Sewers

Problem with Septic System - Saturation?

So I'm interested in buying a home and we had a septic inspection and they said the absorption feild was saturated and there was water within the first two inches of gravel. also the conveyence pipe leading to the distribution box was flooded just a few feet from the tank. The system is only 4 years old so the owners contacted the contractor who installed it and they said that it is ok and normal for the area to be so wet. Who should I believe? Is it ok to buy the home?

Public Comments

1. Call the local health department and inquire about their requirements. If the system is below code, require the owner to bring it up to code or lower the price enough that you can have it done before closing.
2. if they said it was a problem and there hasn't been a whole lot of rain believe the inspection people septic problems can cost a small fortune trust me getting one pumped out around here is about $170 replacing on would be a lot more
3. Jim W has a good answer. I can also add that the problem with saturation sometimes is caused by the access to the septic tank. If ground water seeps into the tank(beyond the baffle) it will disturb the (Formenting crust) and it will leech it into the absorption field pipes, thus filling them with unpurified waste intead of sewer water. Have them inspect if that access has a proper seal to the tank itseft. Roof pitch(and lots of it) does a good job
4. You should read this months Mother earth news..there is a good article about septic systems. Unless you are getting a real deal on this home ...I would have to let it go. There is an Insurance policy that can be purchased for you home.Covers many items. Ask your agent to get you a copy of what the policy covers....good luck
5. Of course the contractor said it's OK. It is not normal. You need to have it inspected by a certified engineer. That is who designs them in the first place. Some time during installation if the contactor is green or sends his guys to do the job they will accidently shift the distribution boxes. This may cause all of the lines before that "D" box to overflow or reach 100% saturation. Unfortunatley I have seen that most new septic systems that don't work are due to inexperience and being cheap with the gravel. They are also usually designed way larger than they need to be and my engineer inspects and signs off on mine personally. So ask around for an engineer or call your local health dept. for their recommendation on who to contact.
6. doesn't sound good to me. It could be design related though and not the contractor's fault, but it doesn't sound good. Have a septic system designer evaluate it...maybe it was not installed or designed conservatively enough. If you like the house, before you make an offer allocate enough cash to replace the field and make sure there's a good reserve area for just that purpose...preferably in another location so you can still use the old area after its rested for a couple of years. The current owners could have ruined the bed by dumping to much grease and fats into the system or by not pumping out the tank regularly enough...if there's a bunch of kids in that house that can be a problem.