If you live in a single family home or operate a small business in Carteret County, chances are very good that you have a septic system to receive and partially treat raw domestic sanitary wastewater. Coming from an urban area with a centralized sewage treatment plant, one of my first questions when buying property here in Carteret County was: What is a septic system? More than likely, you have a conventional septic system consisting of a septic tank, a distribution box and a drainfield. The septic tank is a buried, water-tight container usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene. All of the wastewaters from the home should flow into the septic tank. Even waters from the shower, bathtub, and washing machine can contain disease-causing germs or environmental pollutants. As wastewater flows into the tank, the heavier solid materials settle to the bottom (forming a sludge layer), and the lighter greases and fats float to the top (forming a scum layer). The tank’s primary purpose is to retain the solids. After a retention time of about two days, the liquid portion (the sewage effluent) flows out of the tank through the outlet pipe. The retention time is necessary for separation of the solids from the liquid and for anaerobic digestion of the solids to begin in the septic tank. An outlet baffle (or a sanitary tee at the outlet end) prevents solids from flowing out with the liquids. Newer septic systems installed since 1999, however, include an effluent filter in the septic tank. These are installed in place of the sanitary tee at the outlet end of the septic tank.
The liquid wastewater otherwise known as effluent then exits the tank through piping into the distribution box. Other piping, typically 4-inch diameter perforated PVC pipes, discharges the wastewater into the drain field. This piping runs in a shallow trench and is surrounded by gravel or stone or oyster shells, for that matter since Carteret County has more shell than rock. The purpose of the drainfield is to deliver the liquid sewage effluent to the soil. The real treatment of the wastewater occurs in the soil beneath the drainfield. Sewage effluent flows out of the tank as a cloudy liquid that still contains many disease-causing germs and environmental pollutants. Effluent flows into the perforated pipe in the trenches, passes through the holes in the pipe, and then trickles down through the gravel to the soil. Wastewater flows easily through these porous materials as compared to compacted soil, enabling wastewater to disperse into the soil which naturally removes harmful coliform bacteria, viruses and nutrients as the wastewater percolates through the soil, ultimately discharging into the groundwater. The number of lines leaving the distribution box into the field depends partly on the type of soil (how well it perks,) the length of the field (typically 50 feet) and the number of bedrooms. Using this information the Department of Health makes calculations based on two people per bed and per person usage of water.
How do you know that you have a septic system? Here are tell-tale signs that you probably do. First, if you use well water. Second, the water line coming into your home does not have a meter. Third, you see a “$0.00 Sewer Amount Charged” on your water bill or property tax bill. Fourth, your neighbors have septic systems. And, finally, when you purchase property, you should receive detailed information about the septic system along with a map identifying the location of the tank and field from the Environmental Health Division of the Department of Health, provided, of course, the property is of recent vintage and proper permits were pulled when constructing said septic system.
How do you locate your septic system? Once you have determined that you have a septic system, you can find it by looking at the Health Department’s information or your home’s “as built” drawing. You can check your yard for lids and manhole covers. But, in the end, it is best to contact a septic system service provider to help you locate it. After all,you’re going to want to have that provider service the system routinely. Why? You might ask. Well, regular maintenance fees of $250 to $500 every three to five years is a bargain compared to the cost of repairing or replacing a malfunctioning system, which can cost between $3,000 and $7,000 for a conventional system. Alternative systems can cost even more. The frequency of pumping required for each system depends on how many people live in the home and the size of the system.
How do you know if your septic system is malfunctioning? Mind the signs. Call a septic professional immediately if you notice wastewater backing up into your household drains. Bright green, spongy grass on the drainfield, especially during dry weather, may be a sign that your system’s drainfield has become saturated. Pooling water or muddy soil around your drain field is another sign of a saturated drain field. And, you might detect a strong odor around the septic tank and drainfield. Even with the best of maintenance, septic systems do not work forever. Tanks fail at the seams where the two pieces of concrete join. Here, new caulking is required.
Fields saturate which is why every septic system has a repair field. You can expect your septic drain field to last anywhere from 10 to 30 years, depending on the level of care the septic system receives over its lifetime. A septic field can fail in the first year if it was not installed correctly for the slope, soil percolation, ground water, and rock bed that was present at the time of construction. On the other hand, a septic drain field can last for years with no problems if the conditions around the field were assessed when planning for the drain field. But, septic systems are not designed to accommodate grease from cooking, feminine products, and diapers. Large amounts of food from a garbage disposal and excessive washing of clothes can disturb the balance of microorganisms that are beneficial to the system functioning correctly. Heavy use of harsh cleaners such as bleach and ammonia can also cause drain system failure.
How to keep your septic field healthy? Never park cars, boats, motorhomes, or any other vehicle on the drain field. This leads to compaction of the dirt, causing the septic to not drain properly. Inspect the drain field for tree roots that may have worked into the septic tank, causing leaks or obstruction to freely flowing waste. And, finally, know that pipes in the drain field could collapse or fail from other factors, and can cause the field not to drain and that’s where that septic technician’s knowledge comes in. You will want to call a septic expert anytime you think you might have a septic system issue. You want a professional who has experience in diagnosing and repairing septic systems to help you protect this crucial investment. Correcting the problem before the drain field fails can prolong the life of the entire system. An improperly maintained system will fail and cause untreated sewage to completely fill the trenches and come out on top of the ground or back up into the home in its plumbing system. To learn more about septic systems here along the Crystal Coast, go to my website, www.EmeraldIsleHomesforSaleNC.com and sign up for my blog. Ready to buy or sell? Call me at 919-308-2292. Explore the video tab for my weekly uploads to my YouTube channel. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive free donuts at my Flip Flops Donut shop. Text your email address to 919-308-2292 and subscribe to my newsletter. My book, "Live Where You Vacation" is available on Amazon.com.
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