Anti-Septic (Not)

 Our home will have a septic tank. No big deal, right. Well, we're learning that there are a few things you can't do with septics. You should not:

• Pour fat, oil or grease down the drains
• Put paints, solvents or motor oils down the drains
• Dispose of garden chemicals and pesticides into the septic tank
• Use the toilet or kitchen sink as a rubbish bin

OK then. No problem. 

Have you ever wondered what a septic tank looks like? Well, so do I. I don't have the whole picture, but here's what the drain field elements look like (at least for our system):

Here's a pic of the neighboring lot where the tubes have been installed:

Septic field as demonstrated by our friend Ted Axton

Each of these items is a single black perforated pipe surrounded by one inch pellets of foam. Cool eh? They are also lightweight. We had a windy couple days this week and these things blew all over the place!

No tank yet, But I'll update this post as we get more info. 

Our construction manager told us that there are several different systems that they use, depending on the soil and topography of the site. In our case, the soil supports a simple system, with a tank and drain field. 

Some of the other houses in our little 20 acre neighborhood have more complex systems. Some are due to topography and others are due to soil. 

Interestingly, septics are a key element in completing the house because the county health department needs to complete an inspection of both the well and the septic, including samples and test data. This can take 3 weeks or more so it's important to start the process as soon as possible. I expect to see our septic go in next week.