PEP BB homesteading.sand.little.septic - Check Septic Tank Status

Apr 13, 2019 09:30:51

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum. Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Homesteading. (Note that this BB is part of a four-part choose your own adventure called Little List. You must complete four Badge Bits in the Little List.)

In this Badge Bit, you will check the status of a septic system.

(source) (source)

Some articles on inspecting septic tanks:
- Do-It-Yourself Septic System Inspection Field Guide
- How to Inspect Septic Tank Condition
- Inspecting Your Septic Tank
- Checking Your Septic System
- Septic System Inspections

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
- you must check the status of a septic tank

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide:
- a before picture of the stick you are using to check the septic tank
- an after picture of the stick used to check the septic tank
- a description of the status of your septic tank

paul wheaton · Jun 04, 2019 16:53:10

Not exactly what was laid out in the requirements... Actually better because you can see the actual level. Status description... Less than it was before we started putting naturally occurring enzymes and microorganisms in there, but still too full!!!

Nicole Alderman · Jun 28, 2019 18:08:16

I just finished inspecting my septic tank. The tank did not need to be pumped. There was only a light sludge layer of 1 inch and a scum layer of no more than 0.5 inches. The tank is old and is 1200 gallons but only a single chamber. I think it is the original septic tank which would mean it was installed in 1964. But a 150 gallon pump chamber was added in 1987. As old as the system is it seems to be working great. It was last pumped almost 3 years ago.

In my area I'm required to inspect in every 3 years due to water quality issues in a Puget Sound inlet that I'm within the watershed for. But the county provides free training and certification so I can do the inspection myself.

The stick I used is a pvc pipe with velcro on the end of it. The pipe was made by the county and I won it as part of a raffle during the training. There was another stick for measuring the scum layer but I did not use it because the layer was so thin that I did not want to have to clean another stick when it was obvious how thick the scum layer was.

All in all the system is working great, the pump is working, and the alarm is working. I got my report submitted to the county without any problems through their online system. No costs to do this other than my time.

But the one issue I did discover is that one of the lids to the riser is having problems and will need to be replaced.

Attached are pictures showing the "stick" before I put it in the tank, while it was in the tank, and after.

Before my next inspection is due I'm hoping to replace my whole system with a new tank plus a subsurface treatment wetland. At the moment the drain mound that my system drains to is located almost 200 feet away on my neighbors property. I would rather keep the whole system on my property so the water remains where it can help my homestead.

Hope this counts!

gir bot · Nov 26, 2020 21:39:59

My septic tank was professionally pumped 3 years ago. Being in Washington, and being a conventional gravity system, I am required to file an inspection report every three years, so it is due. I took the Septic 101 and 201 training last week so I could be certified to do my own inspections. With 4 inches of scrum and 6 inches of sludge in the first compartment of the tank, and 0 inches of scrum and 1 inch of sludge in the second compartment, it is not needing to be pumped.

gir bot · Apr 09, 2022 08:20:30

Here is my BB submission.

I honestly found this BB fascinating. This is why SKIP. I thought something like this would be way too complicated for me to do, and I learned about how septic fields worked along the way. I love feeling more confident running a homestead!

So from the stick test, I determined there was roughly 10 inches of sludge on the bottom, 3 feet of effluent, and 10 inches of scum. It has been 4 years since we got out septic tank pumped and and my husband and I agreed, that from my test, we should get it pumped. The fellow let us know that is was actually closer to a foot for the sludge layer on the bottom and that he said we made a good call for time, as he wouldn't have left it much longer himself. He also mention that the microbes where doing well in our tank.

Scrap wood for stick test (I disposed of later)

Yes, I had to unbury our septic tank due to comedy....

Scummy scum scum

Testing

Close up of sludge line

Lid back on

gir bot · Jan 26, 2023 21:14:43

I checked the septic tank status on a property that I recently acquired. It has less than two inches of sludge in it, so it should be good to go for quite a while.

A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. But it did make this tiny ad:

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