SEPTIC PRE-TEST INSPECTION 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

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Citations & References

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

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