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How to Find The Septic Tank - step by step how to locate septic tanks for inspection or septic tank pumping
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• How to locate the septic tank at a property, a detailed, step by step procedure to find the septic tank, distribution box, and leach field
• Start by asking people who may know the septic tank location; septic search safety warnings;
• We continue with details of where to look for the septic tanks, septic tank covers, or septic tank cleanout lids
• How to document the septic tank location

Septic tank location guide: this document provides suggestions and procedures for finding a septic tank. This very detailed article, SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND, in a series of articles (see links at page left or below) tells 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.

We also provide a separate photo-guide to finding the septic tank - see Find the Septic Tank - a Photo Guide. Also see SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION - how to find the leach fields. Videos showing how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield are at SEPTIC VIDEOS.

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.

If you don't know whether your property even has a septic tank, your building could be connected to a municipal sewer main. To figure this out, see Septic or Sewer Connection?

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 article is part of our series: 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.

Safety Warnings for People Looking for the Septic Tank

Septic System Warnings: Here are a few conditions that may be confusing or dangerous and which you should keep in mind:

• Beware of old, collapsing septic systems: falling into a cesspool or septic tank is likely to be fatal. Watch out for evidence of subsidence or sinking soil, rusted-through steel septic tank covers, home-made wooden or flimsy tank covers, or home made cesspools and drywells which risk collapse. Dig or probe with great care and do not work alone. More guidance about safety when working on or around septic systems can be read at Septic & Cesspool Safety Procedures. [Thanks to Donica Ben for reminding us that there are other potential hazards such as striking a buried electrical wire.
  
  
• Multiple main drains?: At a large property or a property with plumbing fixtures at widely separated portions of a building, the builder may have constructed more than one septic system, or waste lines could leave the building from more than one location even if they go to the same septic system.
  
  This would be uncommon in a modern home. But at a property which has been expanded, say to add an apartment at a far end from where all of the other building plumbing exists, this is a possibility to keep in mind. Consider the age of the building, the complexity of its layout, and the history of additions of baths or kitchens at widely separated areas as a clue suggesting that more than one septic system or waste line may be present.
  
  
• Separate drywells?: On properties which have septic drain fields (absorption systems) of limited capacity to absorb wastewater, or for reasons of simple convenience in running drain lines, the building gray water from laundry or even sinks and showers may be connected to a separate drywell which is not part of the main septic system.
  
  In the photo above showing a washing machine in the foreground and the main house waste line in the basement left corner in the background, you might wonder if the washer is connected to a separate drywell. The washing machine in the photo is obviously below the level at which the main drain leaves the house in the distance. What simplifies finding the septic tank in the case of this photo is that there is only one large diameter waste drain leaving the house.
  
  
• Main drains are bigger: The main house drain lines will be comparatively large in diameter, a minimum of 4" (obsolete) and possibly 6" in diameter. Individual sink or shower drains may be 1.5" or 2" in diameter. So if you can see exposed plumbing, just find the area below a building toilet and follow that drain. Toilets must be connected to a septic system, even if other building fixtures connect to a separate drywell. Right now we're looking for the septic tank, not a drywell.

Ask Those Who May Already Know the Septic Tank Location

ASK THE PRIOR OWNER - The Building's Most Recent Owner May Know the Septic Tank Location

When the location of a septic tank is not visually obvious (see VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK), ask the building's most-recent owner the location of the septic tank. But beware, people can be mistaken, or may have forgotten, or may have never known where their septic tank is buried.

When a building owner does not know where the septic tank is located that is itself useful information. In that case, if we know how long the owner has been in the building, we know it has probably been been at least that long since the septic tank was last pumped.

When a septic tank has not been pumped on schedule (see SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE) then even before inspecting the system we must be more pessimistic about the condition of the system and in particular, about the remaining life of the drainfield.

ASK LOCAL SEPTIC TANK PUMPING COMPANIES - Local Septic Service Companies May Know a Septic Tank Location

In addition to asking building owners, if the age of the home means that the septic system has been present for four years or more, it is possible that even though a current owner may not know the septic tank location, a local septic pumping company might.

