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Home My WebLink About1980-07-03 Septic System Repair RecommendationsSITE ADDRESS 335G-��pU �r s; - cam►°�xt�e CITY OF ORONO 6 C4— VT_ SEWAGE TREATMENT - REPAIRS OR ADDITIONS TO EXISTING SYSTEMS THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES SHOULD HELP YOU IN REPAIRING YOURFAILING SEPTIC SYSTEM: 1. System .is 6aiti.ng because: C� Poor soil conditions Too much water use for size of system Nigh water table. Sludge getting into drainfield - tanks need repair/replacement ® Other J�L42je, 7D 63/C,N - /`6-r Foil (-ISA6-e /TS G LI- ri" U Unknown; or a combination of the above factors. It is not always possible to determine the exact cause of system failure, but those listed are common factors. . 2. Tanks - City Code requites 2 tanks in a nonmat taidenti.at g4avity-6Zow system: 1-1000 gatl.on, 1-750 gaZton precast concrete tanks in smi.es. These ate minimum sizes - you may tvah to .inatatt toAgen tanks. 16 you have only 1 tank, is ,o nonma t y nequilced to add a second when nepaih,i.ng a 6ai ei.ng system. 16 you have 2 tanks but they are 6ubstan.ti.atty unde m ized (500-600 gallons, bon instance) , it -cs recommended that they be teplaeed. 16 your nepait_ w-c el tequiAe a pump, it should be placed .in a thiAd .tank (500-1000 gaUon neeommended) . 15Z System will likely require replacement/addition of 1 or more tanks: 3. A note about pumps: Pumps and pump eonttots have out 06 necessity become better designed and none dutabte in the last hew yewes. Neahly one septic system .in bout .insta.Pted .in Ouno makes use o6 a pump, due to site conditions. A pump may be needed: - when basement 6toon dta ns on lowest seven sine ate below the area to be used as d4ain6ietd. - .in aU mound systems, which ate used where high water table on slowly peneotating soils ate bound. There are essentiaUy two types o6 pumps used in septic systems appPi.cations: 1. 666tuent pumps - pump only Zi.qu,ids, no�unaUy used a6tet the second septic tank, on bon taundty .in the basement; and 2. Gt,i.ndet on soti.ds-handling pumps, used bon basement to Lets and sometimes ,.nstatied .in an outside sump, which pump sewage up to septic tanks on high gno,ind. Pump 6aiPutes in the past have been due mostly to switch 6ailutes (eolAosion on weat.ing out) and etcct is connection cohtos.ion. Both o6 these pnobe.ema have been reduced 6y use o6 eontoaion-nes.cstent bloat switches and connection boxes. White pump 6aitunea ate .less common than .in the past, a high wateA a aAm costing apptox,imatety $75-$100 .us nonmaUy AequiAed wheAe a pump vs used. It's weel woRth the prise i6 it saves you a costly basement cleanup. Repairs to system will likely require a pump, including a pump tank and alarm system. ' Page 1 o6 3 4. Vtain6.ietd - your dnain6.ie.Cd is .the component 06 your septic system .the contAaeton has Beast eontAoZ oveA. No matter hots cveU eonsttucted a dnain6ieed is, it .i,s no be.tten ,than ,the sot it is pf-aced .in. For exampf-e, a 1500 square boot d4ain- 6ieed in heavy cPay with high ceateA tabee seAv-ing one tes.idence may not work as wet as a 400 square 600t dnnin6.ietd in sandy foam with no water table pnob-em. The soit .0 valriabte (thanb to the gPaeims) and may be eompeetety di66eAent in toeations Zess than 100 6eet apart. The type o6 tepa,in.s on neptaeement o6 your d4,ain6.ietd tog-ieaY,ey shouF-d be b rd on the capab-it ty o6 yout pant.ieutat ,soil type. To do thus, it is prudent to have pencotation tests and zoit bot,i.ngs taken. The "peAc" test ,is a measure o6 how bast cvateA cvi tt move through .the soiP. Bo-t.ings cv.c t .indicate the depth to wateA table on seasona ty saturated conditions (.indicated by mottzed ned and g-tay colons .in the sot) and should discovers any hardpan on ceay ZayeAs which LvitQ .impede water movement. S borings/pert tests are required. Soil borings/perc tests are recommended. Soils borings/perc tests have been done previously or are not needed. Based on the Aindings, the petson doing yout testing shou,f'd de6ign a system bon your paAticuean wateA u,seage (based nonmattey on 150 ga tons pen bedroom pen day) and bon your panticu.Ean s. te. It is not unusual to 6ind that you may need a mound -type system, since the majoAity o6 Onrno's soit'6 aAe ceayey and have penehed saturated zones cuthin a 6&v beet o6 the sun6ace during pant o6 the yeah. Tneneh systems instaUed in these so.d-z in the past o6ten expeAienced season. 