So, how DO you put in a septic in the woods?

[cc-rider]

I'm considering buying some woods to build in (the next time) and just happened to think....

I just installed a leachfield at my current home and it took about 1/4 acre of cleared land to run two 750' leach fields. How do they do that in the woods???? Would I have to clear a large area?

Also, drilling for a well wouldn't be a problem as long as the rig could get to the site, right??

Never dealt with woods before!!!
CC

[Bonnie L]

You cut down a LOT of trees & bulldoze the area. Which is why we don't have one. As to the well, you're right. As long as they can drive in.

[cc-rider]

What do you use instead? (Is it legal there???) <grin>

[fishhead]

750' drainfield!

Our septic systems use just a straight 100' run of pipe after the settling tank into some perforated pipe or plastic structures. The whole thing is only about 150' from the house.

[Bonnie L]

Originally Posted by cc-rider

What do you use instead? (Is it legal there???) <grin>

Nope!

We have an outhouse (sort of grandfathered in & we paid cash for our place so no one cared) & we have an electric composting toilet in the main house.

When I checked with the county they said that a septic system was needed for the gray water. Right. I just went away & didn't tell them who I was.

We're not planning on leaving here, but we won't be able to sell it to anyone who isn't paying cash without putting a septic system in. That will be the kids' problem.

[Valiantone]

Originally Posted by Bonnie L

Nope!

We have an outhouse (sort of grandfathered in & we paid cash for our place so no one cared) & we have an electric composting toilet in the main house.

When I checked with the county they said that a septic system was needed for the gray water. Right. I just went away & didn't tell them who I was.

We're not planning on leaving here, but we won't be able to sell it to anyone who isn't paying cash without putting a septic system in. That will be the kids' problem.

"but that'll be the kids' problem" Love it!

[raymilosh]

In NC, we do not disturb the trees or the land...that would destroy the ability of the land to treat the waste. We snake the drainlines between the trees. It takes more land, but it is a better system than the ones in a grassy field, because the trees can get to the water. the trees remove the nutrients, too...returning them to the land, rather than letting them escape into the aquifer where they do no good for the land and contaminate the groundwater...and eventually the well water. Tthe tree roots also keep the soil drier, so the system lasts longer because it doeesn't form an anaerobic biomat in the drainlines.

For what it's worth, it's also beter to have a pumped system than one that gets its wastewater by gravity, too, despite the fact that it requires a pump and electricity and costs more. A pumped system gets a dose of wastewater periodically, then dries out. a gravity system is flooded constantly. without going into detail, the soil in a dosed system stays healthier, it treats the water better and it lasts way longer.

Also, For those uf us with septic systems in woods, I add a half a pound of Copper sulfate to the outgoing drain line once a year. I buy it in the farm and garden store or in the ag supply or gardening shop. It is used to kill some pests for roses or some such. I forget what exactly, but it is commonly available and it's cheap, too. It kills roots that have invaded the system, but the copper does not accumulate in the trees and does does not harm the trees other than killing some of the roots.

[FreeRanger]

Originally Posted by raymilosh

In NC, we do not disturb the trees or the land...that would destroy the ability of the land to treat the waste. We snake the drainlines between the trees. It takes more land, but it is a better system than the ones in a grassy field, because the trees can get to the water. the trees remove the nutrients, too...returning them to the land, rather than letting them escape into the aquifer where they do no good for the land and contaminate the groundwater...and eventually the well water. Tthe tree roots also keep the soil drier, so the system lasts longer because it doeesn't form an anaerobic biomat in the drainlines.

For what it's worth, it's also beter to have a pumped system than one that gets its wastewater by gravity, too, despite the fact that it requires a pump and electricity and costs more. A pumped system gets a dose of wastewater periodically, then dries out. a gravity system is flooded constantly. without going into detail, the soil in a dosed system stays healthier, it treats the water better and it lasts way longer.

