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One part of the field wet, the rest dry.

A licensed septic installer should open boxes, run pressure tests and survey trenches.

Customers put it like this

  • only one side of the field is wet
  • water at one end of the trench
  • mound is wet at the low end
  • drip field is soggy in one spot
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Stop first if

  • A trench is deep or its walls look unstable.Stop and keep everyone out. Call a licensed installer.
  • Effluent is on the surface.Keep people, pets and vehicles away. Call the installer or health department.
  • Anyone is about to enter a tank, basin or box.Stop. Nobody goes in. All work stays at the surface.
01

Ask on the call

5

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Is this a gravity, pressure, mound or drip system?
  2. Which end or trench is wet, and is it the uphill one?
  3. How old is the system?
  4. Has anything driven or parked over the field?
  5. Do you have the as-built or start-up records?
02

Bring

5
  • Measuring stick for observation ports
  • Survey level or laser for a licensed installer
  • Field marking flags
  • Gloves and eye protection
  • Flashlight
03

Check on site

6
  1. Pull the as-built for distribution type, trench layout and start-up records.
  2. Walk the field and map wetness against trenches and lateral elevations.
  3. A technician opens boxes or ports and records which trenches carry flow.
  4. On pressure systems, a licensed installer runs a drawdown test and reads residual head.
  5. Open flush valves and note what comes out.
  6. Have a licensed installer survey trench bottoms if level is in doubt.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Map of wet areas against trenches
  • Which trenches carry flow
  • Drawdown and residual head readings
  • Photos of boxes and flush water

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.