drain field again

I found some pics my wife took of the installation nine years ago. It looks like it's much deeper than you guys suggested, and no gravel. I had planned to dig for the junction box this weekend, but it looks like they just used a couple of Tees instead of a box. Also, looking at another picture, they had pulled up an old rusty Y pipe. I'm guessing the draintile around the foundation went into the old leach pit (but bypassed the septic tank). There is a 4" wye on the invoice, so maybe that's what they did this time also.

I had just moved here from a much warmer climate with clay soil and was assured the gavel-less tile would work in our sandy soil and assumed that it may have needed to be deeper in the cold. I also really wanted to believe it would work there, as I didn't want to pump it uphill and thought I had too much drop going the other way -- which I also know now is very soupy most times of the year. Where it is now is probably the best place if it's still workable. I'm still looking for somebody somewhat local that could actually tell me what I need instead of just digging some more trenches and closing it back up again.

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Find a reputable licensed septic contractor, your state may have a list of approved vendors.

Get a perk test done.

Hard to say without knowing the specifics like water table and topography around it but sure looks deeper than normal to me. Also if your in an area that isn't strict on this you may be able to save a fortune by installing concrete or plastic leaching chambers yourself, they are much more forgiving with there large reserve area

Looks awfully deep to me also. But that is what the perk test and soil examination are about, establishing how high the water table has been and drainability at certain elevations. With out a dosing box, looks like all of your flow is going to the straight ahead field. But with the back-up problems you are having, that does not really matter at this point. Better call in the local pro, who has dealt with the soils in your area and also dealt with the people at the court house who will be permitting the project. Throw money at it once get it done right and be done, so you don't fight this battle again. gobble

if what i see is the extent of the leach field it's not near enough footage, you shouldn't have anything other then the septic running into it, all other drains should run seperate. but sure looks like good draining ground.

Problem is finding a local pro. Lot's of guys with backhoes, nobody to really tell me what needs done. Many places around here just pipe it into the trees and call it good. I'd rather do it right, but not sure what/how/who.

According to the invoice there's 160 feet of that drain pipe, in 10 foot sections. The three prongs are 10 feet apart. It is very sandy soil, but this picture is in November. Right now there's standing water/snow melt on many fields (but not on top of the drainfield, that slopes to the trees).

I have 4 150' parallel runs for a total of 600', you can put a perimeter drain tile 10' out around the beds here if needed in case of high ground water.

Check with your state health department.

Did you permit this last time?

Your state has a very complete web page on this.

What county are you in?

Is it correct that the drain field works well until the ground water table rises up to the drain field level, and the drain field works well again after the water table drops below the drain field? Can you raise the drain field or lower the water table? Can you add a pump-out pipe to the septic tank and just pump it out until the drain field starts working again?

Most places now require all septic systems must meet the current codes whenever a property is sold. Installing a home-made fix without documentation or without a permit and inspection will pretty much guaranty you will have to replace the system again when you sell it. I would hire a professional to fix it long term, or I would work with your county to have you plan approved before you install it and have it inspected and certified before you cover it up. The professionals may all be busy right now because many other people are having the same high water table problem you have.

Before you waste any more time or money you need to talk to somebody in the know.contact your board of health or code offical.there not the enemy,their there to help.they should be able to recommend a design professional to do perk and design.your system looks way too deep,also no distribution box.there are different systems for different conditions.no one size fits all.good luck.

o

[i:654c4848f0]Is it correct that the drain field works well until the ground water table rises up to the drain field level [/i:654c4848f0]

Not sure. It's really wet out now, and it's not working well at all. This is the first we've had trouble since the "new" field in '07, which included some really wet years. Did have a problem once when the pipe between the house and the septic tank had pretty much rusted shut, but that wasn't a drainfield issue.

[i:654c4848f0] and the drain field works well again after the water table drops below the drain field? [/i:654c4848f0]

Really not sure. Hopefully it'll get better as the ground dries up. I'm trying to rest it as much as possible till then.

[i:654c4848f0] Can you add a pump-out pipe to the septic tank and just pump it out until the drain field starts working again? [/i:654c4848f0]

Last weekend I ran the laundry discharge out into a field. I'm thinking of doing the same with the shower for a couple of weeks to buy some time (4 people, including a teenager--that's where most of the grey water comes from). Sheep and cows crap and pee in that field for most of the summer, so I suspect a little shower water won't hurt it. I'm still sending all black water into the septic tank/drain field. My work really slows down in about a month, and I'll have time to find the right people and pay attention to what they do. It's awfully wet to be digging now anyway, with more rain expected this week. I don't think our county cares all that much, but I do want to fix it right (which is what I thought I had done).

