140-year old house with a 20-year old septic system. Dirt floor basement with fieldstone foundation laid dry. Whenever we get 2+ inches of rain, the basement floods. There's a slight slope going down from North to South, and a little trench North to South ending in a pipe that goes beneath the South foundation wall to somewhere (never have found the outlet). Also have a pump in case there's a lot of rain. It's not unusual to have several inches down there for a few days.
However, last Spring and this Spring, after the flood waters recede, there's still a trickle coming from under the North foundation, and this water smells like sewage. It's clear, but it reeks.
Last year, the man who installed the tank came out, pumped the tank and cleared the filter at the far end of the tank, and the leak and smell went away. It didn't make sense to me at the time that this should have done anything, so maybe it was a coincidence?
This year, I made sure the filter was all clear, and -- with three kids -- our 1,000 tank would explode if the effluent wasn't getting out. Still a smelly trickle...
I dug up and exposed the pvc pipe leading to the tank, hoping there was a leak there, or where it pierced the tank, but no such luck. It seems, then, that either the pipe to the leech field is leaking, or the leech field is working, but part of the water coming out of the leech field is going downhill into my basement.
The leech field is about 70 feet from the house on the North side. From looking at it, you'd think the house was uphill from the leech field, but the house is perched on boulders, and the flow of water in the basement illustrates that the flow of water is North to South.
Another piece: the pipe to the leech field has dirt piled on top of it (there's a long mound in my backyard over it), presumably because they hit ledge. Would this suggest a nice, stoney highway for leech field effluent to travel toward my basement underground?
Next step is to dye the water going into the leech field, test my well water, and then probably shoot myself in the head.
Could this be simply leech field effluent making it to my basement in times of high water? If so, what's the best way to curb all flooding problems (not just stinky ones)?
It's always flooded; why does it smell now (been there 8 years)?
How far does leech field effluent have to travel through soil in order to become non-poisonous? Even if it wasn't in my basement, that gross water is still going down to the same water table as my well, and all of the wells around here are fairly shallow, and leech fields aren't a quarter mile from wells. Why aren't we all dead, have kids with 11 toes, etc.?
The pipe to the leech field has been driven over. If it was leaking, would it be wet there (it's not)? I'm wondering if I should dig to expose this "outbound" pipe, too.
I've attached a pretty poor drawing. I might take a few photos, if I don't shoot myself first...
However, last Spring and this Spring, after the flood waters recede, there's still a trickle coming from under the North foundation, and this water smells like sewage. It's clear, but it reeks.
Last year, the man who installed the tank came out, pumped the tank and cleared the filter at the far end of the tank, and the leak and smell went away. It didn't make sense to me at the time that this should have done anything, so maybe it was a coincidence?
This year, I made sure the filter was all clear, and -- with three kids -- our 1,000 tank would explode if the effluent wasn't getting out. Still a smelly trickle...
I dug up and exposed the pvc pipe leading to the tank, hoping there was a leak there, or where it pierced the tank, but no such luck. It seems, then, that either the pipe to the leech field is leaking, or the leech field is working, but part of the water coming out of the leech field is going downhill into my basement.
The leech field is about 70 feet from the house on the North side. From looking at it, you'd think the house was uphill from the leech field, but the house is perched on boulders, and the flow of water in the basement illustrates that the flow of water is North to South.
Another piece: the pipe to the leech field has dirt piled on top of it (there's a long mound in my backyard over it), presumably because they hit ledge. Would this suggest a nice, stoney highway for leech field effluent to travel toward my basement underground?
Next step is to dye the water going into the leech field, test my well water, and then probably shoot myself in the head.
Could this be simply leech field effluent making it to my basement in times of high water? If so, what's the best way to curb all flooding problems (not just stinky ones)?
It's always flooded; why does it smell now (been there 8 years)?
How far does leech field effluent have to travel through soil in order to become non-poisonous? Even if it wasn't in my basement, that gross water is still going down to the same water table as my well, and all of the wells around here are fairly shallow, and leech fields aren't a quarter mile from wells. Why aren't we all dead, have kids with 11 toes, etc.?
The pipe to the leech field has been driven over. If it was leaking, would it be wet there (it's not)? I'm wondering if I should dig to expose this "outbound" pipe, too.
I've attached a pretty poor drawing. I might take a few photos, if I don't shoot myself first...
