The Dye Testing Program is back at it again on the Chain of Lakes and Big Moose Lake. This has been a cooperative program between the Lake Associations and the town for many years.
The costs to administer the program are shared, as the benefit is felt by not just the lake-front owners, but the entire town.
The test is simple. Flush a few ounces of bright yellow or red dye down the toilet. Run water in sinks and flush many times.
Then go outside, look and wait. Try to determine where the absorption area is located (leach field, drywell, or cesspool) and check that area out really well.
If the building is on piers, look under for any leaky pipes. This may help to determine where the leach field is by which direction pipes disappear into the ground.
These are the obvious things to check. Your eyes will detect the dye; your nose will sniff out the not so obvious. Yep…hard to beat the “stink” test.
There should be no odor, no effluent and no dye.
Water goes downhill, unless it’s pumped. If there is not a pump, then the absorption area must be downhill from the building.
If there is a pump, the absorption area has to be uphill. At least that is farther away from the lake.
Hopefully the home owner knows where things are.
However, it’s amazing how many people have no idea where the septic system components are.
All they know is when water goes down the drain, it disappears… somewhere.
If dye is found on the first visit anywhere on the ground or in the water, there is definitely a problem.
However, it may take some time for the dye to infiltrate through tanks and the ground. A re-visit later that day or the next day is always in order.
The dye test finds catastrophic failures. Just because you did not see any dye does not ensure your system is actually functioning properly; it only means there is no obvious problem.
The most common problems are failed septic tanks.
Old metal tanks have a short life-span compared to concrete or plastic tanks.
We have seen metal tanks rust out and fail in 12 to 15 years… not very long.
Just digging up the top of the tank will not show the failure.
Usually the baffles inside have deteriorated, and no longer separate or hold back the solids and small particles from passing through to the absorption area.
Once the baffles begin to fail, the absorption area is sure to fail.
This is known as a progressive failure.
Monitor your tank… the septic tank is the primary treatment area and is vital to a healthy septic system.
The leach field / absorption area will clog and fail really quickly if any solids or particulates get into it.
A septic tank replacement is pretty cheap compared to a whole new leach field.
As far as the regulatory requirements, the Town of Webb code office will issue a permit for a tank replacement almost on-the-spot.
An engineer’s plan is not required unless the absorption area or leach field is being altered, repaired or replaced.
The only thing we require for tank replacement is that the new tank be sized properly based on the number of bedrooms.
A 1,000 gallon tank is the minimum size for a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom house.
For each additional bedroom over three, add 250 gallons to the tank size.
Kitchen sink disposals also add 250 gallons tank size.
Too many people undersize the septic tank just to save money.
It’s a really bad idea.
Under-sizing the tank may not provide the volume and capacity to allow proper bacterial action to break down the solids and particulates before they pass the baffles and flow to the absorption area.
Under-sizing the tank can jeopardize the absorption area, and to replace that will be a major project—much more costly than putting in a larger tank to begin with.
The most common remark from homeowners about larger tanks is… it’s just my wife and I and an occasional guest.
Okay… that’s fine, but you have a five-bedroom house. When you have 8 to 10 people for a week or two, having the tank under sized will provide an opportunity for solids to get to the absorption area.
There is a reason why tanks are based on the number of bedrooms, and why a bedroom is assumed to have only two people… Not three sets of bunk beds.
Of course no one ever tries to beat the system, do they? Usually they just are hurting themselves in the long run.
Tanks should be sized based on maximum potential daily flow.
So, let the Dye Tester do her job. Take care of your system. Help protect our waters and your health.