Imagine a property that’s half woods and half pasture. Creek separates the two. Creek bed is from 1′ to 5′ across and from 1′ to 4′ deep. Creek itself is just a trickle, though if the bed is that depth and width, I imagine it had to get that way somehow. At a few places, tree roots cross the creek.
The obvious place for septic is in the pasture. Pasture slopes away from creek. Deed requires that residence not be built in pasture, but rather, set into the woods. Guess they’re trying to preserve the open spaces. It’s an area of maybe 20 acres with perhaps 4 or 5 homes and they want to keep it with a certain distance between peoples.
So the question is, how would the waste lines get from house to septic? The municipality will be asked in a coupla weeks when the permit is pulled, but figured I’d get a head start on the ideas.
The three ways I can see are going under it (though that might get pretty deep and more expensive), running the pipe across it (though that doesn’t look so good and would be more prone to damage, freezing, etc.), and installing a culvert set low enough that the pipe can run across the top of the culvert and still be covered by ground.
Ever seen similar situation?
Replies
Speaking as a raft guide/kayaker, I would say that a naked pipe would probably be a bad idea, because when the creek floods, and, it will, all sorts of exciting debris can scream downstream, pile onto the pipe and cause the pipe to break.... or it could create something called a stainer, where all the debris is piled on the pipe and no mammals can get past, but water can
The culvert might create the same situation....
having said that, I havent a clue on how to go under, or how to keep the creek from eroding the pipe and creatingmore of a mess...
Cloud - have done this in the past, approved by City/State (AR?MO)/
Trench across creek - 3' below bottom, by 3' wide. 4" concrete bottom and sides. Lay solid sewer pipe across, after concrete is dry.
Fill to top with concrete. Extend concrete casement 3' to either side of creek.
Cal
Strictly in jest, unless it works... what about some horizontal tunneling? Around here you'd need a Corps of Engineers permit to cut across a creek.
I do septic designs with this situation occasionally.
The key is putting in a pump system at the house, and running a force main (pressure pipe) underneath the streambed and back up to a distribution box or manifold. Make sure all your pressure pipe from the pump to the leach field is below the frost line.
Around here, any septic system has to be designed by a prof. engineer or 'site technician' and a stream crossing would require a permit from the State.
Good luck. May be worth consulting with a local engineer.
Jon
What's wrong with the wooded part? Lets see ,, 20 acres divided by 4 or 5 homes equals about 4 to 5 acres each, right? You say creek divides property in two, so thats 2 to 2 1/2 acres pasture plus 2 to 2 1/2 acres wooded, don't you think you can get a house site plus drainfield in wooded 2 acres section, you may be splitting hairs on shoehorning it in there, don't know the required leach field size plus distance from neignbours permitted wells, etc, Wooded section may have excellent soil for septic.
The site has a killer view that proper house placement could take advantage of. In the woods you'd lose the view. Plus you'd be cutting some wonderful 24' dia straight and tall trees.Walked the site with the likely grader/excavator, and he said that the septic would be no problem. The creek is more storm runoff than creek. The slope of the property would obviate the need for pumping, even with the waste pipe cut into the creek bottom. Country will look at it soon enough, and it'll be interesting to see if they agree.The county has a new process that's kinda interesting. Since 1/1/5, need permit for septic and well. They do site visit and locate the drain field. Then they do all the drawings. Then they inspect it before it's covered up. Then they tell where you can/cannot drill for well. Then they inspect the well casing and grout. Then they inspect the installation of the well head. Finally, they test the water. Interesting bit of one-stop shopping.
Now that's your tax dollars at work!