Percolation area design slightly wrong.

tootsy70

Ive been looking on the internet for information concerning percolation areas and came across this forum after finding a few threads on what im looking and thought id join because ive a question of my own concerning my own area.

Finally decided to move away from this country because myself and my wife are finding it real difficult to gain full employment every since 2009 and have now found work in canada so we'll be moving sometime this year. We built our home in 2004 all with local tradesmen and the house was built to building regs or so i thought, now im concerned about my percolation area.

I was onsite the day it was installed along with my engineer but he left for another important job after taking an emergancy call and left the men working on the percolation area to finish it without him. At the time i was ok with this because they all knew each other and my engineer knew they'd complete the work to the proper building regs or so i thought

What i remember is that they dug out the sq area for the percolation area, filled it with some sort of hardcore then dug out 4 trenches and filled with washed stone then proceeded to layout the percolation pipe. I have one pipe branching out of my distribution box then T's off 3m each direction which T's off into 4 runs of percolation pipe(hope ive described it properly, ill try and get a picture of the internet to show what i mean) This one pipe thats all T'd off was level, how i know this is that i had to hold the pipe in place while the guy working on it leveled it out. All the other 4 pipes were running in the same direction, on top of a ft of washed stone in the trenches then covered in with more stone, (prob half a ft) If i remember correctly there was some sort of black covering laid ontop of the stones thou i dont know what this was then followed with a ft or more of topsoil.

What worries me is that at the bottom of my perc area where the 4 pipes end, they didnt all meet at the same level. There is a slope off over a ft from the end pipe to the other end. Where im talking about, all 4 pipes are connected together with more percolation pipe with bends and more T's. When i put a tape down the pipes coming from the ground, one end is reading 600mm from the bottom of the pipe to the top of the topsoil and the other end is reading 1.1m.

I discussed this with my engineer at the time and he told me its nothing to worry about because it'll all percolate properly. He also told me building regs are only guidelines and didnt have to be followed by the book when it comes to percolation areas on land with very good drainage.

Now that with this new septic tank/percolation area inspections im afraid that i might have to redo it again, or if i do get a sale of my home this year, it'll fall through because of this. I have been keeping an eye on the percolation area every few months every since it was installed and not once did i have any problems with it. The lawn on it is very good and never has the distribution box filled up.


The reason for my thread is i want to know how deep in **** i am in because of this or am i worrying about nothing because the area is doing what its suppose to be doing ie- percolating. Im just concerned that a bank wouldnt issue a mortgage all because a few measurements being off in a perc area for any potential buyers.



Here is 2 pics of how my pipes are all connected together thou when my own percolation area was installed, the pipes where installed into trenches.

BryanF

Do you have a letter from the eng stating compliance with the waste water regulations at the time if the build?

tootsy70

BryanF wrote: »

Do you have a letter from the eng stating compliance with the waste water regulations at the time if the build?

Yes i have 3 certs, one for the foundations, one for the structure and the other is for the perc area. The reason why i have three is that i used 2 different engineers because one died in a car crash so had to get another halfway through the build.

Supertech

Am I right in assuming that this is all now underground ?

Is there a chance that the ground level might vary and this is what caused your measurements to differ ?

The first question to ask is whether or not there is any evidence of a problem at the lowest corner of your percolation area at present. The major issue with what you have described would be uneven percolation, that is all of the treated effluent moving towards the lower corner of the bed eventually leading to issues at the surface. So you need to look for waterlogging at ground level in the area you're suspicious of, or particularly bad smells.

As long as the falls on the main percolation pipe runs are correct the issue shouldn't be catastrophic.

The inspection regime for septic tanks apparently will only be based on a surface inspection, they're not going to dig up you're percolation area. Rather they will look at the tank and its capacity and the distribution box and the area around the percolation for signs that the system is not functioning properly.

The same will hold true for any professional inspecting on behalf of a future purchaser.

