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How to Find the Precise Location of Septic Drainfield Piping InspectAPedia®  -          How to find the septic drainfield or leach field precisely using measurements & tools Septic tank finder tools Septic piping finding or locating tools - transmitters, wires, scopes Septic drainfield finding tools A Guide to Tools & Methods to locate septic components precisely Questions & answers about accurately locating the septic system drdainfield pipes and trenches

Septic drainfield location: how to probe pipes and make measurements to make a precise location of septic drainfield components.

This article series and our accompanying septic system location videos explains how to find the precise leach field or drainfield portion of a septic system. We include sketches and photos that help you learn what to look for, and we describe several methods useful for finding buried drainfield components. (Septic drain fields are also called soil absorption systems or seepage beds.) Also see How to Find the Septic Tank. A septic pumping system will be needed. More videos on septic system location & maintenance are at SEPTIC VIDEOS.

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. Technical reviewers and content suggestions are welcome and are credited at "References."

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

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

Guide to Finding Septic Drainfields - Part 6

How to Use Special Equipment to Locate Unknown Drainfield Piping Location Precisely

At the end of the day, if you must locate an exact leach field trench and if there are absolutely no visual clues, then

• Start at the septic tank: find the tank outlet use a plumbing snake either to:
  
  
• Measure distance to the next obstruction (likely to be the D-Box - see our Distribution Box article) which places it along a known arc of distance from the point where the snake was inserted
  
  
• Use an electronic snake system (call a plumber) which puts an electronic signal in the plumbing snake and which permits an above ground tracing of the precise path the snake has taken underground
  
  
• After locating the D-box (if there is one), open it to see how many individual leach lines leave the box, and uses the same process as above to find them.
  

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Questions & answers about accurately locating the septic system drdainfield pipes and trenches

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• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

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.

SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION
  DRAINFIELD PIPE LOCATION, PRECISE
  EXCAVATE to LOCATE DRAINFIELD
  REASONS to FIND THE DRAINFIELD
  RECORDS to LOCATE the DRAINFIELD
  SURPRISING DRAINFIELD LOCATIONS
  UNLIKELY DRAINFIELD LOCATIONS
  VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the DRAINFIELD
  VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK

• Percolation Testing Manual, CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, Gualo Rai, Saipan provides an excellent English Language manual guide for soil percolation testing. Original source: www.deq.gov.mp/artdoc/Sec6art108ID255.pdf
• Soil Test Pit Preparation, fact sheet, Oregon DEQ Department of Environmental Quality, original source www.deq.state.or.us/wq/pubs/factsheets/onsite/testpitprep.pdf The Oregon DEQ onsite water quality program can be contacted at 811 South Ave, Portland OR 97204, 800-452-4011 or see http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ/
• Thanks to reader Michael Roth for technical link editing 6/29/09.
• Septic Tank/Soil-Absorption Systems: How to Operate & Maintain [ copy on file as /septic/Septic_Operation_USDA.pdf ] - , Equipment Tips, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 8271 1302, 7100 Engineering, 2300 Recreation, September 1982, web search 08/28/2010, original source: http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfimage/82711302.pdf.
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
  • Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
  • Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.
    
    
• Guides for Finding Septic System Components

  SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND
  SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY
  WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?
  FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT
  DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK
  POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS
    VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK
    WHERE TO LOOK for the SEPTIC TANK
    SEPTIC TANK DEPTH
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATION SKETCH
  
  SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Inspecting Septic Systems: Online Book, Inspection, Test, Diagnosis, Repair, & Maintenance: our Online Septic Book: Septic Testing, Loading & Dye Tests, Septic Tank Pumping, Clearances, details of onsite waste disposal system inspection, testing, repair procedures.


• Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies, Anish R. Jantrania, Mark A. Gross. Anish Jantrania, Ph.D., P.E., M.B.A., is a Consulting Engineer, in Mechanicsville VA, 804-550-0389 (2006), Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies. Outstanding technical reference especially on alternative septic system design alternatives. Written for designers and engineers, this book is not at all easy going for homeowners but is a text we recommend for professionals--DF.
• Builder's Guide to Wells and Septic Systems, Woodson, R. Dodge: $ 24.95; MCGRAW HILL B; TP; Quoting from Amazon's description: For the homebuilder, one mistake in estimating or installing wells and septic systems can cost thousands of dollars. This comprehensive guide filled with case studies can prevent that. Master plumber R. Dodge Woodson packs this reader-friendly guide with guidance and information, including details on new techniques and materials that can economize and expedite jobs and advice on how to avoid mistakes in both estimating and construction. Chapters cover virtually every aspect of wells and septic systems, including on-site evaluations; site limitations; bidding; soil studies, septic designs, and code-related issues; drilled and dug wells, gravel and pipe, chamber-type, and gravity septic systems; pump stations; common problems with well installation; and remedies for poor septic situations. Woodson also discusses ways to increase profits by avoiding cost overruns.
• Country Plumbing: Living with a Septic System, Hartigan, Gerry: $ 9.95; ALAN C HOOD & TP; Quoting an Amazon reviewer's comment, with which we agree--DF:This book is informative as far as it goes and might be most useful for someone with an older system. But it was written in the early 1980s. A lot has changed since then. In particular, the book doesn't cover any of the newer systems that are used more and more nowadays in some parts of the country -- sand mounds, aeration systems, lagoons, etc.