Septic Problems!

Old Mission · #1 05/31/10, 11:47 AM

A Week ago our septic was overflowing water out of the gas vent pipe.
we had it pumped the next morning. Then the morning after that the tank
was completely full of water and overflowing again even tho we used very little water in the house, no laundry, no baths, ect. (all energy efficient appliances and fixtures) We had it pumped again and now 4 days later its overflowing and totally full again!!! They said my tank is 500 gallons and needs to be bigger (I am sure it does but we have never had any issues before and maintain and pump it) So that means 1500 gallons of water in less then a week has poured back into my tank from my leech field?!
It has not rained in 2-3 weeks but we are due for some today and this week.
Its impossible this water is coming from the house. We had a dry winter and pretty dry spring too. We only got a good soaking when it rained a few weeks ago. The farm field all around me the farmer put in all new drainage tiles through the entire field and the ditches in front of my house were really over flown with water when it rained and it has NEVER done that before and it did not even rain that much. This ditch is maybe 40 ft away from my leech field but my leech field is a little higher. Could this be causing my problems? and if so what can I do about it?
The septic people did not really give me much info and just left it at I need a whole new system, they did not take any time or inspect anything, just came and left in a hurry and told me I am screwed and there is nothing I can do except get a new system.
We cant have this continue, its flooding all over the outside of my house and I am not even using water! My septic tank is about 10ft away from my house and its leaking into the basement! I am ready to have a nervous breakdown. I have no idea how we will afford getting a whole new system!?!?! or what they even cost? What in the heck am I supposed to do till it gets fixed? How long does that usually take?

Any advice?

Stephanie

Ken Scharabok · #2 05/31/10, 12:26 PM

I have a somewhat similar condition. My water tale is so high it backfills into the septic tank keeping it always filled. A 1,000 gallon truck can pump it out fast enough. I've just learned to live with having to flush twice.

Harry Chickpea · #3 05/31/10, 12:32 PM

Sounds like the drain tiles were canted in your direction and water has found an easy route. The only other explanation I can think of is if you are on municipal water and have an underground leak.

I can just about guarantee that you and the farmer won't be on good terms after this, so... I see a few options, none of which are particularly pleasant.

1. Go to the farmer, explain the situation and ask him to fix it at his own expense. Good luck on that.

2. Contact the county and explain that the normal water table has been modified to your disadvantage, and hope that the laws will cover this and require the farmer to re-tile the fields or remove the tiles. There is a real possibility this is an effective course of action - HOWEVER... your house might be condemned by the health department because of not having a proper waste system.

3. Use an above ground field to handle the leechfield issue. This is very expensive and more importantly will not solve the issue with water coming into your basement.

4. You can sue in civil court for damages.

5. You or preferably the farmer can install a pumping system to deliver the water to the nearest waterway.

IMO the farmer was foolish to tile the field without considering the possible ramifications. If he is forced to remediation, it will cost him far more than any gain in crops will earn. I would investigate option 4 and if an attorney would handle it, I would then go to the farmer with an offer he couldn't refuse.

where I want to · #4 05/31/10, 12:41 PM

If you sink a post hole near the leech field, how deep before you hit standing water? If the water table is high there, the only thing I can think you can do is maybe ditch and drain your property so that the run off from the fields are shunted past your leech field and reserve field.
If the leech field still is good, then the water must be running into the septic tank. Can you seal it better- is it running into the tank by the riser joint? You should be able to hear the trickle if you pump it out and wait for it to fill again.
Maybe you can check with the farmer to see where he sent the runoff? If he did it so that your place if effected, he could fix the runoff area so it goes elsewhere.

**Cabin Fever** · #5 05/31/10, 01:02 PM

I am not sure what you mean by "water flowing out of your gas vent pipe." Are you talking about the plumbing vent on your roof? Or are you talking about one of the inspection pipes for your septic system?

What ever the vent pipe is, the source of water is coming out of the vent pipe it has to be at a higher elevation than the vent pipe itself (or under some kind of hydaulic pressure). In other words, if this vent pipe is at a higher elevation than the ground surface or higher than the water level in the ditch near your house, it is impossible that the water flowing out of the vent pipe is groundwater or drainage water from the ditch.

Narrow your search to water sources that are at a higher elevation than the vent pipe.

