does anyone here have a septic tank and garden in the same yard?
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septic tank and garden
- Thread starter thismembername
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i have a septic tank and a disposal field. my garden is right over the disposal field.
no problem at all.
no problem at all.
my garden is I guess what one would consider "near" what i think is the drain field ( I havent verified its location), didn't know if anyone had any thoughts or comments on this in regards to saftey or other concerns i should look into
Ah! Finally a subject I know something about:O)
I am an inspector, and frequently encounter gardens on drainfields.
Generally they are not recommended, although I've not had anyone tell me they got sick from it.
Leafy vegetables are more of a problem than fruiting vegetables, but if your drainfield is shallow you are probably pulling
up something.
Septic tank no problem. "Near" the drainfield is fine as long as it's not blowing out.
Depending on the install depth, planting directly on the drainfield can have it's drawbacks.
Wastewater has to be disposed of in a appropriate area because it is contaminated.
Nasty things like viruses and heavy metals can survive the trip through the septic tank.
Humans, being at the top of the food chain, tend to accumulate heavy metals.
Another potential problem is running a tiller over the field. If it's shallow placed, you could end up doing
thousands of dollars worth of damage to the lines, even ruin the field.
If it's deep (more than 3'), you are probably pretty safe all the way around.
Your local health department should be able to tell you exactly where and how deep it is....if it was installed legally.
I am an inspector, and frequently encounter gardens on drainfields.
Generally they are not recommended, although I've not had anyone tell me they got sick from it.
Leafy vegetables are more of a problem than fruiting vegetables, but if your drainfield is shallow you are probably pulling
up something.
Septic tank no problem. "Near" the drainfield is fine as long as it's not blowing out.
Depending on the install depth, planting directly on the drainfield can have it's drawbacks.
Wastewater has to be disposed of in a appropriate area because it is contaminated.
Nasty things like viruses and heavy metals can survive the trip through the septic tank.
Humans, being at the top of the food chain, tend to accumulate heavy metals.
Another potential problem is running a tiller over the field. If it's shallow placed, you could end up doing
thousands of dollars worth of damage to the lines, even ruin the field.
If it's deep (more than 3'), you are probably pretty safe all the way around.
Your local health department should be able to tell you exactly where and how deep it is....if it was installed legally.
called the health dept, they dont have the documents for my property 
I know where the tank itself is as I just had it serviced recently, but the lines im unsure of. I did till the dirt and I did not hit any PVC lines, sandy sludge, or rock. My soil is all clay, its listed on my county property details as "sandy clay loam".
My garden is also right next to a huge tree, which roots were all throughout the garden. I would guess that the garden is around 100 feet from the tank itself. Im not sure how long the drain lines would be, but if they go straight from the tank itself and are around 60-100 feet long, then the far right hand corner of my garden is probably around 10-25 feet from the lines.
I know where the tank itself is as I just had it serviced recently, but the lines im unsure of. I did till the dirt and I did not hit any PVC lines, sandy sludge, or rock. My soil is all clay, its listed on my county property details as "sandy clay loam".
My garden is also right next to a huge tree, which roots were all throughout the garden. I would guess that the garden is around 100 feet from the tank itself. Im not sure how long the drain lines would be, but if they go straight from the tank itself and are around 60-100 feet long, then the far right hand corner of my garden is probably around 10-25 feet from the lines.
build a RAISED BED (1 feet high walls) over and put a geotextile in the bottom of the raised bed, cover with soil and you dant have to worry!
yeah, a little to late now for this year. I will probably just move the garden next year.
to be honest I cant really even tell were the lines are, there is no soft or wet spots and not a big difference in the grass in diff areas. I would guess that im ok for this year
to be honest I cant really even tell were the lines are, there is no soft or wet spots and not a big difference in the grass in diff areas. I would guess that im ok for this year
Septic tanks are fine to plant over, gardens, lawn, raised beds, etc. I wouldn't plant trees on top of them tho. lol
Drain Fields on the other hand are not to be tampered with. Despite popular belief that the water seeps down into the soil, Drain Fields rely on evaporation. Depending on your specific location, and what type of Drain Field you have, (Gravity, Pressure, Sand Filter, etc.) A certain amount of the liquid does "seep" back into the ground, but at least half of it evaporates, meaning, it evacuates up through the soil, and returns to the atmosphere as a gas. Nothing should be planted on top of the Drain Field. Watering your Drain Field is a no-no. It won't cause your system to fail, but it will slow down the elimination process. Also, you should not drive a car, walk horses or cows (especially elephants) over your Drain Field.
Drain Fields on the other hand are not to be tampered with. Despite popular belief that the water seeps down into the soil, Drain Fields rely on evaporation. Depending on your specific location, and what type of Drain Field you have, (Gravity, Pressure, Sand Filter, etc.) A certain amount of the liquid does "seep" back into the ground, but at least half of it evaporates, meaning, it evacuates up through the soil, and returns to the atmosphere as a gas. Nothing should be planted on top of the Drain Field. Watering your Drain Field is a no-no. It won't cause your system to fail, but it will slow down the elimination process. Also, you should not drive a car, walk horses or cows (especially elephants) over your Drain Field.
any idea on what i should do now? i have over 100 plants slightly to the left of the drain lines that are baring fruit and ready to harvest
thismembername said:
Whatever you do, DON'T DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT!!!!!
