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Septic Tanks Are Barbaric!

The septic tank and leach field debacle continues. :frown1: Chad started to dig today. He thought he was putting in additional septic lines but it seems someone (phone, cable, electric who knows?) cut through the septic field lines. And the reason we have had to get our septic tanks pumped 3 times in the last 7 weeks!!! :irked: :angryfire2: Is because we have only been using one-third of the initially available septic lines. So I'm not sure if he can repair that or if we still need new lines dug.

Don't even get me started on why the septic tank is in the front yard underneath the master bedroom window. We've got 1.25 acres most of which is backyard. They should have put it there!

I'm not being elitist, septic tanks ARE barbaric! Coming from the civilized north where septic tanks are as common as hen's teeth; to Georgia where they are as common as Walmart. I just don't understand. :confused: A septic tank and field is a functional but extremely archaic way to remove human waste. No matter how well constructed and maintained you always run the risk of contaminating the ground water supply. :mad: :irked:

If it weren't for bad luck, I swear we wouldn't have any luck at all.

Comments

BigDallasDick8x6
Sorry you're having trouble. I'm not sure I agree septic tanks are worse for the environment. I'm sure someone has done a study, but it just seems more efficient - like composting your grass clippings and kitchen scraps in situ. In the North, the population density precludes septic tanks in many areas. The ground can't absorb the water fast enough when the houses are close together. In rural areas, they are very widely spaced so it isn't an issue. They are usually more maintenance, but even if you had city sewer, the lines could still have been cut - it just wouldn't be your problem to fix them, it would be the city's.
 
Pitbull
I've been through this.
Still are septic tanks in the north but in rural areas only because it is costly to dig up streets and run sewers and then to run a treatment plant.

Your septic tank is in the front yard because the well was or is in the backyard and the idea was to put the septic as far away from the well as possible to avoid contamination.

it also maybe made more sense to dig out the tank when the foundation was dug and the lines are shorter from the house to septic tank then the lines from the well which are smaller and easier to maintain.

The usual problem is roots growing into the drain field lines.

It may seem barbaric but was actually a giant step forward from the previous method - Outhouse.

good luck
 
Principessa
Pitbull;bt16425 said:
I've been through this.
Sorry to hear that. :frown1: I wouldn't wish septic troubles on a Republican. :tongue: *SNIP*
Your septic tank is in the front yard because the well was or is in the backyard and the idea was to put the septic as far away from the well as possible to avoid contamination.
Click to expand...
 How did you know there was a well?:confused: We don't use it. It's dry, but it's in the far left corner of the backyard. Apparently this subdivision was built on an old farm.

it also maybe made more sense to dig out the tank when the foundation was dug and the lines are shorter from the house to septic tank then the lines from the well which are smaller and easier to maintain.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how much foundation digging was done. We don't have a basement. The house sits on a slab.

The usual problem is roots growing into the drain field lines.
Click to expand...
 We thought of that too, which is why I was surprised to see Chad digging so close to that old pecan tree.

It may seem barbaric but was actually a giant step forward from the previous method - Outhouse.
Click to expand...
I hear you. It's just that it's not like we live in an older community. The town itself is quite old but this subdivision was just built in 2004.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Pitbull
tongue.gif
*SNIP*
Excuse me - I'm trying to be helpful.
Don't make me write another sex poem about our vacation in Argentina together
tongue.gif
tongue.gif


How did you know there was a well?
confused.gif


Wise Pitbull knows many things. And only a moron would dig through a septic field to lay wires etc - and I hired a moron. My septic problem was compounded by the county government. They wanted to do away with septic in my neighborhood. However the sewer hookup was probably 1000 ft away and they would have billed me way too much to hook up. And with the lines that I restricted to - I would need a holding tank and waste grinder and pump.
Fortunately I avoided all that.

If someone dug through the lines - then dirt and mud can get in an clog them up.

I'm sensing a lot of digging....
Dogs love digging - but not me.

 
F
I have owned multiple properties with Septic systems. I have never had any kind of problem amazingly enough. Septic systems operating properly are not likely to contaminate ground water, but a septic with problems certainly can.

In California I had a single tank system. On my ranch in New Mexico a new system was installed about 4 years ago. That system is far more complex with multiple tanks and a more complicated field.

For those who own septics I have had a few rules and have never had a problem. If you're on septic eliminate powdered laundry detergent a family friend who owned a septic service stated that this stuff can create clogs. It was mentioned that Oxy Clean was OK. Try and use liquid detergents and soaps wherever possible. This include showers. Bar soaps by the way were also discouraged because they can coat the inside of the pipes in large families.

Depending on the size of your family throw a couple of yeast cakes down the toilet and flush at about 90 day intervals.
 

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