It's Not a Pretty Picture, but Maintenance Is Simple If You Know What to Look For
By Ann Cameron Siegal
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Whether you have a septic system or are buying a house with one, know that whatever you flush or pour down the drain can come back to haunt you, either in major repair expenses or in simple embarrassment.
Consider the diabetic who hid in the bathroom to munch on forbidden candy bars and flushed the wrappers. The septic system contractor eventually found that secret.
Other contractors tell stories of finding toys, tampons, condoms, drug paraphernalia and even pet remains in septic tanks.
However, there are simple steps you can take to avoid surprises and ensure that everything operates properly for years. First, though, you should understand how a septic system works.
Breaking It All DownThe private treatment and processing of human wastewater is an out-of-sight, gravity-driven process that allows houses to be built in areas not served by public sewer services.
A conventional septic system doesn't have moving parts. Naturally occurring bacteria and other microorganisms break up biodegradable substances.
Wastewater flows from the house through a pipe into an underground tank, where it separates into three levels. Grease and light waste form the top layer, called scum. Heavier solid waste becomes sludge on the bottom.
Between those two layers is partially filtered wastewater, called effluent.
As new waste enters the tank, a corresponding amount of effluent flows out to a drain field, usually via a distribution box that sends it evenly through a network of underground perforated pipes.
The drain field is the modern replacement for cesspools. In drain fields, a series of trenches provide additional layers of filtering as the effluent trickles through several feet of soil and gravel below.
Look Around Before Buying"Do your homework upfront," said Brent McCord of Environmental Services and Products in Manassas.
Have a thorough inspection done. Repairs to a septic system generally are the home seller's responsibility before closing, so hire an experienced inspector or septic contractor to see what work is needed.
McCord recommended checking with the National Sanitation Foundation for a list of qualified wastewater contractors. Your county health department may keep a list of licensed contractors, too. Some jurisdictions, such as Prince George's County, have inspectors who do on-site evaluations. Montgomery County inspectors will evaluate septic problems as part of the $256 repair permit.
Thomas Miller, with the University of Maryland's Cooperative Extension Service, said: "Don't settle for walk-around inspections. Be present when the inspection is done."
The inspector should run water into the system from the house and check each opening for signs of backup or leaks. Are the baffles, which control flow into and out of the tank, in order? The sludge level should be measured.
It's better if the tank is not pumped just before the inspection because you want to know whether it's operating properly after a period of use and whether it has been properly maintained.
The distribution box, if there is one, should be checked to see that each pipe is draining properly. There shouldn't be any sign of solids in the box. Well water should be tested for signs of contamination.
A properly operating septic system is like a clean litter box: There should be no odor. However, odor doesn't always mean something is seriously wrong.
Miller noted than an inside odor could be caused by an unused sink or toilet. Normally, water collects in the U-trap beneath a sink or toilet to prevent septic gases from backing up into the house, but if a bathroom goes unused, that water can evaporate. To clear the trap, simply run water through it.
An easily fixed cause of outside odor is a roof vent pipe that is too short, allowing downdrafts. The solution: Extend the pipe.
More serious outside odors are caused by effluent leaching up to the topsoil, usually because of a clogged drain field. If the grass over the drain field is lush and green during a drought, that could be a sign that something is amiss.
Other signs of trouble include soggy areas on the property, basement or toilet drains backing up, drains that empty slowly, and gurgling in pipes in the house. Ask neighbors whether they know of past problems on the property or in the area.
The Right QuestionsHere are some of the questions you should ask the inspector or investigate yourself.
¿ What kind of a septic system is it?
Septic systems vary according to site and soil characteristics and the space available. Know what style is connected to the house you are considering. In addition to the conventional system, there are some requiring pumps because the drain field is higher than the tank. Others use sand filtering, while still others are built in mounds on the ground's surface, usually because of poorly draining soil.
¿ What is the tank made of? Older steel tanks can rust through. Concrete tanks seem to be the norm, but plastic ones are easier to move to sites with difficult access.
¿ How old is the system? If built properly and maintained regularly, septic systems can last decades. County health departments often have records of the construction date, location and original contractor, but not all systems are so recorded, so you may have to rely on information from previous owners.
