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Septic Tank Location - A Video Guide to Finding the Septic Tank -
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• Septic Tank Location - This Guide to Visual Clues Can Help Anyone Find the Septic Tank
• How to locate the septic tank at a property, as step by step procedure to find any septic tank
• Where to look for the septic tanks, septic tank covers, or septic tank cleanout lids

Septic tank location guide: this document provides suggestions and procedures for finding a septic tank. When the septic tank needs to be pumped, a regular maintenance task, the cost of that service will be less if the property owner found the septic tank location and perhaps even uncovered the septic tank pumping access cover. Other reasons to find the septic tank include inspecting and testing septic systems when buying a home or for safety, to assure that the septic tank cover is in good condition.

The septic video #1 at right describes how we walk a homesite to find the septic tank and drainfield location. More videos on septic system location & maintenance are at SEPTIC VIDEOS.

Also see Find the Septic Tank for an article showing excavation and other methods to find the septic tank at a property.

This article tells us how to locate a septic tank when it's placement is not already known or when the location of the septic tank is not visually obvious. Additional videos after this first one provide more details on how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield See: SEPTIC VIDEOS. Also see Drainfield Location - how to find the leach fields.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Reviewers and content suggestions are welcome and are credited at "References."

This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

VISUAL CLUES LOCATE TANK - Visual Outdoor Clues Can Tell The Septic Tank Location

Here are Visual Clues at that can Locate Septic System Components at a Homesite

• Stones, slates, stakes, or other markers may have been left by a previous building owner to show the location of a septic tank pumpout access cover.
• Pipes sticking up out of the ground, perhaps between 10' and 20' from the home, especially if they are 4" to 6" diameter cast iron or white or black plastic, may mark vents or cleanouts on the waste line between the building and the septic tank, or they may mark the location of the tank itself. Some septic pumping companies install a 6" top 8" "riser" pipe with a cap close to ground level (maybe painted green by the homeowner) which they use as a quick access port to pump the septic tank. It's easy to see if one of these ports is right over the tank, if one removes the pipe cap and peers inside, perhaps with a flashlight. (SAFETY WARNING: do not walk over or near septic tanks where there are signs of impending collapse, such as soil subsidence).
• Electrical boxes sticking up out of the ground might mark the location of electrical connections feeding electrical components used in some septic systems. Examples include septic tanks using effluent pumps to move effluent to an uphill location, pumping chambers using sewage grinder pumps to force sewage to an uphill septic tank and drainfield. A video showing a septic tank with a pumping station and its electrical connections is at Septic 101 part 1: Video on How to find the septic system
• Rectangular depressions of perhaps 4 ft. x 8 ft. On the other hand, on rare occasions there may be a raised rectangular area if soils settled away from the septic tank. This happened at one of our properties because the bottom of the septic tank was sitting on bedrock and after backfill some soils around the tank settled and compacted but the tank didn't move a bit.
• Rectangular areas of less grass growth - if the tank is not buried very deep there is less soil over it
• Areas of more lush grass growth - if the tank is leaking or backing up and spilling effluent around itself
• Depressions in the soil of perhaps 2 sq.ft. that may mark a previous excavation for tank pumping
• Snow melt: in climates where snow falls, areas of melted snow may mark the top of the septic tank (or areas of a failing leach field). A photo of this clue showing drainfield trenches as depressions in the snow can be seen at Visual Clues to Location
• Drawings or sketches of septic tank location are sometimes found in a building's basement or crawl space, sketched on a surface near the point where the main waste pipe exits the building. And of course a thoughtful owner may have left a drawing on paper somewhere for the new owners. An example of a sketch locating septic system components is at Using Septic System Records.
• Wet areas which may indicate a failing drainfield. Also septic odors.
• Pipes ending in streams, lakes, or swamps, or at the edge of a property sometimes mark an overflow drain that was added to cope with a failing septic system. A photo of one of these is at Areas Not Likely

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK
SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY
WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?
FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT
DISTANCE TO TANK
POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS
  VISUAL CLUES LOCATE TANK
  WHERE TO LOOK
  SEPTIC TANK DEPTH
SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT
SEPTIC TANK COVERS
DOCUMENT TANK LOCATION

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Table of Required Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.

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