There are some septic tanks underground and it’s been mission impossible to locate them. I think I would be better off putting in new tanks instead of trying to locate the old ones. Would leaving in the septic tanks cause environmental hazard which would cause a future phase 1 to fail when I refinance or sell? What other things do I need to watch out for environmental hazard? Thanks everyone.
You are not allowed to not find them because they can be an environmental hazard. The county typically has a procedure, such as pumping them and filling them in with sand, to decommission them. Also, if someone was to drive their car over the tanks that could cause them to collapse and injure someone - which is likely excluded from your insurance policy if you were to be liable for medical bills.
Someone needs to dig a hole down to any part of the sewer line and install a clean out and put a camera down there so you can map this thing out. Go under a vacant home if digging is not easy enough. Cutting corners on this stuff will bite you later.
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This is exactly what I needed to know. Thanks!
Do you know if each home has it’s own tank or are there several homes in line leading to a common tank. If you do not know a little detective work is all that is needed. Once you figure that out you will then be able to easily locate the tanks. The tanks will be located close to the home ( last home in line) in a direct line with the direction of the buried line.
Each home has its own tank. However, some lots have been vacant.
How do you know they have their own tanks? You cant find them! LOL
LOL. I meant they are required to have their own tanks now. Might not be the case when they were built.
Most of our trailers have one tank for every two trailers. A few have their own. The only way for us to find them was to use a metal rod and start from the trailer where it comes out at the pipe and follow that. Fortunately we have a guy in the park who works for the septic company we use and he helps find them when needed.
I bought a 26 unit park approximately 2 months ago. The park has 15 septic systems and it was one of my biggest fears when I bought the park. I had 14 abandoned homes I had to remove from the property. I found a local company and asked if they would like to get paid for cleaning out 15 septics with the catch that they would have to work to find some of them. It took me calling around but I found someone willing to do it. We had no idea where 12 of them were but they find them for a living. In the end they simply charged me the cost to pump them out. I recommend you download a GPS app (coordinates) on your phone and when located stand on your tank and record the number. Create a map of your park with the GPS locations. I bought a device on Amazon called a “sewer jetter” ($75) that connects to a pressure washer and I used it to clean the lines as well. I also used it to put it in the line running from the tank to trailer connection. Some of the connections were covered with dirt and I did not know where they were. If you push it in from the tank it will cut through the dirt and and you can find the connection. You just have to find the right company willing to locate them or find an individual who works for a septic company and pay them to do it on the weekend. Good Luck
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The city may have an original map of where the tanks are laid out. Depending on where you are located some municipalities require this to be filed.
My advice is to not let a septic company blindly go in and do digging to locate them. If you have no idea where the tanks are, this will get very expensive very fast!
If you do end up locating where the tanks are, in addition to creating a map for reference on where they are, it could be good to put a stick or some type of placer in the ground so you know for future needs where they are!
Thanks! I was able to locate some within an hour. We marked eith paint and flags. Will continue to find them. Another question - how do I make sure the utilities will work before a home is hooked up? Water line, electric, and septic inspection? Is it possible to inspect before the septic is hooked up?