LOCATING YOUR SEPTIC TANK

In order to provide for easy location and to facilitate regular maintenance, the general contractor should provide the homeowner with a plot plan indicating the location of the septic system. If you cannot locate the system from your own records, you may obtain these records from the appropriate County Health, local city or county Building and safety Departments. If the system is a very old system, there may be nothing of record.

The septic tank may be located by probing with a metal rod, following the pipeline from the house or by listening to the noise a plumber's snake makes when it contacts the tank inlet. Care must be utilized during the probing as it may damage the inlet tees or piping.

Make a water probe may be a great help locating a septic tank. We use them all the time. Get a ½" X 6’ galvanized water pipe, threaded on one end. Purchase a pipe to hose fitting. Turn the water on and sink the probe into the ground. The water will do the digging. Set up a grid pattern and probe every foot or two until you find the tank. Legally, septic tanks can be no closer than 5’ from the house. So begin 6-7’ from the house. The top of a concrete septic tank is about 5’x 8’. Typically, the septic tank is in the front yard. I said TYPICALLY, so don’t be surprised if the systems in the rear yard or under a patio slab, etc. We’ve seen um everywhere. The top of the septic tank is usually 2-4’ beneath the surface.

If you are not having any success, a septic tank contractor can best provide assistance. If there is a present cleanout, we can use electronic locating equipment to find the septic tank.

After locating the tank, it would be a good idea to make a sketch of its location.

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