How to Find a Septic Tank

When you notice your drains slowing down, or even backing up into your home, and your nose discovers an aroma best left unmentioned, it might be time to locate that elusive septic tank in a hurry. In situations like these, nothing says "septic emergency" quite like the frantic search for the tank, because let’s be honest, nobody wants to be the talk of the neighborhood for all the wrong reasons.

Before you even go outside to look for the tank, your first step should be reaching out to your county public health or environmental health department. They may have records on your system that will show you exactly where the tank is on your property, or at least that will point you in the right direction. The right department or person to reach out to can be found by going on your counties webpage and looking for information on septic systems or onsite wastewater treatment systems. Some counties even have online portals where you can look up the records yourself.

If you don’t have the records for the septic system or they simply aren’t available to you at this time, then it might be a good idea to take the time to talk to your neighbors. If your neighbors have been in the neighborhood for a longer period than you have, they may have seen your system get installed or pumped out at some point in the past. Starting a conversation with them could provide you with valuable insights and information regarding the history of your septic system.

If all else fails, it’s now time to start looking for the tank yourself. First, try and determine which direction your sewer line exits your house. You can usually see your sewer line in your basement or crawl space before it exits your home. If this isn’t possible or you can’t find the main sewer line, walk around the outside perimeter of your house and look for the clean out pipe. It is common for their to be a 4” PVC pipe cap near the foundation of the home that is the “clean out” pipe for the sewer line to the septic tank. It will have a threaded cap on top, and it will typically be directly in between your septic tank and your home. If you can’t find either your sewer line or your clean out, look at your roof for the sewer vent pipe. This vent pipe will be a straight pipe coming out of the roof and is usually on the side of your home where the sewer line exits the house. This is not always the case, so the vent pipe should only be used if you have no other way of determining the direction your sewer line is leaving the home.

Once you have determined which way your sewer line is leaving your house, you now have a good idea of the general location of where to look for the septic tank. When trying to identify the exact location keep these tips in mind:

• Most sewer lines flow to the septic tank via gravity, so the septic tank is likely to be located where the ground is level or downhill from your home.

• Septic tanks often times only have 12” - 24” of ground cover over them, and foliage may grow differently over the septic tank. This will be more noticeable in the summer when there isn’t as much moisture, you may be able to see a dead spot where the grass doesn’t grow as well.

• There may be a small hill where the installer had to mound soil to get the appropriate cover over the tank, or a divot in the ground where the backfilled soil compacted over time.

• Septic tanks are usually buried shallow, but they can also be 4 to 8 feet deep. You can use a soil probe or a long, narrow object to check the depth of the tank before you dig. Be cautious, as pushing too hard can damage the PVC pipes or the plastic lids of the tank, and even the tank itself if you are not careful.

Sometimes septic tanks can be very difficult to find, especially when they are buried deep underground, or positioned far away from the home. If you find yourself unable to locate your septic system, please feel free to reach out to Ruby Septic for assistance. With our specialized transmitters, receivers, probes, and other tools, our skilled technicians can accurately locate your septic tank along with the other vital components of your onsite wastewater treatment system, which includes distribution boxes and soil treatment areas. Whether you are needing to locate the tank to arrange for it to be pumped, or you require a detailed locate of all the components of your onsite wastewater treatment system, Ruby Septic would be more than happy to help you with your needs.