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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. 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.

This very detailed article, HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK, 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. Also see Drainfield Location - how to find the leach fields. Videos showing how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield are at SEPTIC VIDEOS.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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
  • HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK detailed article
  • SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY - important safety warnings for people about to dig up or pump a septic tank
  • WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?- whom might we ask about septic component locations at a property
  • FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT - start finding the septic tank by finding where the waste line exits the building
  • DISTANCE TO 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 TANK - what can we see that tells us septic tank location
  •   WHERE TO LOOK - 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
  • DOCUMENT TANK LOCATION - 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

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• 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

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.

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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