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Checklists & Worksheets for Inspecting & Testing Residential Septic Systems InspectAPedia®  -

• Septic inspection worksheets/checklists
• Definition of levels of thoroughness of septic tank and field inspection & testing
• Photographs of typical septic inspection steps
• Septic System Inspection & Testing - Field Inspection Data Worksheets
• Septic inspection checklist for Level-0 basic septic system inspections
• Supplemental septic inspection checklist for Level-0 testing
• Septic inspection checklist for Level-1 septic system inspection

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Septic system inspection field data worksheets: here are three detailed septic system field inspection and test worksheets to assist in inspecting and documenting the condition of septic systems. This document is a chapter of Septic Systems Online Book procedures, defects in onsite waste disposal systems, septic tank problems, septic drainfield problems, checklists of system components and things to ask. Septic system maintenance and pumping schedules.

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SEPTIC INSPECTION WORK SHEETS - Septic System Inspection and Testing Worksheets

Here we provide a series of field worksheets useful during the conduct of septic system inspections for investigations of the condition of a septic system using level 0, 1, and 2 septic inspections.

Worksheet for Septic Inspection Level 0 - Basic Information

A surprising amount of useful diagnostic information about the condition of a septic tank and drainfield can be developed by a thoughtful visual inspection of the property even before any steps to test the septic system have begun. The two photos above show a case in which an old home-made septic tank was located just a few feet from a public lake. You can see our septic test water pouring into the septic tank in the upper right part of the right hand photo. The jumble of stones visible just inside the septic "tank" indicate that this is a home-made system, perhaps simply a cesspool. With the nearby stream and lake just a few feet away, this system is unlikely to be acceptable by modern standards of sanitation and building code. Below we've printed our field data collection worksheets used for septic system inspection.

INSPECTION DATE:_____________________________________________________________
INSPECTION ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________
INSPECTOR's NAME:____________________________________________________________
CLIENT's NAME:_______________________________________________________________
The system was NOT INSPECTED because: _______________________________________
UNSAFE CONDITIONS OBSERVED, PEOPLE NOTIFIED: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

BASIC SEPTIC SYSTEM INFORMATION
 System Age: _______________________  Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
 Recent Nr. Occupants: _____________  Year Round: Y/N    Nr. Bedrooms:________
 Currently Occupied:   Y/N    Vacant since:______________
 Tank Last Pumped:__________________  Garbage Disposal:  Y/N
 Separate Drywell/Drain for Washer/Other:________________
 Calculated or other Specific Flow or Load:___________________________________

TREATMENT TANK INFORMATION and CONDITION:
  LOCATION:      Not Identified.      Reported/observed at:________________
                                      Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
  TYPE:          Not Identified.      Reported/observed at:________________
   Concrete/Steel/Other:_____________ Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
   Septic Tank / Aerobic Tank / Grease Trap
   Cesspool / Overflow Cesspool / Privy
   Is System Shared:  Y/N             Previous Inspection Records Attached: Y/N
   Damage/Defects Observed:________________________________________________
  CAPACITY:      Not Visible.         Reported/observed at:________________
   Gallons: _________________________ Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
  COVER:         Not Visible.         Reported/observed at:________________
   Concrete/Steel/Other:_____________ Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
   Damage/Defects Observed: child-hazard, missing, not secure, damaged,  __
  AGE OF COMPONENTS:                  Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
   ___________________________________________________________________________
   ___________________________________________________________________________
  COMMENTS:____________________________________________________________
  NOTICE:  Low volume minimum-flush toilets/waste disposal system installed.

If a septic mound system or raised bed septic system is installed, a pump may be required to move effluent from a pumping chamber up to the mound treatment area. The presence of a septic mound will be quite obvious but the presence or absence of a pump serving the mound may be less apparent. Look for control boxes, pumping chamber access cover, and of course request whatever information a prior owner may be able to provide - but don't' rely on that data to be complete.

PUMPING EQUIPMENT:
  PUMP-Mound     Not Visible.         Reported/observed at:________________
   Operating Satisfactorily  Y/N      Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
  PUMP-Ejector   Not Visible.         Reported/observed at:________________
   Operating Satisfactorily  Y/N      Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other

ABSORPTION SYSTEM:
  LOCATION:      Not Identified.      Reported/observed at:________________
                                      Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
   Damage/Defects Observed:________________________________________________
  TYPE:          Not Identified.      Reported/observed at:________________
   Cesspool      Capacity:___________ Information Source: Seller/Realtor/Other
   Seepage Bed   Trench System   Elevated Mound/Sand
   Other:_______________________________________
   Indications of previous failure: Odors, Seepage, Lush Vegetation,
   Gray Water discharge. to surface/stream/storm drain;
   Parking, driveway, runoff, shrubs, trees over drainfield;
   Construction/additions over drainfield;
  COMMENTS:____________________________________________________________

SYSTEM OPERATION
 VISUAL OBSERVATIONS:
  COMMENTS:____________________________________________________________
 CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS:
 --SATISFACTORY-- good to fair condition
No visual evidence of system failure, functional drain flow was observed.
EXPLANATION: At the time of our inspection the sewage disposal system appeared
to be working normally and adequately. There was no evidence of stopped main
drains, no unusual septic odors.
[If a loading/dye test was NOT performed:] By your instruction, we did not
perform a system loading and dye test. Important additional information about
system condition is available from this and other levels of septic inspection.
[There was/was not evidence of recent excavation or repair - which suggests
that additional questions to owner or investigation are in order.]
[If a loading/dye test was performed:] Report details of dye test procedures
(see below), and results.

