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Onsite Wastewater System Compliance
Inspections: System Use
Inspection will often take place at the time of a property transfer and the use of the system by a new owner. The inspection consists of three pieces: the current use of the system and the effects of the use, the condition and performance of the septic tank, and the condition and performance of the soil treatment system. The order in which you inspect the parts of the onsite system may be dictated by the site, but a typical order of completion is to analyze the system use, then the septic tank, and then the soil treatment system. You are not required to address all the defects of the system, but a thorough inspection can be useful in the decision-making process. This module will cover the current use of the system and the effects of the use. Please note that this information was adapted from National Association of Wastewater Transporters, Inc. Inspection of Existing Onsite Treatment Systems. St. Paul, MN.
Begin by determining the age of the system. The older the system, the more likely it is that there are problems. Also, older systems may have been using significantly different technologies than are currently in use. In particular, they may be significantly smaller and their ability to handle increased water use may be less. At some sites, an older system may mean no system at all, because many of the older systems were connected to county ditches or drainage systems. Along with finding out the age of the system, review records of previous inspections. Older systems may not have been reviewed or noted or have any records available. On the other hand, newer systems may have complete records that make it easier to evaluate the system. The next thing to check is the flow of wastewater going to the system. Flow can be estimated based on the number of bedrooms in the residence. Compare the number of bedrooms with the number of current residents and consider patterns of water use. If the residents are older, they may be very good at limiting water use, whereas the new residents might not be as efficient at using water. On the other hand, if the people moving in are employed full time and are not at home during the day, shower at a health club and eat out regularly, they will add very little water to the system, and a small system may be more than adequate. Inspection Requirements
An enormous difference in the flow from that same house is possible if a family with children are living in it, not just in terms of the total wastewater flow, but also in the duration of the high flows. In particular, if there are a number of teenagers, the amount of bathing and laundry can increase dramatically. All families go through high and low wastewater flow periods as kids are growing up. Multiple families in homes also can affect wastewater flow. Two or more families sharing an onsite system typically use more water than a single large family, because there are more meal times and more laundry. Another water-use issue is leaky fixtures. Make sure that all of the water-using devices in the house operate properly. If they do not, they should be fixed. Repair or replacement of leaky fixtures is a highly effective, low-cost way to protect the system.
A number of in-home businesses can also affect the use of the system. The most common in-home business is daycare. Daycare facilities, because of the constant use and number of persons, can put pressure on the system. Review the system design to make sure that the septic tank capacity is enough to deal with the high flows, as well as that the soil treatment system can handle the total average flow. An effluent filter is often a good addition to a system to help it deal with this pattern of use. Taxidermy is another in-home business that can affect an onsite system. The chemicals used during the process can impair system function. Check the septic tank for evidence of these hazardous chemicals. In-home lawn care businesses can also cause problems. Again, the issue is improper disposal of chemicals, in this case insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, which can cause trouble by harming the bacteria in the tank and in the soil. Painting businesses run out of the home can add toxic chemicals to the onsite system too. There may also be excessive hydraulic loading from washing brushes used to apply water-based paints. The paints themselves can be a problem when particles of pigment do not settle effectively in the septic tank and then plug the pores in the soil system. Photo labs can cause significant problems in septic systems because of the chemicals used. These chemicals, in particular the fixer, are toxic and do not settle out in the tank. Home beauty shops can cause two different problems for the onsite system. The first is the excess hair entering the tank. If the establishment is only a barber shop, that is, the only services are washing and cutting hair, increased septic tank capacity and the use of an effluent filter should be sufficient to handle this in-home business. On the other hand, a beauty shop that uses chemicals such as bleach, dye, and permanent solutions may be causing significant problems to the tank. Check the tank for evidence of chemicals.
