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New home has a septic system. About 1 acre of land with ample backyard. The current septic field seems to cover the area where we’d like to install an inground pool. The actual tank and apparatus is not in this area - just the lines are.
How difficult and costly is it to move a septic field? And since designed and approved by county authorities, are they typically open to these requests? I know these are questions to ask them directly, but just wanted some insight as to your experiences.
This is in a large community of 1 acre homesites and several backyard inground pools already exist. Just knowing the pool itself will be expensive, if the rerouting of the septic field doubles the cost, then I have my answer and can put this idea to bed.
The only way to know for sure is to contact a septic installer. They would have to remove the existing field, design a new one and install it. Probably not as much as an inground pool, but certainly not cheap. I'd guess easily 5 figures but impossible to say without knowing the local topography and soil conditions.
I’m guessing since you know that the fields are located where you want to place the pool that you have an engineered plan that was approved by your building dept. and board of health?
If so, you will need to check the local requirements since most areas that I’ve been familiar with require that all individual septic systems have a 100% expansion area. If you have the room/pitch and your percolation is good without having to truck in select material, it should not be that difficult to relocation a section of the fields.
In deciding any new placement of the drainfield… You will have to draw minimum distance circles (whatever those are locally for you) for your well, your neighbor’s well(s), property lines, and any other setbacks and buffers depending on your circumstance.
The biggest problem I see is this...
Septic systems require a set amount of field for the required size that is normally determined by number of bedrooms. The lot has to have a “secondary” area for a field in case of primary failure.
Can it be moved? Sure. But will the health dept allow it? And can you still have enough area that can be used as a secondary field area?
I personally wouldn’t push the septic field for a pool- why add $10k+ to the cost of the pool just because you want it on the X spot? I’d work around it as much as possible. If the walk to the pool is another 50’- so be it! It gives you the opportunity to improve the landscaping.
I had nearly an acre lot. Looked like plenty of room for a pool. But I had an aerobic system, and I didn't realize that the state required 1) a certain number of heads based on the size of house and number of bedrooms, and 2) the state required a BIG distance between the area of spray and the pool edge. I mean, that makes sense but still...
I was able to put in a state of the art drip system (not your granddad's drip system) and I was able to keep the tanks and other apparatus. So I didn't need to start from scratch so to speak.
The drip system was never a problem. The only issue I could see was this - that I couldn't drive a vehicle across it. I could drive a lawn mower or something like that, but not a truck or a car. Otherwise it was fine. We had a huge freeze and one line cracked but it was nothing serious, never had any sort of smell to it, and it was super cheap to have it fixed.
Thankfully the pump for the pool and the pool itself were both fine - in spite of the freeze and losing power and all that (in Texas), I never had any sort of problem with the pool or pool equipment.
The total cost to switch over was around $6500 for me. Well worth it. And no "set backs" for aerobic heads, so I was able to put a very spacious pool in, exactly where I wanted it.
If you simply want to run it further towards the back of the lot and the soil perks the same and there's enough room and the slope is right, fine.
If you have a mound system with a pump and other concerns, it might get a bit more difficult.
Practically speaking the cost shouldn't be that much more because they're already getting the backhoe out to dig the hole for the pool. In reality you'll likely need to hire different trades.
If you simply want to run it further towards the back of the lot and the soil perks the same and there's enough room and the slope is right, fine.
If you have a mound system with a pump and other concerns, it might get a bit more difficult.
Practically speaking the cost shouldn't be that much more because they're already getting the backhoe out to dig the hole for the pool. In reality you'll likely need to hire different trades.
I had to hire a pool company and a septic company and an irrigation company and then a sod company. Ugh.
We are going to make some inquiries. I have the septic field layout diagram provided by the county agency that approved it. The ideal spot for the proposed pool is just on the edge of two lines. Also, the plan is designed and titled for a 5 bedroom house when it’s only actually 4. Not sure if this is intentional or mistake. There is no space that could be debatable as to 5th bedroom or not. Thanks all
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