Old Mission · #6 05/31/10, 01:13 PM

The vent pipe is between the house and tank and about 2ft out of the ground which is
under my deck. When the tank is totally full with water the water will start coming out of that pipe whenever something in the house is draining. There is no clog
we made sure it was all clear.
We know the water is coming from the leech field back into the tank filling it, when we had it pumped you could see water coming back the wrong way.
When the tank overflows it comes up above the tank and lid, the tank is a round
cast iron tank (about 1-2ft below the soil level) thats all open on top with a lid that just 'sits' on top then buried underground, so when it overflows the lid does not hold anything 'in', stuff just starts seeping out.

Stephanie

fishhead · #7 05/31/10, 01:58 PM

Could you post some pictures of the layout?

Does your system pump water out of the tank and UP to the drainfield?

Is it possible that something in the house is leaking? Do you have your own well and pump? Is it coming on more often than normal?

agmantoo · #8 05/31/10, 02:20 PM

I am going to make an experienced guess where the problem is originating. Take some food coloring and put it in the storage tank behind the toilet seat. Then in 5 minutes look and see if the water in the toilet bowl has turned the color of the food coloring. If so, your domestic water is leaking into the septic system 24/7 and you need to repair the toilet. Post your findings.

The Paw · #9 05/31/10, 02:25 PM

Okay, so your reply to CabinFever established that the vent pipe water is draining from the house and out of the vent when there is no room in the tank. Solution, empty the tank.

You have done this, and observed that the water is back flowing from the leach field into the tank, which suggests you probably don't have a crack or leak in your tank (which could be a source of groundwater pouring in).

So I would conclude that your leach field has failed. It is either (a) all gummed up because it is old and they can eventually wear out, or (b) the ground around your leach field is saturated from the change in drainage to the farmers field. I wouldn' t replace the field until I knew which one it was....

Beeman · #10 05/31/10, 03:26 PM

Your septic tank is always full of water, that's partially how it works. The water flows at the top, out to the drain fields and back into the ground. If you had it pumped I'm guessing they pulled the lid to pump it. At that time it should have been evident where the water was coming from. If you have it pumped again look in the tank and find the pipe from the house. At the opposite end should be the pipe out to the dist. box and the field lines. Just watch and see where the water enters the tank from. I'm betting you have water coming back into the tank thru the field lines and filling up your tank. Either the farmer's drain lines are flowing back into your field or they disturbed a spring and it's flowing into your field lines. Once the tank is full if you run water in your house the field lines can't get rid of it fast enough so it flows out of the vent under your deck since your house and it's plumbing is higher then the vent. Now that vent is another story, I rerally don't think a vent for sewer gas under the deck is good.

dezingg · #11 05/31/10, 04:24 PM

Like Cabin Fever said, the water is coming from a source that is higher than the vent pipe from which the water is pouring out.

If the farmer's field is higher than the vent, it could still be the field. But if not, then you need to find what else could be putting water in the system.

**Cabin Fever** · #12 05/31/10, 06:29 PM

As long as we're throwing out theories, it could be either (1) your leachfield is plugged with sludge and the lines are full of sewage or (2) the watertable has risen near your home due to infiltration of water from the ditch your farmer neighbor is discharging his drainage water from. Either senario is going to result in sewage backing up into the system and plumbing every time you flush a toliet, wash dishes or clothing or take a shower. The backed up sewage is going to spill out the top of your septic tank or your "vent" pipe (I suspect this is actually a clean-out, not a vent pipe...but that's besides the point).

One way of finding out whether it;s a rise in watertable causing the sewage to back up is to dig a hole as deep or deeper than your drainfield (someone has already suggested this) and see if there is any water in the hole. I'd dig this hole 10 or so feet from your field lines. If there is no groundwater in the hole, then I'd suspect that your field lines are plugged with sludge probably from the use of an undersized septic tank and/or infrequent septic tank pumping.

Harry Chickpea · #13 05/31/10, 06:32 PM

dezingg, that does not strictly follow.

If I have a sealed 100 gallon tank of water, with pipes 95% of the way up in that tank, and allow ground water to fill the tank 95% of the way, then if I add 6 more gallons of water from the top quickly, the tank can overflow. The problem is not the 6 gallons from the top.

dezingg · #14 05/31/10, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea

dezingg, that does not strictly follow.

If I have a sealed 100 gallon tank of water, with pipes 95% of the way up in that tank, and allow ground water to fill the tank 95% of the way, then if I add 6 more gallons of water from the top quickly, the tank can overflow. The problem is not the 6 gallons from the top.

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.