Septic Tank/Field Questions.....

pee wee

pee wee

'Cause we're them old boys raised on shotguns
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So, we've been in this house for about 1.75 years. Last year, March timeframe, I observed the yard wet in places at the end of the line for the drain field. Ok, never been on septic, so ask question of installer. Why is this staying wet all the time? Was told it had rained a lot, which it had, and to give it some time to dry up. Fair. Over last summer/fall, it dried to a point, and was still soft but not terrible.

Fast forward to this March. Same area, it is still way too wet. Now for the past couple of weeks, wife can be home all day, laundry, toilets, normal house stuff, no issues, but later in the evening, when showers take place, the toilets will start bubbling, with air bubbles, then the water will be pulled out of the p-trap in the toilets.

Tank has never been pumped, of course, with only the short time here.

Here is an overhead shot of property showing house, tank, drain field, where rainwater runs from drive and elevations.

Any ideas of what is going on here?

1709756815275.png
 
They are supposed to pump this week.
 
Here is another recent satellite image showing how wet the drain field is.

1709757535678.png
 
Pump first, see what happens. Ours started that way, we had a saturated field and had to get a whole new field dug. But there's a lot between a wet field and a dead field.
 
Chuckman said:
Pump first, see what happens. Ours started that way, we had a saturated field and had to get a whole new field dug. But there's a lot between a wet field and a dead field.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking, what'd a new field cost?
 
When we first moved in, our field became soaked. Rationalizing washing machine cycles helped a lot.
 
Alamance County- call Rebecca (Becky) Rosso at Alamance Co Environmental Health, she's the EH director
 
Was this a new house build? If so, is the field lower than the surrounding ground? If so, one option may be to install some swales above grade from the field to channel the rainwater away - instead of across the field.

Another option is to spread several inches of topsoil (permeable soil) on top of your existing drain field. This is commonly done for the type of septic field called a “modified conventional”.
 
WellCC said:
Alamance County- call Rebecca (Becky) Rosso at Alamance Co Environmental Health, she's the EH director
Click to expand...
Already contacted them and they are supposed to come out and see what they think/ find.

Did speak to Ryan at Ala. Co. and he said we had good soils, so, we shall see.
 
Scsmith42 said:
Was this a new house build? If so, is the field lower than the surrounding ground? If so, one option may be to install some swales above grade from the field to channel the rainwater away - instead of across the field.

Another option is to spread several inches of topsoil (permeable soil) on top of your existing drain field. This is commonly done for the type of septic field called a “modified conventional”.
Click to expand...
Discussed a same swale/berm/ditch to do just that with others. Thought was we may be getting too much surface flow.
 
Installed hundreds of septic systems working in a family business through the years. All good points above, Pump, swales, etc. also look at gutter drains on the house if buried,where do they exit? If not buried do they all flow towards the drain field?
 
pee wee said:
So, we've been in this house for about 1.75 years. Last year, March timeframe, I observed the yard wet in places at the end of the line for the drain field. Ok, never been on septic, so ask question of installer. Why is this staying wet all the time? Was told it had rained a lot, which it had, and to give it some time to dry up. Fair. Over last summer/fall, it dried to a point, and was still soft but not terrible.

Fast forward to this March. Same area, it is still way too wet. Now for the past couple of weeks, wife can be home all day, laundry, toilets, normal house stuff, no issues, but later in the evening, when showers take place, the toilets will start bubbling, with air bubbles, then the water will be pulled out of the p-trap in the toilets.

Tank has never been pumped, of course, with only the short time here.

Here is an overhead shot of property showing house, tank, drain field, where rainwater runs from drive and elevations.

Any ideas of what is going on here?

View attachment 752419
Click to expand...

WellCC said:
Alamance County- call Rebecca (Becky) Rosso at Alamance Co Environmental Health, she's the EH director
Click to expand...
We went through almost the exact scenario you are describing. Same time in the house, brand new system, wet yard, gurgling....