In any house, the number one place where water is used is the bathroom, where many water-using fixtures are located. Note the number of bathrooms – is it reasonable? Check all bathroom fixtures for leaks and drips. The primary water-user in the bathroom is the toilet. Check to determine that it isn't leaking or using extra water during flushing. It may use extra water because it isn't flushing effectively and is often flushed twice, or it may stick "on" so that water continues to run into the toilet tank even after it's full. On the other hand, the toilet may be a low-water-use model. Finally, check the toilet cleaners that are automatically added with each flush. These chemicals can cause problems in the septic tank and excessive use should be identified as a problem. The bathtub should be noted in terms of its use and size. Excessive numbers of large bathtubs may be a problem. An example of this would be in a bed-and-breakfast where there are multiple bathrooms that contain large "garden tubs." A number of these larger tubs could overload a septic tank, but one in a household would not put it into a problem category.
In the kitchen, too, there are a number of opportunities to use water and to otherwise affect the onsite system. The choice of food and manner of preparation can have a significant impact on the septic tank and soil treatment area. In particular, large amounts of cooking oil or undigested food added to the system can cause significant problems, as can cooling frequent large meals for special events or as part of a home catering business. Undigested food is added through the garbage disposal. Use of the garbage disposal can cause problems, particularly if the onsite system is not maintained regularly or frequently enough. The issues associated with garbage disposals are that undigested food takes the bacteria longer to break down, that small pieces of undigested food are slow to settle, and that the use of the garbage disposal adds extra water to the system. Tanks serving homes with garbage disposals may need to be pumped out twice as often. Another major source of problems from the kitchen is the dishwater because of the high temperature of the water it uses. Hot water will keep oils from congealing and rising to the top of the tank, so that the oils move out into the soil treatment area. Use of phosphate soap may also cause problems in the system.
The next water user in the house is the laundry. The major impact here is the schedule of when laundry is done: whether a single load is washed every few days or many loads are done one day a week. The preferred schedule is to spread the use of the washer out over the week, so that the tank isn't overloaded with water on a weekly laundry day. The soap that is used in the laundry may be critical if cast iron piping is a part of the system. Powdered detergents create crusting in iron pipes, leading to deterioration of the pipes. Otherwise, the use of laundry soap at manufacturer's recommendations is typically not a significant issue. Concentrated soaps are likely to be overused. Water-treatment devices, such as a drinking water filter or an iron filter, is another use that should be reviewed. Some drinking water treatment devices add large amounts of water to the system. Verify that the system is operating properly and not increasing the use of water in the house too much. Check that filters are replaced regularly; they can actually be adding contaminants if they are not changed often enough. Another water-treatment device is the water softener. The major issue here is the addition of water to the system. If the water softener is operating properly, it's usually not a significant problem. On the other hand, many older water softeners sometimes stick "on" and can significantly overload a system. Older water softener products, particularly sodium-based salts, may be more harmful to the onsite system than some of the newer products. High-efficiency furnaces are not a significant problem for the system, but may be a problem for the piping, because of the high acidity of the water coming from the furnace. It's been known to eat through pipes, particularly inexpensive plastic pipes. Furnace wastewater can also be a problem because it's added in very small amounts, so that as it flows through the pipes during freezing weather, it can get cold enough to freeze. High-efficiency furnace discharge should be piped so that is it regularly flushed out either by the dishwasher, the shower, or the laundry.
The use of many medicines can affect the system. Antibiotics, for instance, can kill the bacteria in the system. The use of these drugs should be documented in case of problems in the system. Other medical conditions that could have an impact on the system would include bulimia because of the increased addition of undigested food.
There are other water management practices that could be affecting the system. A swimming pool would be a problem if pool water was discharged through the system. That water, because of the use of chlorine for treatment, does not need to enter the onsite system and should be routed around it instead. Roof or site drainage, any clean water that enters the site by rain or runoff, should not be directed towards the system at all and should be routed around it. This clean water includes groundwater on the site. If there is tile drain around the house, pumped by a sump pump, that pump should never discharge into the system. After the system use has been researched and findings noted, it's time to inspect the tank.
Material last reviewed: April 22, 2002 © 2000 The University of Arizona. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. |