You will be fine. Millions of Drain Fields have lawns, gardens, etc. on top of them. I was only speaking of the technicalities of Drain Fields. "Technically, you shouldn't do this..." The worst thing you could do to your DF is cover it with visqueen (plastic sheeting). As an extreme example of what NOT to do. The other extreme example of what TO DO is not plant anything on it and no water whatsoever. That almost never happens because people don't want to let weeds grow, or look at unsightly dirt etc. I am a General Contractor, so I am only telling you what the "rules" are.
Your plants and pods should be safe for eating as long as your DF isn't to shallow, and they aren't directly on top of the lines. I would seriously doubt that your lines are 100 feet long. 2 maybe 3 lines 50 feet long would be more of an accurate guess. Do you know how old your system is? Or how old your house is and if it is the original Septic System? No red flags are going up for me, so I am confident that you will have no issues. If you quit posting in a couple weeks after eating your pods, we'll know I was wrong about this. lol
Do you know what type of DF you have?
thanks for all the replies.
the house is about 25 years old, the tank has been here the entire time. I had the tank serviced about 1 yr ago (pumped and refilled with clean water to wash it out or whatever). The tank itself is not in the best shape as the top of the tank is deteriorating, but it has not collapsed and is not leaking to the best of my knowledge. The tank was never serviced by the prior owners.
I cant really tell where the lines are exactly, and the health department had no records of the tank being installed. I also dont know what type of drain field i have
ive never noticed any wet or soggy spots in the yard. besides bacteria and virus's im somewhat concerned about heavy metals, stuff from cleaning, stuff going down the sink etc.
the house is about 25 years old, the tank has been here the entire time. I had the tank serviced about 1 yr ago (pumped and refilled with clean water to wash it out or whatever). The tank itself is not in the best shape as the top of the tank is deteriorating, but it has not collapsed and is not leaking to the best of my knowledge. The tank was never serviced by the prior owners.
I cant really tell where the lines are exactly, and the health department had no records of the tank being installed. I also dont know what type of drain field i have
ive never noticed any wet or soggy spots in the yard. besides bacteria and virus's im somewhat concerned about heavy metals, stuff from cleaning, stuff going down the sink etc.
Is there a pump in one of the chambers of your tank?
(it would require a designated breaker in your electrical service panel).
I am thinking, (given the age) it is a gravity system (no pump), with 2-3, 4" perforated lines 50 feet long.
One way to test this, is to not water anything around the area until it all turns brown. if there is lawn on top of the DF, it will stay green or, be the last area to turn brown (back to the evaporation). I have seen DF's where directly above each line, was 6" tall lush green grass was growing and everything around was dried up and dead.
As far as the heavy metals, 90% of them stay in the tank itself, (they are metal, and they are heavy lol) they settle in the first chamber of the tank and stay there. It sounds to me like your plants are far enough away from the DF to not be of much concern. Can you post a picture of your back yard set up? Like, where your plants are, and where you suspect the DF is? I really am not concerned for you, you would really need to root your plants in raw sewage to collect harmful minerals, or bacteria in your pods.
P.S. How big is your house? 2, 3, 4 bedroom? How many bathrooms?
(it would require a designated breaker in your electrical service panel).
I am thinking, (given the age) it is a gravity system (no pump), with 2-3, 4" perforated lines 50 feet long.
One way to test this, is to not water anything around the area until it all turns brown. if there is lawn on top of the DF, it will stay green or, be the last area to turn brown (back to the evaporation). I have seen DF's where directly above each line, was 6" tall lush green grass was growing and everything around was dried up and dead.
As far as the heavy metals, 90% of them stay in the tank itself, (they are metal, and they are heavy lol) they settle in the first chamber of the tank and stay there. It sounds to me like your plants are far enough away from the DF to not be of much concern. Can you post a picture of your back yard set up? Like, where your plants are, and where you suspect the DF is? I really am not concerned for you, you would really need to root your plants in raw sewage to collect harmful minerals, or bacteria in your pods.
P.S. How big is your house? 2, 3, 4 bedroom? How many bathrooms?
yeah i'll post some pics later today
there is no pump so it probably is the gravity like you said.
2 bed 2 bath
there is no pump so it probably is the gravity like you said.
2 bed 2 bath
ok so the distance is a lot less than i thought, its about 40 feet from the tank itself, and then around 16 feet to the left of the middle of the concrete tank. I hope that makes sense.
from the tank its 40 feet down, and 16 feet to the right of the middle of the tank.
these are the two man holes.
here is from the end of the tank 25 feet down with a tape measure
and about another 16 feet down
now from the middle of the tank to the edge of the garden, about 16 more feet to the left
when someone replys i will post more pics
from the tank its 40 feet down, and 16 feet to the right of the middle of the tank.
these are the two man holes.
here is from the end of the tank 25 feet down with a tape measure
and about another 16 feet down
now from the middle of the tank to the edge of the garden, about 16 more feet to the left
when someone replys i will post more pics
millworkman
Extreme Member
reply
its been raining to much to weed
ahh.
