Septic issues

[Howard Sterndrive]

I have a very soggy spot at one corner of my septic bed. It has been a bit soggy there for a couple of years. I started digging there today, and the hole started filling with black water. I dropped a sump pump in to keep digging, but the water just keeps coming. The grass is actually pretty dry everywhere excapt that area, but I tried digging back closer to the tank and it seems like the same thing - lots of water about 8" below the sod.

What am I into? a whole new septic bed? Is there anything else I should do/try before calling my bank?

 

[rbh]

Re: Septic issues

I have a very soggy spot at one corner of my septic bed. It has been a bit soggy there for a couple of years. I started digging there today, and the hole started filling with black water. I dropped a sump pump in to keep digging, but the water just keeps coming. The grass is actually pretty dry everywhere excapt that area, but I tried digging back closer to the tank and it seems like the same thing - lots of water about 8" below the sod.

What am I into? a whole new septic bed? Is there anything else I should do/try before calling my bank?

Almost sounds as if your weaping tiles aint weaping along the whole route and the septics flowing to the lowest point.
I would say that it is a good possibility that you need to put in a new bed of gravel and new tile/weaping pipe.

(I know on our system we have to watch the type of detergent we use and no fats down the drain)

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Septic issues

Heck if I know, all I know is its a sh***y job!

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Septic issues

You need to make sure the drain field is working correctly, it sounds like your tank is full and due to the fact the field is not working correctly, it is allowing the black water to seep through the cleaning and inspection holes on the top of the tank. Different areas use different types of tanks, mine is a 1200 gallon tank that is set in the ground, then a lid is set on top of it, I had to have mine worked on last May, due to a blockage between the house and the tank, but we went ahead and had it pumped, cleaned and they routed out the drain field, so I should be good to go for quite few years.

If you have black water on the surface, the field is not working properly.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Septic issues

Just remember not to chew your fingernails.

 

[Cofe]

Re: Septic issues

How old is your septic system?

Was a perk test performed before you bought, or installed a septic system on your property?

If it is a newer system, it should work right if the ground will pass a perk test.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Septic issues

I started digging there today, and the hole started filling with black water. I dropped a sump pump in to keep digging, but the water just keeps coming.

That means that line is taking more water than the others.

You need to find the D-Box and put these in.

You put them in the pipes then dial them in so all the lines are taking the same amount of water.

You can choke that one line off little more than the others.

 

[gss036]

Re: Septic issues

Septic drain lines are a tough subject without more information. Depending on where you are, the water table might very well be only 8 inches and it is back filling your drain field. How does you drains in the house work, any back ups in the shower or toilets?
My neighbors rental mobiles were having trouble, the managed to pump about 2500 gallons from a 1000 gallon tank, go figure, they just drained the field around the drain field and it all was coming back into their tank.
I like the idea in the above post, I have never seen anything like that. Great idea if you have more than one drain line. Normally you would have 3 lines flowing from the distribution box.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Septic issues

wow - some great info.
They don't use the D boxes around here, but it does seem like a distribution issue for sure.... here they use a 2 tank system and then one pipe out of the second tank to the field. I actually have the original "map" from the contractor dated 1987....he was no artist nor a draftsman....but it gives some clues.
The system was installed in 1987 and worked well until about 2009 it seems.
All the drains/toilets in the house seem to be working fine.

I do need to lose 20 lbs.... I suppose digging 100 tons of earth would help me with that goal.... just wish I had some idea of how deep the pipes are, or a better map of the layout. I guess I'll just have to start at the tank and follow all pipes from there, because my plan of "happening across them" just ain't happening and this wet muck is back breaking.

Luckily it has been a relatively dry spring. lots of sun and wind, but the ground is still wet from dealing with the snow melt.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Septic issues

Im no expert, but i think the experts run a snake or fish tape down the pipes if they can. and locate them w a metal detector and wire flag their location on the surface as opposed to digging the whole line up.Tree roots can cause blockages and if the snake wont go anymore it might be the roots or the end of the run.It might save you some digging of unclogged drain.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Septic issues

dug up the tank outlet pipe and had a look in the tank today. It's actually draining to the field just fine. I was expecting to find the tank full above the discharge, but it wasn't. The hole where I am pumping is now filling with clean water, so I think the ideas about the water table flooding the bed are probably what I am seeing now. That corner is just plain low. Now that I look at the grading, it's a bit of a dish there.
And wow, that discharge pipe is a good 17" down and it angles downward, so digging the pipes up by hand is just not an option.