Also, For those uf us with septic systems in woods, I add a half a pound of Copper sulfate to the outgoing drain line once a year. I buy it in the farm and garden store or in the ag supply or gardening shop. It is used to kill some pests for roses or some such. I forget what exactly, but it is commonly available and it's cheap, too. It kills roots that have invaded the system, but the copper does not accumulate in the trees and does does not harm the trees other than killing some of the roots.

Ray beat me to it!

Back in 1986/1987, I worked in North Carolina. They use low pressure systems snaked right thru the woods. I had it approved for a church expansion that I worked on. I also once had a building site with cattails on top of the hill instead of in the valley, like we would see here in the mid-west. Here in Wisconsin we do it differently. Everyone seems to be force to build a mound system which is laying the pipes on the existing ground and adding fill material. I don't know why you could not do that in the woods as well?

[Cabin Fever]

Two other types of "trench" systems that can be used in the woods is the EZflow system and drip irrigation systems.

The EZFlow system is essential packing peanuts surrounding a perforated flexible draintube. The trenches are dug with a small backhoe and the tubes are flexible enough to snake around trees


With the drip system, narrow diameter flexible tubing is plowed into the soil with a vibratory plow. The tubing has an emitter about every 12" along its length. We've had success in Minnesota with septic drip lines even in the winter.

[DQ]

an aerobic system will work. the only downside is that you need air and water pumps which of course require electricity. it treats the water and then sprays it. we had to have one as our land won't perk well enough for a traditional septic system.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

It all depends upon the perk test to see how the soil drains. If you buy land with heavy soil, you may have to install a holding tank and no drain field is used...

RF

[Quint]

A lot of people in my area just run the pipe out in the woods away from the house. You end up with a small wet spot in the timber or on the hillside that gets composted regularly with falling leaves and such. You wouldn't even know it was there unless you seen the outflow pipe or stepped in it. It doesn't even smell unless you stick your nose in it.

In most places this would cause the local bureaucrats to have kittens but in my county we don't have inspectors or zoning or any of that foolishness. The only time anyone says anything is if you run your sewage into the grader ditch or into a stream or something. The DNR or someone will come and get after you if you do something dumb like that but if you just run it out into the woods or something no one says anything.

[tiogacounty]

Originally Posted by Quint

In most places this would cause the local bureaucrats to have kittens but in my county we don't have inspectors or zoning or any of that foolishness..

OMG. Here in the land of out of control bureaucrats, this would certainly get your picture on the cover of the local paper. You in cuffs, entering the squad car, all kinds of quotes by local officials about what a "sanitary evil-doer" you are, a disgrace to the very safety of kittens and babies everywhere. The engineering profession has turned poop into an empire that would make the soviets blush. A thousand or two in engineering fees and inspections by licensed engineers is cheap to put a small system in here.

[fantasymaker]

Yep a lot of places that are private just run a pipe over the hill..........................something to think about if your out walking in the woods!

[THETOOLMAN]

After seeing all this ....My old out house seems way better now.Thanks
"TOOL"

[cc-rider]

Well, there aren't any hills around here..... lots of "flat" woods. I'll have to see what the county requires, but my first thoughts were that I'd have to cut down a lot of trees, and I didn't want to do that.

[tallpines]

We live in a 40 acre woods.
We built in 2001.

As far as septic goes, we had to do the whole gamet with inspectors and permits.
(No inspectors were needed for anything else.)

We have a mound system that required that we clear trees off of an area about 140 feet by 65 feet.

I dreaded doing that but it has worked out well.

3 sides of the house are full of windows that look out into the woods.


On the fourth side of the house, we have an attached garage. The mound systen is back behind that. So except for mowing it in the summer time, we seldom see it.

[quietstar]

The "improved" drainfield type in East Texas seems to rely on chambers located along regular field lines. I was hoping a "resident" HT expert would chime in with some opinions and information on them. Seems like they would work on systems winding through the trees...Glen