What do I need to know about wells and septic?

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SecondMonkey

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I am *REALLY* close to obtaining my dream - a GIANT shop and 6 acres to park as many old cars and boats as I want.
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I've wanted my own tractor since I was 6 years old. And I can build my own shooting range.
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Anyway, sorry to brag, there are two main issues I need to figure out before I can buy. I will not be living on the site, but I want to have a bathroom w/shower. There is an old single wide trailer that will be disposed of that was connected to some kind of septic and well.

#1 - Septic sytem. What important things do I need to know about where it's located and if it can be checked for condition?

#2 - Onsite well is only 12 GPM. Who do I need to contact to decide if the well can be dug deaper or something else to get more water?

PS - I'm a city boy, I've always had chlorinated water and a sewer.
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You need to contact the county where the property is, they will have a planning/building department who will answer all your questions.

Good luck, keep us posted :)
 
I live in a rural area and have both too!

In Canada Water Testing is FREE so I send a test from my well every couple of months to ensure it's contaminant free after the filters because I know my well has very Hard water and has bacteria in it.

Also the septic tank needs to be replaced after so many years according to the law where you live, so I would find out the age, whether it is leaking (very $$$ to fix), and how full it is.

Home/Business inspectors are good for these two things...

Get a UV light for the well water to kill any bacteria in the water.

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1. Don't drive over the Septic tank with the tractor. You may colapse the tank and fall in. I did that in a Propane truck at a customers house.

You need to dig up the lid and have a guy come out. They will suck all the Eewwwww out of it then they can inspect it.

12 gpm from a well is fine. You should have a pressure tank. Mine is 500 gallon. 250 is water and 250 is air. When the water level drops the air pressure also drops. Pump comes on to fill the tank @ 20 psi and off @ 40 psi.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
1. Don't drive over the Septic tank with the tractor. You may colapse the tank and fall in. I did that in a Propane truck at a customers house.


Pictures please!
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Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: Chris142
1. Don't drive over the Septic tank with the tractor. You may colapse the tank and fall in. I did that in a Propane truck at a customers house.


Pictures please!
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Fortunatly just the rear tires fell in. A septic tank is only about 5ftx5ftx5ft.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
1. Don't drive over the Septic tank with the tractor. You may colapse the tank and fall in. I did that in a Propane truck at a customers house.

You need to dig up the lid and have a guy come out. They will suck all the Eewwwww out of it then they can inspect it.

Oh dear god.
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That's part of the concern, I want a lot of big heavy toys, so I need to know exactly where it's at. I might try to earn some cash on the side with some RV/truck parking.

I like the idea of digging up the top (with my new tractor!) and inspecting/cleaning/and then maybe a heavier duty concrete top could be poured?
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: Chris142
1. Don't drive over the Septic tank with the tractor. You may colapse the tank and fall in. I did that in a Propane truck at a customers house.


Pictures please!
LOL.gif

Fortunatly just the rear tires fell in. A septic tank is only about 5ftx5ftx5ft.


Oh. I thought you yourself managed to fall in. Ewww!
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Originally Posted By: Chris142
No. If it's in that bad of shape it needs to be replaced. The one I fell through was an old rusty steel one.

But how would I know what condition mine is in without digging it up? Can I hire a professional with some cameras or something?
 
If you look down the sewage pipe, you may be able to see which way the pipe goes, and find out were and if there is a septic tank or just a pit in the ground. Once you get things going, if you avoid using any chlorine or harsh chemical cleaners or antibacterials, the septic tank will dissolve everything you throw into it, and will almost never need to be pumped (with the exception of cucumber seeds... and certain rubber items).
 
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
If you look down the sewage pipe, you may be able to see which way the pipe goes, and find out were and if there is a septic tank or just a pit in the ground. Once you get things going, if you avoid using any chlorine or harsh chemical cleaners or antibacterials, the septic tank will dissolve everything you throw into it, and will almost never need to be pumped (with the exception of cucumber seeds... and certain rubber items).


Good advice. You should also have a vent risor sticking out of the ground somewhere. The tank should be close to that. A septic pumper guy will stab the ground with a metal rod to find your tank for you. Atleast that's how they'll attempt it in the N.East. I'm the proud owner of a vintage 1955 steel tank system that is somehow *knock on wood* still functioning. The tank is the cheap part. Your absorbtion field / leach bed is the pricey bugger. If your property is such that your absorbtion field cannot be located lower than the tank or won't 'abosorb' well enough, you'll need ridiculously expensive lift stations and storage tanks. I've also seen deeply dug systems where the tank is 8-10ft under the ground with a tall risor for access. A lightly used system with good absorbtion can last a long long time. ~50yrs+. The key is keep your liquid and solid outflow as low as possible and keep your outflow organic only!

Joel
 
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you should seperate toilet seweage from grey water (i.e. shower, dishwashing, etc).

try hold the grey water so you can re-use for irrigation. use bio-degradable soap. my FIL simply discharges grey water to the creek (don't think it is the right thing to do to send your neighbours soap water)

definitely need to check with your local council/municipality. you don't want it going wrong.

you can always get one of these to treat your poo. http://www.biolytix.com/index.php
 
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Originally Posted By: crinkles
you should seperate toilet seweage from grey water (i.e. shower, dishwashing, etc).


Captain Kirk urinates into the bathroom sink. I can't get him to use the toilet. If we were producing grey water, it would always contain some feline waste.
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Originally Posted By: crinkles
you should seperate toilet seweage from grey water (i.e. shower, dishwashing, etc).

try hold the grey water so you can re-use for irrigation.


That is a great way to prolong a septic systems lifespan, but I don't think you'd find a municipality in the states that would allow that if being 100% to code is important for you.

Joel
 
that biolytix system i provided a link for may take all your wastewater and grey stuff.. maybe there is something similar in america.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: crinkles
you should seperate toilet seweage from grey water (i.e. shower, dishwashing, etc).


Captain Kirk urinates into the bathroom sink. I can't get him to use the toilet. If we were producing grey water, it would always contain some feline waste.
frown.gif



Urine is pretty sterile, unless there's something nasty going on.

It's a good way to salt up your comfrey patch' though.
 
Most municipalities in PA require pumping out the tank every three to five years. Every tank has a cover that is underground. My son's house has a tank with about a foot of dirt over it. To clean it, he does the spade work and cleans off the cover. The pumping company then raises the cover and pumps out all of the collected solids. They then look out the lateral pipes where the liquid runs to be absorbed into the ground. If the ground becomes saturated, the septic system has to be redone. In your case, not living on the site, this probably won't happen. Have the system pumped and checked ASAP and assuming it works, go on with life.

With the well, you need to have a water purity check. Again, not living there, drink bottled water and use the well for toilet and possible showers and general washing uses. Make sure the pressure tank (described above in a previous post) and pump are in good shape. Modern pumps are submersible and are under water in the well. They can last anywhere from 5 to 25 years depending on the quality of the pump and the acidity/basicity of the water. Make sure the pump is protected from lightning strikes. Such a system is easily installed.
 
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Originally Posted By: hate2work

You need to contact the county where the property is, they will have a planning/building department who will answer all your questions.

Good luck, keep us posted :)



This is the best answer. Laws regulating septics and wells have changed in the past ten years. While you might be grandfathered in with the current system, you may run in to very expensive options if you need to change things. Wells need to be a certain distance for septics. They may have changed the requirements for the soils ability to "perk" (absorb).

Check into these requirements BEFORE you buy, or you may be screwed. I know someone who spent close to $20,000 on new fangled "septic type" system because they were not allowed to replace the old one with a conventional septic.

Google septic care to find out more.
 
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