¿ Will the size of the tank and drain field meet your family's needs? When a septic system is built, its original size is determined by how many bedrooms a house has, with the assumption that there will be two occupants per bedroom. The system's distance from the house and any wells is determined by state and local regulations.
¿ What kind of use has the system had? Have there been additions to the house? A four-bedroom house occupied by an elderly couple is not going to challenge a septic system as much as the same house occupied by two parents and four teenagers. Houses that evolve from seasonal to year-round residency may not have sufficient systems for the expanded use.
If the tank is too small for your needs, heavy water use flushes the system before the separation and decomposition process has a chance to work. Online calculators can help you determine what size and capacity are best for your family.
Two-compartment tanks, which allow waste a second settling before it heads out to the drain field, are popular. They add a few hundred dollars to the cost of a single-chamber tank. "It's like a cheap insurance policy," said Rick Colson of Fogle's Septic Service in Sykesville, Md.
The size of the drain field depends not only on the size of the house but also on the type of soil. Clay soil requires a larger field because its absorption is much slower than sandy soil. Steep, rocky slopes require a different configuration than flat ground with porous soil.
¿ Has the septic system been maintained regularly? One Earlysville, Va., resident, who has lived in her house for eight years, wrote in an e-mail: "We've never had the septic cleaned out or anything. Don't even know when it was done, if ever, before we bought the house, which is about 32 yrs old now. Kind of scary."
That's an understatement. Regular maintenance of a septic system usually runs less than $300 every couple of years. Repairs to or replacement of a failed system can cost thousands. In addition, a failing system can affect local well water.
If a septic tank hasn't been pumped out for years, sludge can rise too high, entering the effluent exit pipe and resulting in unsettled solids being pushed into the drain field.
Broken pipes can also allow sewage to discharge before proper treatment is complete.
¿ What about garbage disposals? Disposals are not recommended with septic systems because, rather than helping the decaying process, the resulting food particles can increase the solid load in the septic tank by as much as 50 percent. If some particles end up in the drain field, they clog the soil over time, making it harder for filtering to take place.
But many houses on septic have garbage disposals anyway. Woodbridge resident Amy Wilson said, "I don't put anything down the disposal to get rid of it, and I don't scrape plates, but [the disposal] is good for the residual that ends up in the sink."
¿ What about using additives? Countless companies offer products to improve the workings of your septic tank. Some even say that using their product means you'll no longer have to pump out sludge.
Don't use these additives, said Jared Sluzalis, an inspector with Montgomery County. "There's enough bacteria that comes out of your body to make the septic tank work. You don't need to add anything."
¿ What options do you have if the drain field fails? Drain fields fail when they become too saturated to process more waste. New construction is often required to have space for a 100-percent-replacement drain field, but older properties often don't have the luxury of that much space.
Aside from praying for public sewer access or allowing the field to completely dry out, which can take a year or more, you will have to rely on state and county officials to help you design an alternative. While there are numerous options, they are quite expensive.
In Western Maryland, "sand mounds" have become popular but are controversial. A large hill of sand and soil sits above the surface of the ground and receives effluent pumped up from the septic tank.
However, mounds are more susceptible to the effects of harsh winters, and their aesthetics often leave much to be desired. They can also run $10,000 or more to install.
Holding tanks are a last resort for a failed septic system because they have to be pumped out every month.
Neglect Has a PriceContractors, local inspectors and many residents say public education on the care of septic systems needs improvement. Sluzalis said that half the time, septic system failures are caused by the use of substandard materials and a lack of maintenance.
County governments don't keep maintenance records. In fact, there are rarely requirements that septic systems be regularly maintained.
That troubles Joseph Hunter, a longtime resident of Laytonsville, where septic systems are common. "There needs to be an authoritative way to make people pump their septic tanks," he said. Hunter would like to see such stipulations added to Montgomery County's code.
Woodbridge homeowner Amy Wilson has done her homework. There have been no problems with the septic system on her family's 2 1/2-acre property in the 13 years they have lived there. Their septic tank is pumped regularly.
"It's only about $100," she said. "They do all the yucky stuff, and you just get out of the way."
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