Here are some methods to help you identify its location: Visual Inspection: Look for signs in your yard, such as lines of greener grass, dead grass patches, or depressed areas, which can indicate the location of the drainfield.
Use your septic tank to point the way.
It will point in the general direction of an area large enough to house your drainfield. Once you have a general sense of where your drainfield might be, look for an open area clear of trees and buildings. This is likely the location of your septic drainfield.
Today, the best tool for the job is ground penetrating radar (GPR) as it accurately maps metal and PVC pipes. Traditional pipe locators use electricity and magnets to locate underground pipes.
Are septic tank locations public record? Septic tank locations are sometimes public record, although it depends on local laws and the property age. Older properties may not have the septic tank information on public record.
Generally speaking, septic drain lines are buried between 18 and 36 inches underground, and the pipes are surrounded by gravel and sand to aid in the filtration and water treatment process. Some septic drain lines may be buried just 6 inches under the ground.
While a properly maintained drain field is designed to last up to 50 years, it's not likely that it will last much longer than that. If you're experiencing symptoms of drain field failure and you know that your drain field is getting up there in age, it might be wise to begin to budget for a drain field replacement.
Put plastic sheets, bark, gravel or other fill over the drainfield. Reshape or fill the ground surface over the drainfield and reserve area. However, just adding topsoil is generally OK if it isn't more than a couple of inches. Make ponds on or near the septic system and the reserve area.
Refer to Public Records
Check with your local health agency to see if they have a property survey map, which should include a septic tank map. You can actually access a lot of information about your property in California without ever leaving the comfort of your own home.
If your septic tank is made from either steel or concrete, finding it with a metal detector isn't too difficult because these types of detectors can detect those materials. To find your underground tank, most metal detectors will do the job.
If you're on a septic tank locating mission but aren't sure where to start, don't worry because there are septic tank locator tools to use. You can make use of septic tank locator tools that help you pinpoint the exact location of your septic tank by probing the ground.
Now you know that there are two ways of locating the drainage system beneath your house. You can either contact your local council and ask them for the plan associated with your property or you can contact a drainage expert who will conduct a CCTV drainage survey to get an accurate map of your drains.
When locating underground utilities today, one of the most favorable methods is the use of an electromagnetic locator. An electromagnetic locator is a pipe or cable locator that uses an electromagnetic radio frequency transmitter and receiver to trace underground utility lines and metallic pipes.
The Cost of Landscape Drainage
You can generally expect to pay between USD $30 and $1,000 per linear foot of channel drain. However, more complex situations may cost up to $150 per linear foot.
Slowly take a walk around your property, looking and feeling for any high or low spots in the ground. This could indicate a drain field or septic tank buried below. Remember, you will not typically find your septic system within 5 feet of your home, so you can start looking a little farther out.
Typically, the drainfield consists of three to five trenches that are 18 to 24 inches deep, up to 100 ft long, with a perforated pipe in 12 to 18 inches deep gravel covered by 12 inches of soil.
811 only marks the utility companies' supply lines or mains. They do not mark your septic tank or the lines going in or out of the septic tank. Oh, cut into one of those sewer pipes and get a nasty mess! What's Below marks these lines with green paint and/or flags for you.
Most lids are buried up to a foot deep, but some could be buried up to four feet! In some cases, a professional may be needed with specialized locating equipment.
The best way to look for and locate the septic tank field lines is to look for humps in the earth where the dirt settles and that way you can discover the septic tank field lines. There is also a septic tank locator that can help to locate the septic drainpipes.
General Distance Regulations for Septic Tanks
These regulations vary from state to state and depend on local building codes, but there are some general rules that universally apply. The septic tank should be at least 10 feet away from water supply lines or property lines and 10 feet from any building's foundation.
In order to keep your septic system running properly, you should avoid building on or near your leach field. While it's important to follow state and local building codes, plan to break ground at least 10 to 20 feet from where your leach field is buried.
Never add additional soil over the drain field unless it is a minimal amount used to restore an area that may have been eroded or pulled up by removing another plant. Try not to be overly zealous when tilling the soil for planting. Remember that the drain lines may be as close as 6 inches from the soil surface.
While you should consider all of the factors above, many professionals believe that the maximum weight for a leach field is around 10,000 pounds. Still, it's important to be cautious of what you choose to do over your leach field to ensure it's working properly.
Keeping trees at least 50 feet away from septic systems is ideal, but if you plan on growing plants like willows, shoot for 100 feet. Give your leach field a wide berth when planning out your landscape. Grasses, or even wildflowers, over your septic area make a better alternative.