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True Crime Scene Stories: Inspect and Troubleshoot Suspect Onsite Systems
- 1. True Crime Scene Stories: How to Inspect and Troubleshoot Suspect Onsite Systems By Dawn Long American Septic Service, Sierra Vista, AZ
- 3. DISCOVER EVIDENCE 1. Background history 2. Facts 3. Clues
- 4. DUPLICATE EVIDENCE 1. Look up documents: permitting, assessor 2. History: seller, repairs or alteration, maintenance 3. Inspect in the same order ALWAYS in the same order
- 5. DISCLOSE EVERYTHING 1. Preserve all documents 2. Answer all questions or document why you did not 3. Record inspection digitally
- 7. LOCATE
- 10. ACCESS
- 14. DOCUMENT
- 17. SCUM and SLUDGE
- 19. INCOMING SEWAGE
- 20. 1972
- 21. OVERLOAD
- 22. SLUDGE
- 23. SLUDGE OVERLOAD
- 24. TROUBLESHOOTING
- 25. IMPROPER LEVEL
- 26. DON’T BE FOOLED
- 27. SCUM
- 28. NO SCUM
- 30. BAFFLES
- 37. 1950s TANK
- 39. TANKS TALK
- 44. EFFLUENT SCREENS
- 47. ROOTS
- 54. DISPERSAL
Editor's Notes
- History of American Septic Service Assuming that you are here today because you are involved in the sanitation industry. Our industry separates us from Third World countries that do not understand sanitary collection and disposal nor do they have the infrastructure for it. We are responsible for the health of the nation. Hand washing?
- Tanks will bear witness to all forms of abuse from homeowners and contractors, but they must be exhumed first.
- Cover your ass
- Any and all documents, ie
- #2 TOOL
- New deck for the sale of the home.
- Need I say more?
- ACCESS # 3 TOOL
- ACCESS Backwashing. Don’t ever assume, you must be able to see what you are doing.
- Falls under discovery also,
- Discovery. Camera inserted into a 4” inspection port. When I looked at it on the screen, I could not believe my eyes. This was a “new” installation
- Most critical part of installation. Fill voids and compact before backfilling.
- Measure effluent level at the invert of outlet. A higher or lower level is suspicious.
- A 2-inch drop-off is necessary to prevent obstruction and odors.
- Not only do we have irrigation lines, electric also. Does anyone want to tell me about the outlet of this tank? A repair was made on this system and the new delivery line was just shove into the tank. The deteriorated baffle was not replaced, which more than likely had a part in it’s failure. Based on the 36 inches of solids, tank was not pumped either.
- Possibly reasons for? Roots, sludge broken outlet delivery even after years of service.
- Sludge has thicker concentrations at the bottom of the tank and it less concentrated as it moves up to the clarified layer.
- Observe sludge surrounding outlet. Hydraulic loading pushes up the sludge.
- This cleanout is a dead give away that there has been many stoppages. What was the cause?
- 1. Recently pumped 2. Pumped, liquid removed only (Scum is on bottom) 3. No outlet baffle (allows scum to pass into dispersal area) 4. Good use (organic consumption rate in the tank exceeds the input)
- Solids and nondigestibles moving into the field without baffle.
- Inlet, no T baffle
- Level has to rise 4 inches to leave tank.
- Outlet of tank, late 1990s precast. Hydrogen sulfide is not new, just a new awareness of it because of education on proper access for inspection and maintenance.
- HS concentrated at the outlet
- Inside of the 1950s tank
- What is this photo telling you? Exposed rebar, already tank’s integrity is compromised, tank is out of level , static water line, no maintenance.
- When you see this you know you have the following:
- Damaged before first flush. Dipped delivery
- Crimped
- Severed, exfiltration
- Plugged, Inlet blocked, Pump to invert of outlet before pulling filter, Sewage standing under the structure, flows as you pump down the overload.
- A word about roots. If you cannot remove roots as a result of inspection, you must disclose and recommend further evaluation.s
- A word about roots
- Cracks on the outside.
- Wanted to see the outside of the tank to prove to myself, tiny cracks.
- Billowing of concrete, level d-box, properly installed allows for equal flow. It is the soil that determines the absorption rate, never found any fields with same measurement of effluent. Speed levelers can be an asset if you want to prevent one or more fields from receiving effluent, allowing those fields to rest.
- Effluent is disposed in a mine shaft, hillside is solid rock, this is why tank is on the surface.
- Thank you. 4 states POS, municipalities, cities, counties. Forms on website, research paper on POS, and other articles that will help you in your inspection and trouble shooting of onsites.