It's worth a call to each local septic pumper to ask if they've serviced the property. WARNING: don't rush to let a service company or local excavator come out to dig up the yard - it may not be necessary and it may involve unnecessary costs.

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Technical Reviewers & References

• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman - Publisher & Editor.
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also list books on the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
• 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.

• Thanks to Donica Ben who points out the danger of digging into buried electrical wires (11/11/07) as we discuss further at Septic & Cesspool Safety Procedures

For complete details on how to find a septic tank or drainfield, see these full text articles and videos

• Septic Tank Location - Detailed Step by Step Procedure Explaining Exactly How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location. The steps in this article include
  • SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND detailed article (starts on the page you are presently viewing)
  • Find the Septic Tank - a Photo Guide photos and text help show where to look for the septic tank. Also see our Septic Locator Video Guides
  • SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY - important safety warnings for people about to dig up or pump a septic tank
  • WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION? - who should you ask about septic tank or drainfield location?
  • FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT - start finding the septic tank by finding where the waste line exits the building
  • DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK - what are the clearance distances required between a septic tank and other things?
  • POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS - finding a septic tank includes ruling in and out where it might be
  •   VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK - what can we see that tells us septic tank location
  •   WHERE TO LOOK for the SEPTIC TANK - what are the reasonable locations where we could look for a septic tank
  •   SEPTIC TANK DEPTH - how deep might the septic tank be buried anyway?
  • SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT - plumbing snakes, electronic pipe tracing equipment, etc.
  • SEPTIC TANK COVERS - important safety concerns
  • SEPTIC TANK LOCATION SKETCH - how to make a sketch showing a septic tank, D-box, or drainfield location
  • SEPTIC VIDEOS walking a building site we show where septic components are likely to be and where they are almost certainly not going to be found
    
    
• SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION - a detailed procedure on how to find the septic drain field or leaching bed.
• Table of recommended distances from the septic tank or drainfield to other site features, buildings, lakes etc.
• SEPTIC VIDEOS - our videos show how to walk a homesite to find where septic components are likely to be and where they should not be found.

• 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
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• 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.
• Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• 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.)
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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.
• AEROBIC SEPTIC SYSTEMS
• 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.

Design Manuals for Septic Systems

• US EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manua [online copy, free] Top Reference: US EPA's Design Manual for Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal, 1980, available from the US EPA, the US GPO Superintendent of Documents (Pueblo CO), and from the National Small Flows Clearinghouse. Original source http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/625R00008/625R00008.htm Onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems, Richard J Otis, published by the US EPA. Although it's more than 20 years old, this book remains a useful reference for septic system designers. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Program Operations; Office of Research and Development, Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory; (1980)
• Eco John® Innovative Toilet Solutions, Global Inventive Industries, Fountain Valley CA, PDF, product brochure
• "International Private Sewage Disposal Code," 1995, BOCA-708-799-2300, ICBO-310-699-0541, SBCCI 205-591-1853, available from those code associations.
• "Manual of Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines for Onsite Sewage Systems," Ontario Reg. 374/81, Part VII of the Environmental Protection Act (Canada), ISBN 0-7743-7303-2, Ministry of the Environment,135 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto Ontario M4V 1P5 Canada $24. CDN.
• Manual of Septic Tank Practice, US Public Health Service's 1959.
  

