Septic Systems are a Snapshot in Time

Hey Cora, I have owned my house for only 2 years and my septic has failed!  I am really angry and I think I should be able to sue someone over this.  Who can I sue, how do I do that, where’s a lawyer? Signed, Boiling Mad!

Dear Boiling. Well, I can hear you are mad for sure. So let’s break this down and see what advice I can give so that you know what you can do. You may not like my answer…. just saying.

A Few Questions for you

• How do you know your system has failed?  If it’s just backed up – that might just be a clog or a “break” in the line to the tank.  This is not an expensive fix and does not require that the entire system be replaced.  Your first call should be to an engineer.  They can help you determine if the system has failed and needs to be replaced or if it just needs a little work.  If you purchased your home only 2 years ago, call your realtor that represented you and they will have a record of the engineer that signed it off when you purchased your home. (if you need the name of a couple engineers, call me)
• Is your home new?  Was it just built 2 years ago?  If so, you can contact your builder and see if he will give you the name of the excavation company that installed the system.  That excavator may be able to help you.  The excavation company that put in your system had to follow the drawings that the engineer provided.  So, the installer and the engineer will be your friends on this.  Again, this may be something simple and an easy fix. 
• If your home is not new, and it’s several years old, then again, go back to the engineer that did the adequacy test when you purchased the home.  Your realtor will have this info or it’s in the documents that you received when you closed on the house.  These two individuals will be able to help you navigate the next steps on what to do or how bad the situation is. 

Now, I want to be clear here; the engineer most likely is not responsible for your septic failing IF that’s what it is.  They can only test the system and pass it or fail it depending on how it responded that day.  It’s a snapshot in time, at the time it was tested, it passed.  I have had septic systems pass and 12 months later, the owner went to sell – and it didn’t pass. 

NOT A Sewage Expert!

What happened, why would this be? Many, many factors. Now, just to be clear I am not sewage expert, I do not have a degree in waste water engineering (oh there are so, so many funny references that I could say right now, but I am going to keep the professional). But I have worked with many people with failed systems and spent copious amounts of time with septic engineers (aw, yes, fun times) and installers. Here are some of the things I have learned:

• Size Matters! A typical 3-bedroom home has a 1000-gallon septic tank with a leach field specifically engineered for 6 people to live in the house.  This means flushing, bathing, washing clothes, washing dishes, cooking etc. Every family is different.  Some people run their dishwashers several times per day, and some run them once per week.  The amount of water and solids (I am sure you can figure out what “solids” are) that goes into your system can have a direct effect on the life of your system. 
• Toilet paper, all toilet paper is not created equal!  Toilet paper with cotton is not recommended for septic systems, Cottonelle, Charmin etc.  These are very hard on systems because they don’t break down.  I have found that the Marathon from Costco is probably the best one to get or sometime specifically for septic systems.  Fancy toilet paper can cause your system to back up!  Back up is not good, it’s gross!
• Grease, yuck-a-doodle!  Grease is terrible for your system; it cannot break down.  It clogs the sides of the pipes and creates a barrier in the leach field that will not allow grey water to filter through.  Do not dump grease or oils down your drain. 
• Feminine products, these are made of COTTON do not flush them into the system!  Septics don’t like cotton, oh it may seem like it’s handling it – but believe me, like eating old potato salad that’s been left out in the sun at a picnic, it will come back, in a very unsightly way, eventually.
• Garbage disposers, for some reason, septics only like things that have been through a human body!  The don’t like raw vegetables, old fridge left overs and other “back of fridge science experiments!  Avoid dumping those down your garbage disposers. 
• Excessive weight, avoid driving your car, truck, motorhome over your system!  Pay attention to where is located on your property and don’t put an extra driveway over it or park a car on it.  These are sensitive systems and weight on it can break pipes going to and from the tank or even damage the tank.
• Water table, yes, this one sounds strange, but a change in the water table could cause your system to fail.  This year, we have seen a lot of heavy rain, and heavy rain means creeks and rivers are high, but also the underground rivers and tributaries can put pressure on your tank and cause your leach field to drain slowly because of ground saturation.  Nothing you did, nothing the install did, it’s just ….nature.
• Soaps, ya, different types of soaps you use in your washer or dishwasher could damage your system.  Remember that these systems are design to “compost” if you will the waste.  If you use a lot a heavy chemicals, (and yes bleach is one of them) you kill the good bacteria that is working hard to make this system work.  If you kill off all you good guys, there will be nothing there to “process” the compost.  Slack off on the chemicals and be kind to your good bacteria.
• Maintenance, yup, you MUST have it pumped and cleaned at least every 2 years.  Now, let’s say that there are 2 people living in a 4 bedroom house.  This is a 1250 gallon tank, so that a big tank for 2 people.  Once every two years should be fine.  However, if you live in a 4 bedroom house with you, your spouse, the boys Robert and Roger, who enjoy playing in a mud hole, the two “tween” girls, Erica and Erika who shower several times per day and your twins…. Timmy and Tommy.  Not to mention your in-laws, who bring up the Minnie Winnie every year and park it next to the house and hook into your septic system.  This, my friends, needs a clean out every year FOR SURE! Don’t think you are saving money by skipping a year, it will only cost you in the long run.

Okay, now do you see why it’s only good for that snap shot in time?  Because the engineer cannot speculate on how you are going to live with your septic.  They don’t know if you are going to be a good bacteria killer or a grease monkey or an over-user-abuser!  The septic passed at the time it was tested. 

Now you carry the torch for your septic, you care for it and follow the rules of how to keep it from failing for as long as possible! Show that thing that you are the keeper of the tank! The ruler of the underground community and the father of the flush! 

Call me or text me if you need the names of different installers, engineers, pumping companies etc.  We are happy to help and remember experience matters and I am full of it!