Long story short...the company who came out to pump the tanks (which were both full to the brim...I have pics of ya really wanna see 'em...) discovered we didn't have a "sanitary/effluent T" installed on the secondary tank side just a straight 4" pipe which according to them was against code. The main guy was really curious how it passed inspection and strongly suggested I call the builder and have him make it right.

As this wasn't the first time I had a conversation with the builder regarding failures of construction and him denying it, the call ended with me reminding him he knew where I lived and I'd be there all day.

So, I made a trip to Lowes and repaired it myself according to those guys recommendations.

A week later I get a call from the original installer requesting me to allow him to come out, inspect and repair the install to "make it right" and cover the pump fees....which I expect had something to do with the environmental inspection aspect.

sanitary-tee-on-septic-tank-diagram (1).jpg
 
Gutters are underground, but flow downhill from drain field.
 
If you have a water softener or other water treatment make sure it is NOT discharging into the main waste line
 
WellCC said:
If you have a water softener or other water treatment make sure it is NOT discharging into the main waste line
Click to expand...
Softener drains to rip rap Ditch on side of property
 
Any leaking faucets, toilets, etc?
That can flood a nitrification field
 
Nope, put red kool-aid in tanks to verify no leakages.
 
Put some food coloring in toilet tank and see if colored water is leaking into bowl
 
Les White said:
If you don't mind me asking, what'd a new field cost?
Click to expand...
If you ever think you have to do it, lots of times the county man will push a pumping system when you don’t actually need one. Rent an excavator and have a couple loads of stone hauled in, do it yerself
 
Burt Gummer said:
If you ever think you have to do it, lots of times the county man will push a pumping system when you don’t actually need one. Rent an excavator and have a couple loads of stone hauled in, do it yerself
Click to expand...

God help you if you do it and it's not permitted/approved. But if you can get away with it....

In our case, the county didn't approve anything aside from pump-and-haul, said because of our soil there was no suitable replacement options, but we were free to appeal to the state. So we did. The state guy came out, poked around the soil, and told us the only option was the pump/manifold system.

The whole experience was very educational.
 
Chuckman said:
God help you if you do it and it's not permitted/approved. But if you can get away with it....

In our case, the county didn't approve anything aside from pump-and-haul, said because of our soil there was no suitable replacement options, but we were free to appeal to the state. So we did. The state guy came out, poked around the soil, and told us the only option was the pump/manifold system.

The whole experience was very educational.
Click to expand...
The county came out to my parents house when they were about to build. There was a septic system onsite already. Told them it wouldn’t perk and that they needed to install that pumping system. The guy that was gonna install ours came out and did his own perk tests and helped appeal and it got overturned. Sometimes the ground isn’t suitable. Sometimes the county officials are getting kickbacks for recommending certain things, but like Hunter Biden, that gets overlooked.
 
pee wee said:
Here is another recent satellite image showing how wet the drain field is.

View attachment 752424
Click to expand...
Having your driveway drain overtop of the drain field is not good. Certainly not helping things. Might be worthwhile to put an underdrain at the end of the driveway with a couple yard inlets. Pipe it somewhere past the drain field, presumably toward the riprap ditch in the side yard. I bet that helps tremendously with how much rain we've had this winter.
 
9outof10mms said:
Having your driveway drain overtop of the drain field is not good. Certainly not helping things. Might be worthwhile to put an underdrain at the end of the driveway with a couple yard inlets. Pipe it somewhere past the drain field, presumably toward the riprap ditch in the side yard. I bet that helps tremendously with how much rain we've had this winter.
Click to expand...
That scenario was discussed.
 
The bubbling issue is a vent issue. It could be in the tank or house. I highly doubt with the age it is in the house. Either it is not piped in the tank correctly or the drain field is not adequate.

