Septic System in TN....I'm not used to it. (Adamsville: homes, neighborhood)

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by Bones

Over here on the plateau the whole system has to have pre-drawn plans and inspected before covered. There is also a set distance from a well.

Thankfully i don't need a well. I'll be sure to check with the county to see what's required before we do anything. At least i have some idea as to what is involved in a septic system set up and seems like we may be able to do quite a bit ourselves i hope anyways.

[alleycat]

I forgot to mention that one part you want to be sure of is the slope of the drainage field pipes. That needs to be checked with a contractor's level. It's still not difficult.

And if you find you just need some kind of semi-generic drainage field plan, let me know. I can draw one up faster than I can post this . . . assuming you have a plat of the lot, the location of the property and the size of the house, and the approximate location of the septic system. And assuming you don't need it signed by an engineer . . . I can't do that because of the liability issues and my firm doesn't specialize in that kind of engineering.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by alleycat

I forgot to mention that one part you want to be sure of is the slope of the drainage field pipes. That needs to be checked with a contractor's level. It's still not difficult.

And if you find you just need some kind of semi-generic drainage field plan, let me know. I can draw one up faster than I can post this . . . assuming you have a plat of the lot, the location of the property and the size of the house, and the approximate location of the septic system. And assuming you don't need it signed by an engineer . . . I can't do that because of the liability issues and my firm doesn't specialize in that kind of engineering.

I have the property, the plat, the location we would like to put the house which has to be a minimum of 1500 sq/ft but not sure where a good spot would be for the septic as where we want to put the house is on sloped side of a hill. How far away should it be set from the home? The back of the home would be the descending part of the hill and at the bottom of the hill is flat but also has powerlines above where we need to keep 100' away from any construction. i assume that means septic system as well.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

I have the property, the plat, the location we would like to put the house which has to be a minimum of 1500 sq/ft but not sure where a good spot would be for the septic as where we want to put the house is on sloped side of a hill. How far away should it be set from the home? The back of the home would be the descending part of the hill and at the bottom of the hill is flat but also has powerlines above where we need to keep 100' away from any construction. i assume that means septic system as well.

I wouldn't think the power line easement matters for a septic system.

Is one part of the land around the house location more open (that is, fewer trees and such)? It doesn't really matter how close to the house, although you'd probably want it out a bit. If you put the drainage field on a slope you'll have to design it for that; you can't just run the field lines downhill. If you did, the field wouldn't work like it's suppose to. But no matter, unless the slope is really bad, you can easy make it work.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by alleycat

I wouldn't think the power line easement matters for a septic system.

Is one part of the land around the house location more open (that is, fewer trees and such)? It doesn't really matter how close to the house, although you'd probably want it out a bit. If you put the drainage field on a slope you'll have to design it for that; you can't just run the field lines downhill. If you did, the field wouldn't work like it's suppose to. But no matter, unless the slope is really bad, you can easy make it work.

Well we have one cluster of cedar trees and we wanted to clear out the middle of those trees inside that cluster and put our house inside the trees (leaving a tree wall around the entire home clearing out what we need to have our view) but everything outside that cluster of trees is just open field on a hill. The slope on the back side is not as steep as the front side but would probably need to be leveled out a little bit. I feel a little more confident we can do a lot of this on our own now so long as we're allowed to with the county.

[ML10950]

Septic systems are regulated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and they do have strick regulations that need to be followed for the design and construction. Check their web site out for information.

TDEC: Ground Water Protection

Septic systems are not complicated, nor difficult to construct if you know what your doing, but they are definitely more than just a hole in the grounnd filled with gravel.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by ML10950

Septic systems are regulated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and they do have strick regulations that need to be followed for the design and construction. Check their web site out for information.

TDEC: Ground Water Protection

Septic systems are not complicated, nor difficult to construct if you know what your doing, but they are definitely more than just a hole in the grounnd filled with gravel.

Was that the same fine folks who "strictly regulated" nuclear waste being dumped in landfills because they could make a penny a ton off of it?

;-)

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by ML10950

Septic systems are not complicated, nor difficult to construct if you know what your doing, but they are definitely more than just a hole in the grounnd filled with gravel.

Obviously i knew it wasn't just a hole in the ground with gravel which is why i've been asking so many questions about it. I did once live in a place where a septic system was installed but back then, i wasn't concerned about how to do it because it was being paid to be done and i didn't really care or pay attention to how they did it.

Believe me, i know about septic run offs and overflows into the waters living here in FL. everybody who lives on the coast of FL knows all about that. Several beaches are closed each year because of it.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

Obviously i knew it wasn't just a hole in the ground with gravel which is why i've been asking so many questions about it. I did once live in a place where a septic system was installed but back then, i wasn't concerned about how to do it because it was being paid to be done and i didn't really care or pay attention to how they did it.

Believe me, i know about septic run offs and overflows into the waters living here in FL. everybody who lives on the coast of FL knows all about that. Several beaches are closed each year because of it.

This is funny, we were just talking the other day about septics. Where I live now they used to take old cars, bury them then fill them with gravel, punch a hole in the roof and run the pipe in it or, the would bury a couple of 55 gallon drums and do the same thing. Presto chango you now have a septic! I was told that was about 20-25 years ago but it still floored me. They just changes the laws here and we have to have a pressurized septic system. They aren't that hard to do and I am sure the county will help you with any questions you have.
Oh I almost forgot, don't forget to put in a septic alarm! Very important as it tells you if your tank is not draining (hopefully before you get a stinky surprise).

[MrsMtnsOnTheMind]

We have had a septic system for 13 years and have never had to pump it. We use Rid-Ex religiously every month and have never had a problem. We also don't use a lot of bleach, anti-bacterial soaps or powder laundry/dishwasher detergent. Just plain old liquid soap does the job for dishes, laundry and washing and Rid-Ex for precautionary measures.