When was the last time the tank was pumped? I doubt you have any legal recourse on this. Sorry.

We have had it pumped twice since living here the past year. Getting pumped again tomorrow. It was also pumped at inspection time 1/27/21. The system cannot handle 4 people but my dilemma is the company shod have been checking whether the system could handle 4 people.

How old is the house and the septic system?

I would think that a septic system for even a two bedroom house could handle 4 people, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Older systems just fail when they fail. Anything older than 30 years is borrowed time. The system can appear fine today, and be done tomorrow, with little or no warning.

Yes, pumping out twice in a year is an indication of problems. Have you had a septic system before? How many people lived in the house before you bought it? Several variables at play here; some you can tweak to nurse your system along.

Does your washer empty into your system? If so, do you use bleach? Harsh detergents? Bath or showers? Garbage disposal? Stop using if you do. Get a drain screen for your kitchen sink.

FWIW - Our home was built in 1965 and we’re still using the original drain field.

We are very educated on septic and know what can't go into it. The drainfirled was built in 2000. So it's 21 years old. We also have a creek running through the yard so it complicates things. Yes I have the sink screens. We've had a septic at our old house. Right now I have the washer/dishwasher emptying into the yard to help out.

I know we have to pay for a new drainfield, I'm just sad that with a more thorough inspection we might have had some leverage with the price of the house knowing it is undersized. So, ove the summer after buying the house, a driver from another septic company stopped by and said that the previous owners were thinking about putting in a new tank. He asked to check it and we talked with him. That was the fist indication of a problem and then short after we began to get on drains, then water seeping up to the surface on the drainfiled area. It's also backed up into our basement shower twice now. Iam working with an excavation guy to get the process rolling.

Same situation here sort of, only we knew about the failed inspection before settlement & bought it anyway in March, there were already other buyers lined up offering to buy out our contract. The market changed drastically in the short time the house was under contract.

The language used in the septic inspection reports I saw are very CYA. Previous owner had an inspection done in 2018 that said the system was functional, but with a caveat that the system was getting old and that septic systems are not intended to last forever (I forget the average lifespan quoted). But the 2021 inspection done before settlement by the same inspector failed.

We could have gotten an emergency replacement system permit immediately, but want to do a larger system than that to cover expansion.

Even if the system had “passed” like it did a few years ago, we would have needed to replace it soon anyway because of age.

I am so sorry you are going through this. It can be a large expense especially with a creek nearby. We went through this when we sold a house in 1995 only we didn’t know our septic field had a problem. The buyers inspector found it with a dye test and because we also had a creek running near the house through our 8 acre property the new field had to be a distance uphill and required permits, design costs and alarm etc. it was a $25,000 expense when the house sale price had already been set.

i hope your situation can be resolved more easily. What a shame your inspector didn’t find the problem.

@blueskyquilts - similar situation, the previous owner had no idea there would be a septic problem, they were very maintenance-oriented and everything else was in near perfect condition. The system just aged out. It is on a river in a protected area, and in the era when built the drain tiles were put closer to the shore near the house. All these failed systems (and there are lots of them, usually not discovered until a sale) are now dumping sewage overboard with property owners not having a clue.

The previous owner had a perc test done and a reserve area set aside in the 1990s for a new drain field uphill. Construction cost is going to be $60K we think based on recently completed systems for others - because it is near the river there is a different set of tanks required here (the state has grants to help pay for these).

It sounds like that town needs to put in a sewer system.

We have a cabin and a septic tank was probably put in in the 70's we were told we had at have a septic inspection because we were in the process of selling. The inspector went up there and had to excavate and the septic collasped, who is responsible to pay for a new one.

What does the contract you signed with the inspector say about issues resulting from his work? My guess he has this covered somehow in his contract, one way or the other.

Your septic will pass the inspection if the sludge only occupies a third of the septic tank or less, and the water flows naturally inside the septic tank.

Sludge: It is the solid waste that settles to the bottom of the tank. A routine septic tank pumping will not allow it to pile up and cause clogging or flow into the leach field.

Scum: It is the oil, grease and fats that float to the top of the water. If the scum is sticking around in the tank, addressing this issue is important.

Flow: The flow within the septic tank should be normal without any disruptions. Disruptions can lead to sewage backups and clogs in the system.

Other tips to ensure your septic passes inspection:

Pump out your septic tank every 2-3 years

Use low-water consuming toilets and showerheads

Only flush things that are septic-friendly

Grow trees far from your septic system

Don't drive or park over the septic system

Don't overload your septic tank (expanding the house)

https://www.septicworksllc.com/page-septic/faq.php