Septic System 101...

All you (n)ever wanted to know about Drainfields and septic systems....

The Facts:

We live in an old farmhouse
It's old...really, really old
A good septic system has a lifespan of about 40 years
Our septic system and drainfield is older, and compromised by roots and stuff
We have to pump our tank every 2 weeks and ration water usage in the house due to lack of proper drainage
We need a new septic system...

So, we called the county health department to get the ball rolling....they were great! Came out right away to assess the situation, agreed with our decision to go NEW, and gave us lots of guidance on how to proceed....Then, we called Dominion Soil Science and had them out to do some testing for the placement of our new system....we were happy to hear we could go conventional, as an unconventional system would have been big bucks! They submitted the necessary documents to the county for permits, permits were approved, and their sister company, Dominion Septic, started work! Simple as that!

First, they had to dig up the lines coming from the house...by hand....in doing so, they found that roots had grown around and INTO these pipes! You'll see their proximity to trees in a later shot...

Then, they used a backhoe to dig out a nice little resting spot for our new concrete septic tank....we upgraded from a 500 gallon tank to a 1250 gallon tank....I'm looking forward to some LOOOOOONG showers now baby!

Then, they dug out a place for the distribution box....the distribution box takes all the 'liquid' from the septic tank and distributes it to the drainfield lines....you can just see the 5 holes in the side of the concrete box where the 5 lines will be attached to...

Here is one of those drainfield lines that connect to the distribution box....they are each about 100ft long...a plastic drain pipe is surrounded by those packing peanuts for protection...yes, packing peanuts! Then, the pipes are covered with a cloth...

With everything installed, it's time to begin covering it up! The small white pipe sticking up out of the ground allows for easy clean-out or 'snaking' in the event of a blockage....there is another near the house on the opposite side of the septic tank.

Finally, the OLD septic tank must be crushed! First, it is dug up.....

And then pummeled by the backhoe bucket until it's a million pieces of rubble....then it's filled back in with dirt....that prevents water from pooling in it, or a sink hole from forming in the future....

Here's a shot of the new drainfield area...

Here's the view of our new septic tank area....in a few months, after the grass has grown back, you'll never even knew what happened here! But our house will still be old...vary, very old....and it always has another project in store for us....just when we least expect it! What will it be next? I am hoping we can focus on windows, doors, and siding next time around.....not that I'm opposed to the "Expanda-Foam-Insulation-Stuff" that is visibly filling all the gaps and holes in our house.....but at some point we might have company over....really important people, who won't understand our ways......*shudder*....or not!