Onsite Wastewater Disposal Books

• Onsite Wastewater Disposal, R. J. Perkins; Quoting from Amazon: This practical book, co-published with the National Environmental Health Association, describes the step-by-step procedures needed to avoid common pitfalls in septic system technology. Valuable in matching the septic system to the site-specific conditions, this useful book will help you install a reliable system in both suitable and difficult environments. Septic tank installers, planners, state and local regulators, civil and sanitary engineers, consulting engineers, architects, homeowners, academics, and land developers will find this publication valuable.
• Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, Bennette D. Burks, Mary Margaret Minnis, Hogarth House 1994 - one of the best septic system books around, suffering a bit from small fonts and a weak index. While it contains some material more technical than needed by homeowners, Burks/Minnis book on onsite wastewater treatment systems a very useful reference for both property owners and septic system designers.
• 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
• Soil Percolation Tests soil perc testing guide and instructions
• Percolation Testing Manual, CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, PO Box 501304, Saipan, MP 96950
• Planting Over Septic System Component", Daniel Friedman (author/editor, InspectAPedia.com), The Innovator, Winter/Spring 2008, BCOSSA, British Columbia OnSite Sewage Association, 201-3542 Blansard St., Victoria BC V8X 1W3 Canada
• Save the Septic System - Do Not Flush These Items Down the Toilet, Daniel Friedman, InspectAPedia.com - PDF document, printable
• SEPTIC STANDARDS
• SEPTIC MAGAZINES
  
• Septic System Owner's Manual, Lloyd Kahn, Blair Allen, Julie Jones, Shelter Publications, 2000 $14.95 U.S. - easy to understand, well illustrated, one of the best practical references around on septic design basics including some advanced systems; a little short on safety and maintenance. Both new and used (low priced copies are available, and we think the authors are working on an updated edition--DF. Quoting from one of several Amazon reviews: The basics of septic systems, from underground systems and failures to what the owner can do to promote and maintain a healthy system, is revealed in an excellent guide essential for any who reside on a septic system. Rural residents receive a primer on not only the basics; but how to conduct period inspections and what to do when things go wrong. History also figures into the fine coverage.
• Test Pit Preparation for Onsite Sewage Evaluations, State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland OR, 800 452-4011. PDF document. We recommend this excellent document that offers detail about soil perc tests, deep hole tests, safety, and septic design. Readers should also see Soil Percolation Tests and for testing an existing septic system, also see Dye Tests
• Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank, Bombeck, Erma: $ 5.99; FAWCETT; MM; This septic system classic whose title helps avoid intimidating readers new to septic systems, is available new or used at very low prices. It's more entertainment than a serious "how to" book on septic systems design, maintenance, or repair. Not recommended -- DF.
  
• US EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual Top Reference: US EPA's Design Manual for Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal, 1980, available from the US EPA, the US GPO Superintendent of Documents (Pueblo CO), and from the National Small Flows Clearinghouse. Original source http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/625R00008/625R00008.htm
• Water Wells and Septic Systems Handbook, R. Dodge Woodson. This book is in the upper price range, but is worth the cost for serious septic installers and designers. Quoting Amazon: Each year, thousands upon thousands of Americans install water wells and septic systems on their properties. But with a maze of codes governing their use along with a host of design requirements that ensure their functionality where can someone turn for comprehensive, one-stop guidance? Enter the Water Wells and Septic Systems Handbook from McGraw-Hill.
  Written in language any property owner can understand yet detailed enough for professionals and technical students this easy-to-use volume delivers the latest techniques and code requirements for designing, building, rehabilitating, and maintaining private water wells and septic systems. Bolstered by a wealth of informative charts, tables, and illustrations, this book delivers:
  * Current construction, maintenance, and repair methods
  * New International Private Sewage Disposal Code
  * Up-to-date standards from the American Water Works Association
  
• Wells and Septic Systems, Alth, Max and Charlet, Rev. by S. Blackwell Duncan, $ 18.95; Tab Books 1992. We have found this text very useful for conventional well and septic systems design and maintenance --DF. Quoting an Amazon description:Here's all the information you need to build a well or septic system yourself - and save a lot of time, money, and frustration. S. Blackwell Duncan has thoroughly revised and updated this second edition of Wells and Septic Systems to conform to current codes and requirements. He also has expanded this national bestseller to include new material on well and septic installation, water storage and distribution, water treatment, ecological considerations, and septic systems for problem building sites.
  
• The NSFC Products List has an excellent list of design manuals/modules available from their website or by telephone 800-624-8301
• Submissions welcome. send us a suggested document link or request an exchange of website links
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