Yet another failed septic system...help!
Long story short. Been in this house 5 years. When purchasing, dye test passed, no problems. My wife has been here 3 years. Just last summer we had our first backup into the basement (floor drains). Previous to that I noticed the filmy water around the septic tank area. I dug down, found the leech bed line....water all around it. I dug a small drainage ditch away from it and perforated the line with the shovel....old faithful geyser for a few minutes.... Basically, my leech bed failed....or so I thought. After more investigation, I found that my leech bed is about 30 feet long at best.....single line...obviously garage engineered. Specifics of my system: I have a 500gal tank....single unit..one building attached to the system. All lines from house go to septic including gray water.... We have a disposal but rarely use it...Two bathrooms, a super-efficient front-loader washing machine (at least now anyway), 1.6 gal toilet that gets used most of the time. My wife and I are the only ones here for now... Here is the problem I found.... At the end of the leech line was a rigged-up plug by the previous owner. They blocked the end of the line which used to be just a free-flowing pipe. I know they installed it because I found all of the same gravel they used on the other side of my shed....they basically rigged it up so the house would sell....probably had their fingers crossed for the dye test. I cant believe it actually worked this long! Bigger problem - my land borders a small lake. The land around this lake is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. My septic tank is about 1 foot from the line, and the leech bed leeches (if you will) onto their land.... I unplugged the line, and right now my system is leeching onto open ground.... It is on a large hill so the water doesnt stay surfaced long....but its nasty... What the heck should I do? I had a septic company come out - they said I could be looking at 30K or more...driveway has to be ripped out in that area, grinder pump, larger tank, holding tank, and new leech field somewhere else on my property (up hill from current location - hence the pump and holding tank)...that is only provided the soil passes perk test. Last option is treatment system..... Do i even have an option to fall back on the seller? It was not disclosed....or has it been too long? Am I looking at a massive investment, or could I possibly rig up a better leech system myself...or am I asking for legal issues later? No fun!! Thanks in advance for the help and for reading this! you will need to check with some one familiar with your state laws on disclosure, with the things you have described about the property i would go with a aerobic waste water system I believe it will be the less amount of maintenance in the long run vs the grinder and pumping up hill. life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies If the sewage situation is not corrected ASAP, you could be looking at a hefty fine for dumping raw sewage into the environment. Have the system inspected. Don't go with an inspector who also sells and installs septic systems. Get at least two more quotes. A permit and inspection will be required for whatever new system you install. Septic Care: What is a Septic System? How Does a Septic System Work? Why Does a Septic System Fail? What are Signs of a Failing Septic System? It is doubtful that you can go back on the seller. The system worked when you purchased the home. As you say, Been in this house 5 years. When purchasing, dye test passed, no problems. Septic systems are designed to process biological waste. Adding gray water waste, such as from washer, to system can overburden the system. Lint from washer can cause system failure. If washer is used, it is recommended that laundry be spread out over several days so as not to overburden the system. In the meantime, go to the laundrymat. Driveway should never be placed over leach field. Pennsylvania Septage Management Association :: Septic Care Tips Thanks for the info! Beer 4U2 I am definitely concerned about being fined....this government land next to me is monitored heavily....I was once sent a certified letter warning me of encroachment on government land for mowing a path to the lake....sewage would most likely be followed up with a huge fine. I didnt think I would have anything to go back on....I still may look into disclosure laws here, but there is probably a statute of limitations. The big issue I have is that they built an illegal system themselves, and rigged it to pass the dye test...the soil must have been draining well because the leech area is definitely not to code. Just to clarify - the leech area itself is not under the driveway....but the pipes from the house to septic run under the driveway....and if the tank has to be moved, the driveway has to be torn up to access them and redirect them....our driveway is paved. My situation is a little more complicated because of the government owned property. My tank is shoved against it and the driveway and turnaround border the tank....so its in a mote surrounded by driveway and government land.... You might get lucky and find a company that will agree to just put in a proper leech field, but the septic business is a highly regulated business now and the county (or whoever inspects) would have to agree to their plans. No one here can help you with this since the states and localities are very different in their approaches to what is and isn't allowed. If you get caught by the Corps, they might also take an interest in exactly how you correct the situation and want approval rights as well. I'm not an attorney, but for $30,000, it might be worth a couple of hundred to have one find out about the lack of disclosure of defective plumbing. Will check into that.... no doubt there will be inspections form the county and corps - if a new leach field is installed, it will be have to be on their land....they may not even allow it, however maybe it can be grandfathered since my original system worked that way. nonetheless i am going to have to pull the trigger on this and head down that path unfortunately. i will also be checking into the disclosure. sad thing is that we have done many improvements on this house, and we are going to have a baby in about 6 months...we need to put on an addition....more $$.... a $30k septic improvement will push our investment ratio way past what we can get back out of the place..... i guess we dont have a choice. As much as I dislike those high maintenance, need to be inspected at least annually, expensive, complicated aerobic systems (a miniature treatment plant in a box), I agree with the posters that it will more than likely be your best way out. Depending on your state's laws, you may want, or be required, to take a class on run one. But if you can't put a leech field on your own property and you have to open yourself up to a Federal agency's whims, the aerobic system starts looking a lot better. If you have to involve the Corps, they could fine you while you are waiting for their approval and their approval was the only thing holding things up. All sorts of horror scenarios are possible. And don't assume if you get permission, that permission will stay forever. It could happen that Congress changes a law and bang, you are back to square one. Grandfathering really doesn't apply to much anymore. It's likely that your local authority will tell you what needs to be done, either directly or through the local septic installer. Mound systems are an alternative to aerobics, and you may be able to continue using your existing tank. The mound can be located uphill, farther from the lake than the leach field. Septic tank inspections that would let a buyer actually know the system's condition are very difficult to do properly. Good luck! Today is the age of alternative. Instead of sticking with age-old septic systems, why not look at alternatvie systems. I dont mean an outhouse, but what about compost toilets. There are some that exist that arent outhouse style (aquatron- swedish design) that will take waste and compost it, and then your liquids can go on to your existing septic or you can use them for greywater if you treat it! Can be a bit tricky getting past code, but consider the benefits of not dealing with leach fields plus the thousands of dollars you invest in maintaining the failure systems. environmentally friendly and economically friendly... Installed correctly and used correctly the traditional septic system goes on for years. (20 - 30)It requires no more than to use it as intended for things you have already eaten and drank. When you start to use it as a rubbish tip, then you will have problems.
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