SEPTIC SYSTEM LOADING AND DYE TEST ON-SITE DETAILS:
WATER run at:______________________ for __________ minutes prior to introducing
tracer dye.
TRACER DYE placed at: ____________________________
WATER RUN at these fixtures:___________________________________________________
FOR ________________________ minutes at an ESTIMATED AVERAGE FLOW OF ______GPM
TOTAL TEST VOLUME OF WATER WAS ________________________ GALLONS

These photographs show three reasons to believe there is no working septic system at this property and that installing one will be costly: there is no area on the site which is not very rocky - there is a lack of soil for effluent treatment; the site is very steep, and even before beginning the septic loading and dye test there is visible runout that may be septic effluent coming from a tiny home-made septic tank. The first photo (above left) shows water running across rock near the reported septic tank location before we began our septic loading test. The second or right-hand photo shows the increase in water running across this rock shortly after we began testing this septic system.

EVIDENCE OF BACKUP, DYE BREAKOUT, OR OTHER DEFECT WAS/WAS NOT ______OBSERVED

DETAILS
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
---UNSATISFACTORY-- poor condition or nonfunctional
 Evidence of failure/improper operation was observed:
   System backup      (system backs up into house)
   System breakout    (discharge or ponding of effluent on ground surface)
   System blockage    (system backs up and leaks at tank or distribution. box)
                      (static liquid level in distribution box above outlet)
                      (liquid level in cesspool less  than 6" below invert or
                        available volume less than 1/2 day flow)
   Hydraulic overload (excess. water in absorption area, effluent @ surface)
                      (fields may be undersized, improperly located, damaged)
                      (fields may be improperly installed, unbalanced)
   Maintenance failure (fields damaged by solids flowing from tank/tree roots)
   Mechanical damage  (driving over leach fields, damage piping/trenches)
   Groundwater flowing onto/into/flooding absorption area
   Mound systems: improper slope, insufficient soil layer, on flood plain,
          less than 5' from property line,
          less than 50' from stream; pump defects;
   Other Defects:
     (pumping multiple times during past year (e.g. less than 4))
     (damaged tank, baffles, distribution box, other)
     (Absorption system located in low/wet areas)
     (Components within 50' of a surface stream, pond, river, or private well)
     (Between 50 and 100' from a private well with no acceptable water analysis)
     (Components within 100' of a tributary to a surface water supply)
     (Too close to a public well (depends on state regulations.))
     (Cesspool or privy within 50' of a protected wetland)
  COMMENTS:____________________________________________________________

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SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
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INSPECTING SEPTIC D-BOX
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SEPTIC DYE TESTS
SEPTIC FAILURE SIGNS
SEPTIC SYSTEM SAFETY WARNINGS

More Reading:

• We discuss the requirements for different levels of inspections (level 0, 1, 2 septic inspections) at: Septic System Inspection Types & Inspection Levels
• Field worksheets for various types of septic system inspections can be found at Checklists for Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems
• See Septic Tank Inspection Procedure for details of inspecting septic tanks themselves and a septic tank inspection checklist.
• See Septic Field Inspection Procedure for details of inspecting septic drainfields.
• See Septic Loading and Dye Test Procedure for the details of that process
• See Septic Inspection Testing for our full list of septic inspection methods and procedures.
• See Signs of Septic System Failure: A First Step in Septic Diagnosis, for septic system failure criteria
• See our online septic system inspection course at Inspecting Onsite Waste Disposal Systems - Septic System Testing Methods & Procedures - a Classroom Presentation
• See Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining & Designing Residential Septic Systems - for our Septic Systems Online Book on this topic
  
  
• 3-SEPTIC SYSTEM COMPONENTS- the Basic Parts of a Conventional Septic Tank and Leachfield in our introductory document Home Buyer's Detailed Guide to Septic Systems - Buying a Home With a Septic Tank
• What is a Septic System An Engineer's View - Types of treatment tanks, adsorption systems, pumps, and other special equipment are discussed in some further detail in this text
• Sketches of the Septic System Components Private Sewage Disposal Systems - Septic Drawing Library
• Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners.

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

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• ...

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website - Extensive, Detailed Consumer and Industry Information on Septic System Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Alternatives for on-site waste disposal

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