My plan now :
1. get the tank pumped to give the bed some settling time (will be about 15 to 20 days I figure to refill the tank and start flowing to the leeching field with the amount of water we use - only 2 of us in the house)
2. run a snake along the pipe just to try to get a better idea where my drainage field is.
3. put some organic cleaning products directly into the discharge pipe from the septic and wash them in with the hose.
4. fill the low/soft spot with sand and gravel mix (maybe even a couple bags of concrete) and then level it up higher - force the water to move elsewhere
5. say a prayer

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Septic issues

I would suggest at this point to get a hold of someone that does this for a living, have them come out and look at your system, tell them you ideas and let them make some suggestions as to the best way to go to get this back to spec... Remember your not only doing this for yourself, but it will also affect what happens in the future, if you should decide to sell your place.

Best to let a pro look at it at this point in time, then proceed..

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Septic issues

(maybe even a couple bags of concrete)

Don't do that !!. :facepalm:. It sounds like you had a blowout.

fill the low/soft spot with sand and gravel mix then level it up higher

Thats the correct way to fix it..

 

[mommicked]

Re: Septic issues

As water lovers,dont discount the environmental damage of these types of problems.They should always be fixed quickly,not ignored.Ive seen some horrible ones in sensitive areas that were very obvious.We need a closepin on your nose icon!

 

[j_martin]

Re: Septic issues

As water lovers,dont discount the environmental damage of these types of problems.They should always be fixed quickly,not ignored.Ive seen some horrible ones in sensitive areas that were very obvious.We need a closepin on your nose icon!

Lowland can be a tough one. Shouldn't be septic that is not mounded there anyway.

I have clay, which of course absorbs water slowly. One year I had drainfield problems and had to french drain it for about 6 months while I dug things up and fixed them. That open drain of effluent, fed by a family of 7, was completely absorbed and turned to lush wild grass within 75 feet. There's a waterway another 50 feet further, and it never even got close to it.

So, depending on the circumstances, pollution might not be much of a problem, but analyze the situation before you start filling, etc. perhaps the fill of choice would be clay or topsoil.

If this is a new problem, it's possible that organics have plugged up the drainfield. Sometimes the organic digester (stinky water) treatments will clear that problem. Just my experience is all.

Watch what you put down the drain. My girls decided to clean the milking equipment in the house because it was cold in the barn (1 cow, small operation). The cleaning chemicals killed the microbes in the septic tank. First indication was some pretty unbelievable odor coming from the vent. About 3 treatments with above said stinky water over a 2 week period, and banishing the milker cleaning to the barn put it back into shape.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Septic issues

I've seen your exact description several times now. Last was this past fall at the neighbors house. From your description, I'd bet dollars to donuts your leach field is plugged up.

I live on a sand hill and can hardly keep water on the lawn. However, we have the wrong kind of sand for a leach field. The neighbor's plugged up from detergent over the 15 years it was in service. You should have seen the condition of that field when they dug it up. Some really nasty goo and they are super diligent about what goes down the drains. The inspector said the local sand was wrong in the first place and they had to truck in the right stuff this time around. They pumped the field 6 times before it dried up enough to work it. Cha-ching! Same as you, it kept draining in from around the surrounding soil. Once the field is plugged up the drainage can only saturate the surrounding area.

He tried all of the miracle cures but in the end, you're not going to undue years of clogging materials going into your tank with peroxide or bateria or ...

I have a dry well for the laundry discharge. Fortunately, it was still legal to install when they built the house. I never did like all that grey water going into the septic in the first place.

 

[rbh]

Re: Septic issues

You did say that were you dug was a low spot???
How has your spring thaw been going, lots of run off, I think I would wait a little bit for the water table to go down as the ground may just be soaked (total ground saturation).

 

[mommicked]

Re: Septic issues

If you have gray water on the surface,It can be washed into drainages during heavy rains.it may be diluted by saturation of soil,but its still entering the surface waters eventually.Not good