Driveway over septic tank?
#1
02-02-01, 09:18 AM
I recently purchased a house with a septic tank and drain field. The septic tank is on one side of a gravel driveway, and the drain field is on the other side. I have read in other posts in this forum that this is a bad design.
Unfortunately, moving the driveway is out of the question, and I do not want to dig a new drainfield. Currently, I am not having any problems at all, although I am the only person living in the two bedroom house.
Also, I have no idea when the tank was cleaned out last, and according to the former owner, there is no clean-out. The house was built in 1973 before county records were kept of septic tanks and drain fields. There is a record of the drain field being expanded five years ago, but that is the only record that I have of my sewage system.
Unfortunately, moving the driveway is out of the question, and I do not want to dig a new drainfield. Currently, I am not having any problems at all, although I am the only person living in the two bedroom house.
Also, I have no idea when the tank was cleaned out last, and according to the former owner, there is no clean-out. The house was built in 1973 before county records were kept of septic tanks and drain fields. There is a record of the drain field being expanded five years ago, but that is the only record that I have of my sewage system.
#2
02-02-01, 09:34 AM
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Northeastern NC On The Albemarle Sound
Posts: 10,701
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote
on
1 Post
Technically, due to compaction, you're not supposed to drive over your drainfield. Do NOT drive over your tank as they are not designed to support the weight of a vehicle (I've seen a couple caved in like that.)
However, like you, my tank was installed on one side of an unpaved driveway and the drainfield on the other in 1977. It has never created any problems for me. (I also expanded my drainfield a few years ago.)
All septic tanks should be pumped out every five years, according to the NC environmental health people, mainly to keep the floating sludge from clogging up your drainfield lines. There should be a covered cleanout somewhere on top of the tank. Surely there is one. Let the septic tank pumpout people find it. A 1,000-gallon tank pumpout here costs about $125.
If you have trees or bushes over or very near your drainfield, you might want to flush about a 1/2-lb of copper sulphate (blue crystals) root killer down about every 4 months. It comes in 3-lb bags and is inexpensive.
Good Luck!
However, like you, my tank was installed on one side of an unpaved driveway and the drainfield on the other in 1977. It has never created any problems for me. (I also expanded my drainfield a few years ago.)
All septic tanks should be pumped out every five years, according to the NC environmental health people, mainly to keep the floating sludge from clogging up your drainfield lines. There should be a covered cleanout somewhere on top of the tank. Surely there is one. Let the septic tank pumpout people find it. A 1,000-gallon tank pumpout here costs about $125.
If you have trees or bushes over or very near your drainfield, you might want to flush about a 1/2-lb of copper sulphate (blue crystals) root killer down about every 4 months. It comes in 3-lb bags and is inexpensive.
Good Luck!
