Septic flooding during heavy rains, any advice???


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Old 05-08-16, 04:58 PM
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Septic flooding during heavy rains, any advice???

OK, so just to give some back ground I have an alternative septic system (i.e. the sewage goes into a main tank and is then pumped up to the septic field). the septic field is easily 15 feet higher than the tank. There has not been an issue at all for years but noticed the last few years during long periods of rainfall, like heavy rains for a few days in a row, the septic tank fills up. I understand that the perforated pipes in the field will let water in from a saturated septic field and that the issue. My problem is I can not figure out how to go about remedying the issue. I have pulled all non essential things form draining into the tank and plan to install dry wells for the house gutters, as soon as I figure out the a good distance from dry well to septic field. We also use the water lightly when we have rain fall. Is there any good fix or anything I can try that might help? Is there such a thing as shutters you can install in the pipe that only allow water to flow one way? Thanks for any advice.
 
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Old 05-08-16, 06:25 PM
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How old is this system?
In most areas this is not a DIY job and in my area I can get fined for just opening it up.
If the leach system has in deed failed there is no simple cheap fix.
No way should have any of the gutters, or drain tiles have been ran to the septic system!
 
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Old 05-08-16, 07:18 PM
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The system was built in 2001.
 
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Old 05-08-16, 07:56 PM
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I can understand how the field might get saturated after heavy rains, that's fairly common, but that shouldn't cause the tank to fill up. Water should not be able to flow backward from the septic field through the pump into the tank.

Or am I misunderstanding the setup or issue?
 
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Old 05-09-16, 05:09 AM
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There should be a back flow preventer valve after the pump, (acts like a check valve) your's may be sticking or a piece of trash is keeping it from fully closing.
 
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Old 05-09-16, 09:56 AM
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Having cleaned the filter out and done my own work on the system, I know that the effluent travels from the pump in the tank up to a junction where the filter is located and after that it goes into the pipe that leads out to the septic field. If there is a stuck open valve under the ground I would not know. But I have gone out in rain storms to check for leaks and it looked as if fresh, clean water was filling the junction box where the filter is located. This seems to me it must be the rain water back filling the tank. I will look more into checking for the valve or having one installed. Do you have any recommendations on what kind of valve? Any manufacturer or style. I also am contemplating installing a similar style back flow where the sewage line comes out of the house in case of basement flooding issues.
 
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Old 05-10-16, 08:54 AM
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Ok, so had a chance to check in person and looked at the drawing of the field from when it was built and I don't see a back flow valve, so that sounds like a good addition to the setup. But I have one more question, the setup is a loop (i.e. the effluent goes from tank, pumped up into the field and then there is a return line back to the tank) so how what would I do about the return portion of the loop? Basically if I put a one way valve after the pump this will prevent the water from filling the tank from that side but on the other side of the loop where it goes back in to the tank I would have to use a manual ball valve and cut it off when rain is coming? Since its a loop I have to figure out how to cut off the water form both sides.
 
 

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