In my case on a former home built in 1972 the drain field was not adequate. Actually too small and poorly prepared. It was tested and failed by county before the sale by the seller and realtor. Then they had a plumber bless it as ok for $100. Long story short after 2 losses in appeal we got a judgement against the realtor to pay for a new one based on dishonest disclosure. Realtor broker was terrified we would file complaints with the state. I acted as my own attorney and they had 3 different lawyers and they were pissed when they lost. Got cussed out by the first one in the hallway.

Back to your house. When you have the pump person come out and expose the tank check for the tee vent and observe the waste water level. If the level is full tank high most likely the drain field is garbage.
 
BlackGun said:
The bubbling issue is a vent issue. It could be in the tank or house. I highly doubt with the age it is in the house. Either it is not piped in the tank correctly or the drain field is not adequate.

In my case on a former home built in 1972 the drain field was not adequate. Actually too small and poorly prepared. It was tested and failed by county before the sale by the seller and realtor. Then they had a plumber bless it as ok for $100. Long story short after 2 losses in appeal we got a judgement against the realtor to pay for a new one based on dishonest disclosure. Realtor broker was terrified we would file complaints with the state. I acted as my own attorney and they had 3 different lawyers and they were pissed when they lost. Got cussed out by the first one in the hallway.

Back to your house. When you have the pump person come out and expose the tank check for the tee vent and observe the waste water level. If the level is full tank high most likely the drain field is garbage.
Click to expand...
10-4
 
I've got a septic disaster story also. Bought a brand new house on newly cleared land from a contactor in Salisbury. The first time it rained, the toilets would not flush. I had the tank pumped and the next time it rained, same problem. It would take about 3 days before the toilets could be used after about a 1/4 inch of rain fall, longer if the rain was more. Called the contractor and he sent some inspector out and told me that all was ok with the leach field. Rained again and the contractor had the head NC state inspector come by and he drove from Ashville to take a look. he tells me that water is traveling underground and flooding my leach field.
Contractor then digs a 3 foot wide 6 foot ditch all around my property, fills it with crushed rock and placed a ventilated drain pipe with an exit point at the low part of the property, not a drop of water came out of that pipe but still couldn't flush a toilet after a rain.
I asked the state inspector if the land was perk tested and he tells me that they don't do that any more and the local inspectors just grab some dirt and pour some water on it and squish it with their hands to see if it absorbs water and if it does, it gets signed off as being ok to build on.
Had the tank pumped again, had the house about 3 months now, This time I watched the guy empty the secondary part of the tank and saw a virtual fire hose of water refilling the tank from the leach field and the septic guy says" That isnt good "
The owner of the septic installer tells me, " I never did like this spot of land"
Contractor tells me he's done.
I lived there for 18 years, Wife and me and three grandkids. When ever it rained we had to use a porta potty and every day I had to empty them in bags and them get them dumped. Had to sell the house and I couldn't bring myself to sell it someone and some company offered to buy it as a flip and I agreed at a real low amount. When I asked about the septic test that's needed for finance for the next buyer they told me " The house inspector tests the septic system by flushing the toilet, if it flushes it ok, don't worry about it"
They flipped the house, made about $100K on the deal and sold it.
I sent a letter to the new owner addressed it as, to the new owner . Hand written letter inside saying that I was the original owner and that if he was having any problems to contact me. I got a call about a week later from this guy, he tells me that his toilets wont flush. I gave him the whole history. I then saw the house back on the market for sale and he made about $20K. Now , some else has the problem and I'm not going to go thru all that again.
Buyer beware, especially if your buying a house with a septic system.
 
Tank was full to the top on inlet side. Heavy layer of crust and t.p. which was causing drainage issues from house. Now, exit side was OK. Effluent filter on tee was clean.

Probably 2 issues. One being full tank for house side, but that doesn't explain the wet field side.
 
i know some of you will be shocked, but i despise government overreach; however, this is one of the reasons why they have 5yr inspection/pumping requirements out here. $20k on a new field is a hard pill to swallow after a home purchase where the inspection found no issues.
 
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