My wife and I are in the process of planning new home construction and i want ask for an opinion on installation of a new septic tank, we are doing a walk out basement and I could either place the septic tank just out side of the basement but that would be right where she wants to landscape, or place it about 150ft. away further down hill in a slightly less accessible location. I don't really have a problem either way, just want some informed opinion from all of you more experienced plumbers.
i already know i will have to install a aerobic system because of problems with getting the soil to perk.

Murphy was an optimist

 

you could put it 150 away but you may have some problems with the line plugging...not enough slope on the line and solids could stop moving. too much slope and the water could run faster than the solids, again plugging. you could also end-up with a belly in the line that will hold the solids. and freezing (in a colder climate) could be another problem.

were it me i would put the tank closer to the house and landscape it into the yard...like make a fake well-house or windmill to fit over it (make it easy to take off for service). or you could make a wood deck platform that would cover it but move for service.

and if you don't like aerobic systems you could go with a mound that you could landscape into the yard.

hope this helps...Jim

 

Everything you dump on the ground and tip into your septic tank finds its way into your local aquifer and into your drinking water.
The earlier idea of just using a septic tank to lose our toilet waste, has moved on to being considerate of the damage a poorly installed and working one will do to the environment.
For protection of your own environment the tank should be situated down hill from your home and at least 15 yards away.
The sewage pipe from the home to the tank must drop from the horizontal between 1 in 80 and 1 in 40 to ensure the water and solids stay together in transit.
If you are in an area where freezing may be a problem, then installing below the frost line makes sense, as does covering the pipe with four inch thick polystyrene overlapping by about two feet either side of the pipe, with sheets of plywood, or concrete to protect.
The number of bedrooms and people who will be using the system, will decide the size of tank, and the percolation test will decide the size of drain field required.
If you have the space a traditional drain field is best as it can be fitted and forgotten.
If you must install a aerobic system, then do install a warning both audible and visual in the home
to ensure you know when it stops working.
Do keep in mind that pumps fail and keep a spare to be dropped in when required. Or already set up a duplicate system ready to use.
Note: Bad weather can cause loss of power for days at a time, and a powered system will not be working and will cause you a lot of problems.
A generator able to run important services is well worth while.
To work correctly the drain field needs at least four feet in depth of good soil to work and the pipes must be laid at an angle of 1 in 200. A steeper angle will lead to the liquid plunging to the end and will probably cause ponding at times of heavy use.
It makes sense to install a inspection chamber at each end of each pipe to enable easy checking that the system is working correctly.
Perry

 

unfortunately the only part of our property that would perk is in a flood area and is out for that reason, i am planning on a generator for back up power after our ice storm last year and subsequent 5 days without power, the frost line for Norman is only about 7 in. so that is not really a problem, spare pump is not a problem as i can readily come up with that. thanks for the input.

are you going to cowboy up or just lay there and bleed?

 

I would put the tank about 5 to 10 feet away from the house. The ideal drop is an 1/8" per foot. There is less of a chance of the pipe getting stoped up. If you are going to put in field lines. When you come out of the tank,drop down about a foot from the outleton the tank. The field lines should be no deeper than 18 to 24 inches. NO DEEPER. If you put it too deep, the lines will not work very long. The type of ground you have will dictate the amount of lines you need for it to work for the size house you have and how many people live in the house.


Travis

 

Travis, each State and every part of the World seems to have its own ideas. My feelings regarding septic tanks are, they should always be downhill from ones home as when they go wrong or need attention, being down hill and preferable down wind makes life a lot more pleasant.
A sewage pipe laid correctly as I specified will not block up.
(Unless of course the lady of the house is in the habit of pouring liquid grease into the system, that then congeals on hitting the inside of the cold pipe.)
Perhaps you will let me have your thoughts on these points
Perry

 

Is this measurement in inches or something else? Because if it is inches, then it's wrong. Did you mean 1 in 8 or 1 in 4 perhaps?

 

Perry
We have installed tanks way away from the house, for just the reasons you are talking about. They work ok for awhile. BUT, With todays low flow this and low flow that. The longer the run, the more of a chance the water has to out run the solids. Even if the line are installed at the best angle possible. Without routine cleaning. The solids just keep piling up, until the line will not flow at all.

Plus, The further away the tanks, the deeper the lines have to be. Then you can get into a different set of problems, other than a smell that will go away, when system get repaired.

Travis

 

i want to thank everyone for your impute, you have convinced me to place the septic system just out side of our walk out basement about 10-15ft from the house. otherwise everything looks good.
Stan
life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

 

It isn't a measurement at all. It's a ratio of horizontal distance vs. drop. A ratio of 1 in 40 means that for every 40 inches of horizontal travel the pipe should drop 1 inch. A ratio of 1 in 48 is 1/4" per foot.