Excellent idea. Been using that type of system for years. Have one 1100 gal tank buried above the garden. Wish I had two. It's connected to all the house and out buildings' down spouts so it fills up pretty fast in moderate rain. Keep the drain field intact for overflow and recharging groundwater. I have a 1/2 hp spa pump mounted on a platform above the tank and the intake footvalve suspended a couple of inches above the bottom. A buried black plastic line carries the water down to the main hydrant. Have all the waterpressure and GPM I need. Make sure your septic suckers get it as clean as they can, then after the tank fills up with rain water pump it out on a unused part of the garden and rototill it in. Do this a couple of times and the water you collected will be good for ground application. I never water the foliage. I also have a fresh water hydrant at the pump to fill sprayers and to prime the pump if the footvalve leaks. In the fall the pump plug is pulled to drain and the main hydrant is opened to prevent freeze damage. Make sure all your wiring for the pump is run through a GFI device. Good luck

Ok this is what i know about this not much mind you. but have seen this done on purpose this old guy that i know has his washing machine drain directly through the middle of his veggie garden similar to what you have he uses a "French drain" in the center about 6 inches wide filled with rocks. he also dumps his egg shells and coffee grounds on top of the french drain his squash and tomatoes look very health but i do not know how healthy it would be to eat it. as looks can be deceiving.

Well, NUTS! (not quite as scorching as the first to come to mind). I just don't know what to do in this "problem area". This is the same area where you were helping me with my "Disguise the Septic Tank" issue (and the bland, ugly end of my house that's the first part of it seen)!!!. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! Now that I have that out of my system (lol)... I guess the first thing I need to do is move the daylillies, huh? How far away from the tank do they need to be? What about the others listed (I also have snapdragons that I forgot to mention in this post)? As for the fescue, it's not really my intention to have a "lawn" in this area. I'm using it to help choke out the broadleaf weeds, break up the clay & add organic material when it dies. It was a relatively inexpensive way to get results quickly. That was my thinking, anyway. I've been thinking about checking out some Xeriscape stuff so that I don't have to water much. But then, I don't know if the truly drought tolerant stuff will help prevent erosion, or worse, will they seek out the tanks? Other than the grass, I can move everything else I have planted if I have to. The area is clay, but it's also one of the few places on our property that actually gets a good amount of sun. It IS convenient to water there, and when it does rain that area get's a lot of it, but I don't HAVE TO have moisture lovers there. Ultimately, I really want something somewhat TALL in this area because it's just so... ICKY. The tanks & all their stuff are there & the house itself is just BLAH (the plain end of a single-wide mobile home. There, I said it! Yup, we're trailer trash - lol). Of course, my MAIN concern is the roots getting into the tanks & the wires. It's SO DIFFICULT to find info on what a plants roots are going to do. That's the main reason I'm thinking pots/containers... for THIS area (of course, I'd prefer ones that are relatively managable IF we ever have to move them, but that's not a major concern). I'm not as concerned about plopping things in the ground in other areas... unless they are invasive. So... ALL that being said, are you still recommending the Sedum? What are your thoughts on the lavender & rosemary -will they serve my purpose & do well here? What other suggestions do you have for a "disguise" (tall, wide, etc)? THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I'm off to research versailles planters. - Mari

klem1 I think you are a little off base: So you make offers / counter-offers /etc until you agree on price, possession, etc. and the offers are generally subject to inspections (you can write the offer any way you want, but that's the common practice here). The buyer has a certain amount of time to bring in an inspector of their choice. It may be necessary to bring in inspectors who specialize in certain areas (wells, septic tanks, for example). I suspect that the septic inspector was probably a company that services and installs septic systems and thus could estimate the cost of repairs. This would not be a city/county/town code inspector -- this would be a private company that does this. If significant defects are noted it often starts a second round of negotiation where the seller may remedy the defect before closing, or agree to provide a negotiated amount of cash at closing to compensate for the defect, or the deal can fall through because the offer expires or fails to close on time. If I was the seller, once I was made aware of potential significant defects in the septic, I'd want the buyer to agree to a second inspection by a neutral 3rd party that they could both agree on. The results of the first inspection should not be shared with the second. I don't really see any problem with what the OP has stated - other than they need to get it all in writing and it needs to be substantiated. The OP will be paying for this inspection and it should be professional and hold up to questioning.