There's also some drain tile around the foundation that needs some attention, and I have no idea where that drains to. I'd like to dig around a little and find out what's going on, but don't have time now and hate to rent little equipment to explore when I'm going to probably have the big boys come back anyway. I've also got questions about the tank itself, and the pump and inspection I paid for this fall turned out to be a pump and "yeah, I guess it looked good. Didn't smell too bad", but no comment on tank integrity, baffles, etc. Again, an issue with me being at the day job when the guy came out (and probably picking the wrong guy)

i do it for a living WAY TO DEEP

I do not believe that they pulled a permit last time. They didn't bill me for it, so probably not.

I found the list of certified installers. There are several nearby, [b:654c4848f0] including the guy who did it last time[/b:654c4848f0]. They got certified most recently in '12 and did this work in '07, so maybe things have changed. The whole certification thing may be new, or maybe they just have to re-up every 5 years. I'll probably still go with somebody else next time. I'd still like to be able to schedule it when I'm around, but may not be able to wait.

That looks awefull deep for a drain field. Plus why is it solid pipe. Should be solid pipe from the tank to the distribution box then preferated pipe going thru the drain field (drain field either being a 12x90 with wash stone in the bottom 15 in deep or separate field lines being 2 foot wide 100 foot long with 15 inches of wash stone. I didn't mean to say should be because i don't know where you live but i have never seen a septic drain line from a house or building that deep.

Assuming you're not in eastern South Dakota, what kind of questions should I ask to pick somebody that will do it right? David found me a link to certified installers, in addition to most of the excavating companies in town (including the guy I hired last time) the list includes a manure hauling company, so I'm guessing engineering the systems isn't their main line of work.

With a deep drainage well, should there be any concern that a deep septic drainage well that reaches down below the water table could contaminate nearby drinking water wells? Newer septic drain fields seem to all be installed at pretty shallow depths or ground level mounds.

I would give the state guy a call and discuss the problem.

I am really surprised you are not standing in muck.

Did just get off the phone with the state guy. He said regs go back way before '07 and that it shouldn't be any deeper than 4 feet. I didn't show him the picture, but he suggested I call the original installer and mention my problems and that it appears to be deeper than code. I hate to be "that guy", but I also dislike sewage in my basement.

My bil and I did ours. We chose the area for our drain field, then the Engineering Co. came and did the 4 holes and perk test. They determined how deep our lateral would be. The county determined we required 100 lin. ft. for each bed room, so 400 linear ft. Bottom of each trench is "level' from one end to the other, our lateral were on a slight downhill slope. we were right angled to the slope. So each lateral was actually a little lower than the ones next to it. I believe my laterals were 25feet center to center. We used the basket style, no rock, no sand they just sit on the grade you have cut. The dosing box of course sits down hill from septic but set perfectly level in all directions, each lateral piped from there. Dosing box filled with water and set the caps so each lateral gets the same flow. In your pictures it appears that you have some clay atop a sandier soil. Looks to me like your lateral trench should be just as you are hitting the sand. Septic can freeze but from their depth and the warm water flow in and the anaerobic digestion going on they don't usually. Before we could cover anything the county eng. came out and shot all the elevations to determine we had everything correct and he mapped it all for their records. gobble

Hi, 20 yrs back I used to install septic systems. We never put the field in with more than 2 ft of cover. The length of the field was determined by how fast the water percolated awayand how many bedrooms. Minimum was 150 ft and could go to 600ft. Minimum of 9"rock under 3" or 4" perforated with at least 2"rock over then landscape cloth over before back fill. We had to get health inspector in before back fill. Trench width min of 1ft. Always had to use a distribution box and all runs same length but never over 100 ft.slope max 2" in 50 ft. Things changed a bit now. Ed Will Oliver BC

Hi, 20 yrs back I used to install septic systems. We never put the field in with more than 2 ft of cover. The length of the field was determined by how fast the water percolated awayand how many bedrooms. Minimum was 150 ft and could go to 600ft. Minimum of 9"rock under 3" or 4" perforated with at least 2"rock over then landscape cloth over before back fill. We had to get health inspector in before back fill. Trench width min of 1ft. Always had to use a distribution box and all runs same length but never over 100 ft.slope max 2" in 50 ft. Things changed a bit now. Ed Will Oliver BC