How to locate a septic field?

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Before you scoff and say "call a septic company" -- I did, and they won't provide this service unless I get my tanked cleaned, which I don't need done (and it's not cheap).

Here's the scoop. Previous owner swears the field is in an area northwest area of the house, says so because some guy took a shovel and dug a small part of the field and he saw it (not sure if was inspector or what else was going on). Ok fine. I contacted the both the township and county to get the specific location and dimensions, and the records on file, back from mid-80s, show the permitted 30' x 60' septic field directly north of the house, totally different area. There is nothing on file from either the township or the county regarding my septic since this one in the mid-80s. Two problems here:

1. I don't know where the field actually is and need to locate it before I plant some trees (obviously need to steer clear of the drainage field); and,

2. If the field was relocated to the NW area, it isn't permitted, because if it were there would be a record of it. This is not good -- no reputable septic company is going to place a field without pulling a permit. Fortunately, I've had no problems with the system since moving in 2 years ago, but still methinks this might be a case of a previous-previous owner DYI-ing it. This is really not good.

So, any tips to locate the septic field myself? If I start digging, how far down until I hit it, and what specifically am I looking for?

Secondary question: Do I have any legal recourse if the field was indeed relocated and not permitted and it cr*ps out on me (no pun intended)?

(And yes, my home inspector was lousy)

Featured Answer

Saypoint zone 6 CT

5 years ago

I just replaced a septic system installed in the 1930s and my previous home came with a system installed much earlier than that. Both were still functioning. My point is, if your permitted system was installed in the 1980s, there would have been no reason for anyone in the meantime to relocate it to another area of the property at great expense unless major alterations were made to the house/property or the system had a catastrophic failure. I would expect the latter case at least to be documented somewhere. Actually, I would expect the former to be documented as well, along with building permits, etc.

Can you dig around the tank and see where the outlet pipes go? Are the two areas in question far enough apart that the directions would be different enough to be conclusive? Do the 1980s documents specify the type of system?

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Comments (16)

peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I would go into the basement or where ever the plumbing lines would be. Look for the down pipe that connects to your toilet(s), shower etc. They are large black pipes in my case. You should be able to see where it exits the house. I hope it is where the county said, directly north.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
I know exactly where the tank is -- it's the leach field I need to locate.
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bebe - If you really want to do this, I will give you my recommendations. First of all, like Dave and Jean said - the main thing is to not disturb the ground where the field lines are located. But.....there's nothing wrong with setting something on top of it, as long as it can't damage or alter the septic field. You say you would like to have a raised bed on top of the ground? That's easy. How big of a box are you talking about? I have one on top of mine, but also realize that if the field lines ever have to be unclogged, the box will have to be shoved out of the way by the backhoe doing the digging. This will of course destroy the box.....If it is a fairly small garden you're talking about, simply put down a 6" layer of gravel on the ground, then set your empty raised bed box on top of that...Staple some professional grade landscaping fabric in the bottom, then fill with soil. Let me know if I can help you further.... EG
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Contact your local conservation district and/or county planner or whoever permits septic systems. They can give you approximate information on your soils and why the perc test failed, which to me is the first issue in fixing your septic system. The current leach field has to be replaced, and there should have been a planned replacement area shown in the permit for your original septic system, although this may have grown over with trees since (these trees could also be plugging the existing leach field and contributing to your problem). The perc test may have failed because the ground is too sandy/gravelly and the sewage water will drain to ground water too quickly, contaminating the ground water and nearby domestic wells. Or, it may have failed due to too much clay and the water won't soak into the soil, backing up the system (or even causing your current problem). A "standard" system can be modified relatively easily to deal with sandy/gravelly soil, clay is a bit harder to deal with but can be done. Otherwise you could go to very high tech systems, such as an incinerator, or use pumping stations. A raised leach field may also be an option and would be preferable to a high tech system. This might even work on top of the old leach field, and can be landscaped as part of the yard making it impossible to tell that you have a leach field and not a decorative hill in your yard. If space is limited, use the septic "coffins" rather than perforated pipes. They look like slotted coffin lids, but require much less linear space than perforated pipes. Your conservation district and septic permitting agency can give you information on all these things and help you figure out the best way to go, then consult with a contractor who works with septic systems to make sure you've considered all the angles.
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new-beginning
5 years ago
that last (second) paragraph from Saypoint - also, the 'grass is always greener' is usually a 'sign' if you have a leach field system.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
too bad yours doesnt go brown in mid august.. like mine does ... lol ...

a quarter inch rod with a handle.. is used.. lets see if i can WWW it ...

go figure.. its called a soil probe.. lol ...

somehow or another.. you can feel the differences in soil.. especially if they put down a gravel ...

why do you need to know???

wonder if the city has a plan for your house ... sounds like something that requires a permit ...

my house inspector looked for it.. and i happened to be with him ...

ken

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Amy Gonzalez
5 years ago
The easiest way to find a leeching field is go to Google maps and look for the satellite images. you will be able to see them pretty easy. When we were buying our land I wanted to know what type of septic system the neighbors had and I saw all of them on the satellite images.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
How on Earth would you be able to see a leach field on a satellite image? They're buried at least 3 feet.

Can't tell by the grass, either -- it's pretty much the same green all across the front.

I could dig down to the tank to check the outlet pipes, but probably wouldn't be all that telling -- they could have re-routed the pipes down the line (i.e. took a left turn from the pipes out from the old field to re-route the effluent to the new field -- if it even exists), I doubt they would have replaced a perfectly good concrete tank.
Amy Gonzalez
5 years ago
you can tell the lines with grass color and the dirt is never actually level over it.
weedmeister
5 years ago
Is it possible the property had 2 fields and you're now using the 2nd one?
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
^^ Yes, but the 2nd one should have been permitted also --> would have a record of it at the county.
growgirl
5 years ago
Sounds like you need to grab that shovel. I would look online how to do it and what to look for.
ncrealestateguy
5 years ago
If the county records are showing the field at a certain point, then I would start there. Why are you questioning the records? Never believe a seller w/o verifying. And since you know where the tank is, it is that much easier. Once you find one line, you can usually find the others, as they usually run parallel to each other, usually 9 feet apart.

I would call other septic companies, as most around here will probe around and flag it out for you.

You do not have a legal recourse as you had all the chances you needed to verify where it was when you bought the property two years ago.
Denita
5 years ago
Check your land survey first. In many, not all, instances the drain field will be designated on the survey.

If not, then do as ncrealestteguy suggests and call different septic co's. There is bound to be one that recognizes you will be looking for a clean out in the future and will locate the drain field for you.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
3 feet deep? .. how do you know that??? ... ken
new-beginning
5 years ago
not always - the place we moved to 30+ years ago WE did the septic - lot was not level - at the tank the lines were 1 ft deep - at the other end - 4 ft. deep.
ncrealestateguy
5 years ago
Here, and I think most places, as it is the USDA that sets the guidelines, they do not like to go more than three feet deep, due to the fact that the bacteria that turns the waste into liquid require a certain amount of oxygen to live. Only about 45% of the waste is taken care of in the actual tank, and the rest is taken care of by the bacteria in the field lines.

How to locate a septic field?

Saypoint zone 6 CT

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peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada

mxk3 z5b_MI
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