House Update: Fun with Septic Systems

[andpuff]

So a couple of people have asked how the house rebuild is going. For a while, all I had to say was, "We're still waiting to hear from the permit office." which tends to be more a tweet than an lj post. Now that we finally have heard from the permit office, well..

Comments

[wiliqueen]

If there were a way to charge per laugh generated by your parenthetical comments, I'd... well, actually I'd have to give you a very large IOU, which wouldn't help much.

"Well, because for a time you'll have six bedrooms (the three on the new addition and the three in the part that's being torn down) we need to know your system can handle twelve people so we need the volume of the tank."

HEADDESK FOREVER.

"Yeah! Absolutely! We're going through all this SOLELY because we want to have twelve people live here! You have seen through our CLEVER PLAN!!"

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your post-hangup cursing was much more satisfying.

Thanks for the update, sorry the nightmares keep coming. O_o

[andpuff]

"Yeah! Absolutely! We're going through all this SOLELY because we want to have twelve people live here! You have seen through our CLEVER PLAN!!"

Because everyone pays for a demolition permit they're not going to use. sigh

[icedrake]

But it's the *rules*! They're in a *book*, you see!

[wynnsfolly]

the first system we ever dealt with was one we installed. down here, if you have less than 10 acres, the state health department oversees inspection and installation of the septic systems. we had 9.65 acres. the hundred foot rule also applies to "live" water, ponds creeks, springs, etc. we were bringing in a trailer to a piece of land that had no previous utilities, had a creek at the bottom of the hill, and needed utilities run along the nice long drive. and rocks.
we wound up with the tank & field on the uphill side of the trailer, saved only by the elevation of the trailer. when they dug out the first boulder,and encountered the one underneath that,an executive decision was made that there would be gravel fill on the top to the required depth. with the eighteen-inch thick, five foot across shelf of stone marking the eastern edge of the tank.

[andpuff]

... the hundred foot rule also applies to "live" water, ponds creeks, springs, etc

Same here. Fortunately, we don't have any live water. Actually, it's usually 50' from a drilled well, 100 from a dug well but although we have a drilled well we have no paperwork so it counts as a dug well. Also, fortunately, we don't have boulders...

[heinous_bitca]

Nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[mackenziesmomma]

You know....this suddenly makes me wonder about OUR septic system. I know the tank(s) (we're not really sure (because the house/shop/thingy burned down. In a fire apparently so spectacular that it's STILL talked about) because we have two buildings and one clearly doesn't feed the back tank), is under the back deck (word for the wise do NOT put a deck over your septic tank. No matter how ugly it is. this will just create problems when you inevitably need to drain it). I presume the drain field is out under the back lawn (as its pretty nice and green) but I could be mistaken.

Thanks for the update and *hugs* that you keep running into snags. Here's hoping it gets better soon.

[andpuff]

At least our tank is easier to get to than yours! One thing in our favor. Might be the only thing, mind you... *g*

[mackenziesmomma]

Yeah definitely a lot easier to get to if its out in the open (especially considering we have to pull off the lattice on the side of the deck and then there is only about a 2 to 3 foot clearance above the tank)

[blueeowyn]

You could build a hatch in your deck ... sort of like how my sire built a 'hatch' to some bad plumbing [a picture frame painted over in white with a handle attached does NOT make a nice hatch ... and yes, he painted over the glass in 2 swipes of the brush).

Hopefully all the renovation challenges will become less so.

[billroper]

Eek!

I'm sorry that the two drunk brothers are making your life quite so entertaining at this remove in time.

On the other hand, I can see this being useful in a novel somewhere, just not directly involving a septic tank... :)