Investing in new septic drainage chambers

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wambs

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Our house is 7 years old and recently we had a leak of odorous liquid "bubbling" into our yard (we had our system pumped three years ago). Our septic company (friends of ours) came out, pumped the tank and said that when the house was built not enough collection chambers were installed (apparently we have four rows of 50 feet of chambers); that our soil was saturated, which is what is causing the leakeage into the yard. The lines are clear, no clogs or sludge. We were told that we need some more feet of drainage chambers to sponge up the liquid that is now going into the yard. We have five people in our house-two parents and three teenagers.
I just wanted a second opinion-not that we don't trust our friend but want to make sure we understand what is needed. Will the extra chambers solve our problem?
Thanks for your expert opinion!
Liz from Georgia
 

Redwood

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Drainage is site specific depending on the drainage characteristics of the soil in your yard where the fields are located.
It certainly sounds like you don't have enough and I would be inclined to believe your on-site experts opinion...
 

wambs

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thanks

Thanks, Redwood- I have a feeling there isn't enough of an area of soil, plus there may be some Georgia red clay down there, which doesn't absorb well.
:)
Liz
 

Redwood

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Thanks, Redwood- I have a feeling there isn't enough of an area of soil, plus there may be some Georgia red clay down there, which doesn't absorb well.
:)
Liz

My thoughts exactly!
Inquire with them about the possibility of installing a second field and using the fields in an alternating fashion.
Without use the existing field will rejuvenate itself be able to be used again.
Alternating fields will leave you set for life in most cases....
Just switch then every year.
 

hj

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If your friend actually used the term "septic chambers", then I would have a problem with him, since the septic "chambers" are in the tank itself and are not really "chambers". If the soil is "saturated", it is probably NOT because of the tank, and if that is the case, additional "chambers" will not help because the soil will still be saturated around the new ones. Unless the ground around the tank is lower than your house, and usually it would have to be a LOT lower, the water from the tank cannot come to the surface.
 

hj

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Everywhere I have been, they were called "leach fields" or, as most are here, "cesspools". NEVER an effluent chamber. But in any case, if the ground is saturated, you can install a hundred "chambers" and it will not work one bit better, since the saturated ground water will "backup" into the "chambers" and flood them.
 
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