Since GRM is the fountain of all knowledge and out there some of you will have relevant information. What can you tell me about the issues, pitfalls and costs of storage tanks vs a regular septic tank and drain away for gray water when there is no City sewer. We're looking at a piece of property that is on a river, just before it dumps into a lake. So obviously it's a high water table. This is actually subdivided at six lots, although we'd be looking at just keeping it as one large property. The house close by and on the lake are all on septic tanks and drain away, but these lots have been zoned by the township as needing holding tanks instead.
What are the basic costs?
HOw often do they need emptying Vs a regular septic tank?
Any issues or danger?
What questions should I be asking?
TIA.
Usually, and it's dependant on area, you need a pressurized tank with a bunch of extra safeties.
They are usually stupid expensive and work sort of meh. One I was around basically just lost it's mind and set off the overfill alarm 25 times a day
In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :
Ugh. Not promising.
I am an expert in the E36 M3 disposal business. Holding tanks are usually banned by building authorities because if you don't empty them they overflow which is a health hazard. And the reason is that they can be very expensive to empty, especially if you left a tap running and have to call the pumper for the second time in a week, so there is a tendance to turn the alarm off and let it overflow if money is tight. Even if they are legal in your area they are the option of last resort because of the inconvenience and cost. The average person will use about 50 to 100 gallons of water a day, and a typical holding tank will be around 3000 to 4000 gallons, depending on the typical size of local pumper trucks. So you would need to empty it once a month probably unless you are very frugal, which will cost somewhere between 300 and 1500 dollars..... That is why rural homes usually have a drain field. Slightly higher upfront cost, but no monthly disposal fees.
In reply to bearmtnmartin :
Damn. Thanks for the feedback. That is crazy paying more for E36 M3 than property taxes ain't gonna happen! Thanks guys, on to plan C, or is it D or even F by now! There's another 1 acre lot close by, just not on the river so no problem with a regular septic tank system.
In reply to bearmtnmartin :
Question (since you are a pro at this)...
I own a property that is very old, and likely has a failing septic system. It's probably not much of a septic system- maybe an old oil tank with some gravel around it. (I've never seen it, but I suspect). This condition has existed for 50 years or more.
The property is 3 acres, but it is long and narrow and has a stream that runs through it and a pond. There is no land that is more than 50' from the water (so septic field is impossible).
It is infrequently used.
I have been assuming that the simple solution will ultimately be to put in a storage tank. I don't like the idea, but not sure if I have other options.
Do you have any opinions or ideas?
Can you do a grey water reuse garden so that the only stuff entering the storage tank is toilet and kitchen sink? I've looked into it a lot since i have an ancient septic system and laundry lint tends to be murder on leech field lateral pipes. Planning to make a filtration garden outside the laundry room next year.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
In most regions engineers are minor gods and can circumvent local codes. And in fact I think South Carolina allows open discharge with treatment so you may be able to dump directly into the watercourse. The problem, if it is one is that the engineer will charge you between $3000 and $5000 and the system installed will run another $20,000 to $30,000 in most areas. But certainly worth pursuing. Go to http://septiclocator.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=2
And find an engineer who specializes in wastewater and get a quote. If you are able to install it yourself you would save money, maybe.
Failing that you might be able to do a patch job on what you have if it sort of works at present. Find yourself some jugs of Septic Scrub (the only one I know actually works) , locate the oil drum and have it pumped, and dig down to the drain rock around it and pour the Septic Scrub into the rocks and wash it down with clean water. You may have some other type of homemade system but the same advice would apply; find it and get the scrub directly into the drain rock.
bearmtnmartin said:
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
In most regions engineers are minor gods and can circumvent local codes. And in fact I think South Carolina allows open discharge with treatment so you may be able to dump directly into the watercourse. The problem, if it is one is that the engineer will charge you between $3000 and $5000 and the system installed will run another $20,000 to $30,000 in most areas. But certainly worth pursuing. Go to http://septiclocator.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=2
And find an engineer who specializes in wastewater and get a quote. If you are able to install it yourself you would save money, maybe.
Failing that you might be able to do a patch job on what you have if it sort of works at present. Find yourself some jugs of Septic Scrub (the only one I know actually works) , locate the oil drum and have it pumped, and dig down to the drain rock around it and pour the Septic Scrub into the rocks and wash it down with clean water. You may have some other type of homemade system but the same advice would apply; find it and get the scrub directly into the drain rock.
I did similar, we had a backup in the laterals and i dug down to the rocks and poured the septic scrub stuff directly into the rocks and into the pumped out tank. We diverted everything but the toilet for a couple weeks and everything is now functioning correctly 3 years later, enough to even pass the health department's tests.
The trouble with putting additives into the tank is that they are designed to break down solids, some of which should stay in the tank. (Grease oil and fat) so they get flushed out to the field and do more damage. After the tank is always better, although the advertisers will not tell you that because they would never sell anything.
To give you an idea of price on the pressurized system, and I want to stress that I am not an expert here at all, the system required for the county was incredibly convoluted and took a long time to put in.
It was 40k supposedly 15 years ago.
In reply to bearmtnmartin :
So which Septic Scrub do you recommend?
That is the name, made by Arcan. Not sure where you buy it these days just just Google it I guess
In reply to bearmtnmartin :
Thanks! Duh me!
A storage tank is likely in the legal requirements building that close to a waterway.
The big question is, How are you at conserving water? Do your teens take two twenty minute showers a day? It will cost a fortune. Or, can you clean yourself reasonably with a couple of liters of water, standing in front of a sink? Pretty reasonable then.