You have a beautiful yard!
The first pic shows the "manholes" which are access lids to your septic tanks. It appears that the tank(s) (Some tanks are one unit with two chambers, both chambers have their own lids. Newer codes here are requiring 4 chambers in two seperate tanks.) is about 10-15 feet from the house, typical. From there the Drain Fieild heads out towards that big'ol tree, about 40 feet? also typical. You have no worries my friend, your garden is plenty distance from the DF. The waste that comes out of the tank into the DF is 98% water. The bacteria in the tanks eat most of the contaminents, and the solids like, heavy metals settle on the bottom.
You are good to go with your garden! Just don't plant tubers on top of the DF, lol
You have a beautiful yard!
The first pic shows the "manholes" which are access lids to your septic tanks. It appears that the tank(s) (Some tanks are one unit with two chambers, both chambers have their own lids. Newer codes here are requiring 4 chambers in two seperate tanks.) is about 10-15 feet from the house, typical. From there the Drain Fieild heads out towards that big'ol tree, about 40 feet? also typical. You have no worries my friend, your garden is plenty distance from the DF. The waste that comes out of the tank into the DF is 98% water. The bacteria in the tanks eat most of the contaminents, and the solids like, heavy metals settle on the bottom.
You are good to go with your garden! Just don't plant tubers on top of the DF, lol
salsalady
Business Member
and don't plant a willow-type trees on the drainfield!
Cottonwoods, willows etc are water-sucking trees. They will get roots into the drain lines and plug 'em up...
The only thing I might add is-
the septic tank is just that...a tank in the ground. It does not leach water or anything. You can plant on top of it, but your plants will not be getting any water from the tank. I'd not suggest planting a tree on top of the septic tank as sometimes the tank "fails" (cracks in an earthquake, default in manufacturing, etc) and when the septic tank "fails", it will have to be dug up with an excavator. That is why I suggest not planting anything on top of the tank that you wouldn't mind digging up to fix the tank.
The drain field is usually some parallel runs of clay tiles in old systems or perforated PVC pipes in new systems. Willow-type trees have very invasive roots. They will completely clog all the holes and tiles in a drain line.
As far as food safety planting above a drain line? As far as I know (I'm not an expert...just been around the trades for a while...) ...
-in a properly working septic system, human waste gets flushed from the toilet into the septic tank
-inside the tank, microbes live and thrive on the "food" that gets flushed to them on a regular basis
-The microbes digest the human waste and eliminate sediment that collects in the bottom of the tank. Over the years, the eliminated sediment builds up as a layer of dead material in the bottom of the septic tank and periodic cleaning of that dead material is required to keep it from building up to the point of the tank stopping working.
What's left after the microbes eat the stuff is water that flows out through the exit lines of the tank system into the drain field.
If the tank and drain field are working properly, there is no risk of contamination or pollution to vegetables grown on top of the drain field.
once again...I'm not an expert and probably just re-stating what SD said. Scoville detailed it pretty good.
Cottonwoods, willows etc are water-sucking trees. They will get roots into the drain lines and plug 'em up...
The only thing I might add is-
the septic tank is just that...a tank in the ground. It does not leach water or anything. You can plant on top of it, but your plants will not be getting any water from the tank. I'd not suggest planting a tree on top of the septic tank as sometimes the tank "fails" (cracks in an earthquake, default in manufacturing, etc) and when the septic tank "fails", it will have to be dug up with an excavator. That is why I suggest not planting anything on top of the tank that you wouldn't mind digging up to fix the tank.
The drain field is usually some parallel runs of clay tiles in old systems or perforated PVC pipes in new systems. Willow-type trees have very invasive roots. They will completely clog all the holes and tiles in a drain line.
As far as food safety planting above a drain line? As far as I know (I'm not an expert...just been around the trades for a while...) ...
-in a properly working septic system, human waste gets flushed from the toilet into the septic tank
-inside the tank, microbes live and thrive on the "food" that gets flushed to them on a regular basis
-The microbes digest the human waste and eliminate sediment that collects in the bottom of the tank. Over the years, the eliminated sediment builds up as a layer of dead material in the bottom of the septic tank and periodic cleaning of that dead material is required to keep it from building up to the point of the tank stopping working.
What's left after the microbes eat the stuff is water that flows out through the exit lines of the tank system into the drain field.
If the tank and drain field are working properly, there is no risk of contamination or pollution to vegetables grown on top of the drain field.
once again...I'm not an expert and probably just re-stating what SD said. Scoville detailed it pretty good.
Very informative stuff for someone with a drain field! If its a newer house with the PVC design, how close to the drainage area can you safely plant?