Septic Systems
A Septic system is a way to dispose of household waste-water in a sanitary fashion. Heavy sewage particles settle out and collect at the bottom of the tank as sludge. While bacteria consumes most of this matter, some of it is not biodegradable and must be pumped out when the tank is full.

Inside the outlet Tee is a filter approximately 4” x 16” long, constructed of strong plastic. Solids filtered out of the effluent stream attach to the vertical cylinder wall and drop to the bottom of the tank when the tank is in a resting state. This keeps sludge from entering into the drainfield thereby causing clogging. It is easily cleaned at the time of pumping.

Warning Signals

• Sluggishness when flushing toilet.
• Any plumbing backups.
• Gurgling sounds in the plumbing.
• Grass in the yard growing j faster and greener in one particular area.
• Ground mush underfoot.
• Obnoxious odors inside or outside.
• Low spots beginning to appear in yard, whether or not any of the above symptoms have occurred.

Do’s

• Know the location and capacity of your septic tank system.
• Have a qualified person inspect the tank every three years.
• Have tank pumped when the combined depth of the sludge and scum equals 1/3 of the tank liquid volume.
• Install the system so that rainfall and surface water will flow away from the drainfield. Water from a roof should not discharge onto the drainfield.
• Grow grass or small plants above the system.
• Install water conservation fixtures or devices to reduce the total volume of water entering the system.
• Keep plumbing fixtures such as toilets and faucets in good repair to prevent leakage/wasting of water.

Don’ts

• Never flush paper towels, newspapers, wrapping paper, rags or sticks into the system.
• Never allow large, irregular, intermittent or constant volumes of clear water into the system, as with a leaking toilet or faucet.
• Never over-use ordinary household cleaning chemicals that will be flushed into the system.
• Never pour out or empty hobby or home industry chemicals into the system.
• Never allow waste from water softeners to enter the system.
• Never allow grease or other bulky waste to enter the system.
• Never flush toxic materials such as pesticides into the system.
• Never plant trees or shrubbery in the drainfield. Never allow vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) to drive across or park on the drainfield. (Protect it from being crushed).
• Never waste water.

How to...
Pump and Inspect

I. What kind of system is it?

A. The three basic system types

1. In Ground System – the tank, D-Box and drainfield are all below the grade.
2. Partial In-ground system (filled system) – Either all or part of the system is above grade.
3. Above ground system (Dosing Mound)

a) Type 1 – Tank is in the ground and drainfield is above ground
b) Type 2 – Tank and drainfield is above the ground (Typical with Mobile Homes and Trailers)

II. Tank Type - After determining what type of system you have, you must figure out what type of tank you have. Generally there are only 3 type:

A. Concrete
B. Fiberglass Tanks – Except for sump tanks, all tanks are oval
C. Homemade – There are block tanks and can be any size or diameter. Most are found in a square or rectangular shape.

III. Pump and Inspect the tank

A. Wash down sides checking for:

1. Cracks
2. Chips in side walls
3. Missing fiberglass
4. If block, make sure they are sealed (no missing pieces)

B. Wash down bottom checking for:

1. Is there a bottom?
2. If bottom and walls come together good
3. If bottom is buckling or pushing up

C. Check lid for:

1. Cracks or broken
2. Air tight (if not, seal it)

D. Baffle or Filter

1. Check for baffle
2. Check for filter or outlet tee

E. Check sump pump

1. Is sump pump messed up?
2. Is there an alarm?
3. Does the alarm work?

F. Check D-Box for:

1. Settling areas or holes
2. Probe lid to make sure it’s not broken

G. Drainfield

1. Look for washout areas
2. Look for any standing water
3. Look for excessive green foliage (especially in identifiable strips)
4. Probe drainfield

a) Is it moist or dry? - NOTE: if the drainfield is soaking wet, there is definitely a problem!
b) How many drainfield legs are there?
c) How long are the legs?
d) How wide are the legs?
e) What is the square footage of the drainfield?

Multiply length times width for each let, then add together.
Ex: 2 legs, 45’ x 2’, 1 leg 30’ x 2’
90’ + 90 + 60 = 240 sq. ft.

IV. Draw the system - The drawing must show:

A. The road
B. The driveway
C. The house or mobile home
D. The tank and drainfield
E. The water meter or well
F. The compass indicating where North is

V. Wet Season Water Table

A. Use the auger to check to 72”
B. Check results in soil book