6aitune. Hocueven, .in many ptaees .trenches -st.i et can be used wheAe conditions are suitabte. NonmaP.ey, the City Inspeeton cu.itt recommend what he 6eeFs are .the minimum acceptable nepai&5 based on his knocvtedge o6 the site and situation. Hocueven, there -us no guarantee that the neeommended %epaiA s w.e tQ, be adequate. Fors this reason, a design b"ed on snit testing and your patticuZOA site and watt,% usage iz atmost a vxys neeommended. Number of Bedrooms in Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (circle) Recommended type of drainfield Standard Trench; square feet minimum Shallow Trench; square feet minimum Mound Dimensions 11 Other No Recommendation on system type; you should have soil testing done and have a system designed by a site evaluator, site conditions are too marginal or unknown to make a reasonable recommendation without testing. 5. 16 the 6aieune o6 your system .is causing a 6un6aee dischoAge that is a potentiat nuisance to your neighbou, you wilt nonma.Uy be nequ red to have your tanks pumped as o6ten as necessary to e_&minate this discharge, un,tit yours system is nepained. Page 2 o6 3 6. WHAT (DILL REPAIRS COST? TUA Eii,sti.ng is given ont y as a re6erence. Conditions vary bon each .s site. The ranges given are 6o4 a .typicae tepa)t, and your pa,1ticue0r design may cost move on eess .than shown. Restoration o6 sod and bushes is normaUy not included .in the price. Typ.icat Repair Instaeeed Price Range 600 -square 6ee.t o6 d4a,i.n6ietd in •tAenehes $1500-2000 1000 square beet o6 drain6.ietd .in -ttenehes $2000-3000 1-1000 gaE;eon precast concte.te .tank $ 500-1000 Pump, alarm and 500 gaeton pump .tank $ 600-1200 Mound drain6.i,eed .inceuding pump/pump .tank/ataAm $3000-5000 To.tat System Reptaeement Standard Tneneh - 2-1000 gaeeon -tanks, 1000 s6 o6 dta('.n6.ieed $2500-4000 Mound System - 2-1000 gatton .tanks, 500 ga ton pump .tank/pump/aeatm, 13 bedroom home) Mound System $5000-8000 7. WHAT IF I FIX MY SYSTEM AND NEXT YEAR THE CITY PUTS IN SEWER? Oney a hew 6peei6.ie anea.5 are -tange.ted bon pozzibee 6u,tune sewets in .the nuiute pants o6 Orono. These areas tviee probably not be served uatit/uneess widespread system 6aieure6 occur. The City has appti.ed bon Federae Grant ,Monies to ins.taU sewer 604 speci.6.ic areas, ineeuding Cnys-tae. Bay, Stubbs Bay/Westeake StAeet, and Stubbs Bay NE. These are h i 6 torieaee.y deve coped areas with subs.ta► t,iatty .eels than .the minimum 2-acAe tot size and have a potenti t bon septic system 6aiEures which coutdn'•t be repaihed adequateey on -site. However it may be years be6ore seweu actuaUy go in. The •temaining pants o6 Aurae Orono, .in the 2-acAe and 5-acre zoning dis.th.i.cts, are specir6icaUy excluded 6rom being severed in .the 6o4e6eeabee 6uture. I am located in an area that may be sewered if problems worsen or federal grant money becomes available. 1 I am located in an area specifically geared towards permanent usage of septic systems. Other 8. WHAT STEPS SHOULD I FOLLOW? 1 , HiAe a soil/bite evatuator .to do .the nec%sary testing and design a system bon your needs. 16 testing �6 not required, you may skip .this step. 2. Submit .the design bon approvae by .the City. 3. Once design .us approved, have one on more ._ieensed eontAactou bid on the approved design. 4. The con,tAar-tor you choose should obtain a permit 6rom .the City be6o4e s.tanting work, and he tuiU care bon .inspections as necessaty. ANY QUESTIONS? CALL THE SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTOR AT 473-7357.