On the positive side for you (and it;s impossible to be conclusive about these things with an internet based inspection:D )

a) if you installed into trenches rather than above ground, your site conditions must at least be reasonable and capable of handling the effluent, and

b) I you built in 2004, a considerable amount of time has elapsed which would have allowed any problems to manifest themselves by now.

tootsy70

Supertech wrote: »

Am I right in assuming that this is all now underground ?

Is there a chance that the ground level might vary and this is what caused your measurements to differ ?

The first question to ask is whether or not there is any evidence of a problem at the lowest corner of your percolation area at present. The major issue with what you have described would be uneven percolation, that is all of the treated effluent moving towards the lower corner of the bed eventually leading to issues at the surface. So you need to look for waterlogging at ground level in the area you're suspicious of, or particularly bad smells.

As long as the falls on the main percolation pipe runs are correct the issue shouldn't be catastrophic.

The inspection regime for septic tanks apparently will only be based on a surface inspection, they're not going to dig up you're percolation area. Rather they will look at the tank and its capacity and the distribution box and the area around the percolation for signs that the system is not functioning properly.

The same will hold true for any professional inspecting on behalf of a future purchaser.

On the positive side for you (and it;s impossible to be conclusive about these things with an internet based inspection:D )

a) if you installed into trenches rather than above ground, your site conditions must at least be reasonable and capable of handling the effluent, and

b) I you built in 2004, a considerable amount of time has elapsed which would have allowed any problems to manifest themselves by now.

My perc area has been doing what its suppose to since the day it was installed. I have a nice healthy lawn over it and never once got a bad smell or waterlogging. I was thinking when i see it first that the ground level might be off but standing back and having a good look, it doesnt seem to be the cause of it. When you mention about trenches and having reasonable site conditions, i remember well that my engineer told me that my conditions were very good for a percolation area.


Here in the pic below ill describe it abit better







Think of the pipes in trenches instaed of an empty sq area we see above in the picture. The top pipe with all the other pipes branching off it, this would have a very slight fall going in both directions away from the centre. The far left pipe would have a fall that meets building regs and id guess the far right pipe would have a deeper fall, and the other 2 we see in the centre would be connected to the perc pipe running along the bottom.

When the waste water comes out of my distribution box, it flows through the sewar pipe, then when it comes to the T connection , it then flows in the opposite direction and down all 4 pipes percolating through the ground.

What im worried about is with these new regulations, whoever inspects it will look down one of the vent pipes, notice that one end is deeper than the other, get the tape measure out and fail it because the measurements dont follow the building regs. Im probably worrying about nothing but i'd hate to get a sale of my house and for it to fall through because of it.

Supertech

In terms of the septic tank inspections, they will be on inspected on the basis of the threat they pose to the environment. So, if your site suitability test indicated ground conditions favourable enough for you to discharge into the existing subsoil, it's probably fair to assume that you're in a lower risk area. From what you have said, and the photos you have posted it sounds as if the percolation piping was installed correctly except that one line may be at a slightly steeper fall than the rest. IF this happens to be picked up, either by a local authority inspector or by someone carrying out a pre-purchase inspection, you will have the opportunity to remedy it. If your lawn is as OK, there's no waterlogging and no odours, and your septic tank, distribution box, pipes and vents are in place, I'd be very surprised to see any inspector put a tape down all 4 vents, realise one is deeper than the rest and be prepared to hold up the sale of a house on that basis.I think there would have to be considerable evidence of a poorly functioning tank and percolation area before anyone would be prepared to condemn it.

PaleRider

Hi

Your getting good advice already. I'll just add a few things.

I don't believe you have much to worry about.

1. If you have photos of original installation - good will help with any possible selling queries.
2. Vent pipes present in percolation area and on tank will look good.
3. Nearby streams not polluted good.
4. No lush green grass in vicinity of percolation area good.
5. System emptied yearly and maintained good - Records of this better.
6. I know the council's are clamping down at the moment.
7. You could ask a registered assessor to give a report on the tank prior to you selling. If it's what you describe as installed on good soil etc.

In the past for reports on houses did not include tank but I see this changing.
Anyway good look to you in Canada. I wish you the very best.


If you need any more advice I will be glad to help.