What is a “Septic System Inspection”?

Before we get into what a septic system inspection is, it’s important to figure out why you might need an inspection in the first place. The inspection of a septic system, otherwise known as an onsite wastewater treatment system, can be required or desired for many different reasons, and the exact nature of the inspection will change depending on the reason it is necessary. Perhaps the most common type of septic system inspection are referred to as a “Use Permit” inspection, or a “Transfer of Title” inspection. These types of inspections are typically required by the county in which the property is located. Often times the county requires these types of inspections be performed when a home is being sold, to ensure that the septic system is adequately sized and properly functioning. There are however other reasons that the county may require an inspection of the onsite wastewater treatment system at a property, for instance, when a home is being remodeled or expanded, or the use of the property is changing from residential to commercial. Whatever the reason, when the county is the one requiring the inspection, the inspector must follow the regulations in that county. The county will have their own inspection forms that must be filled out, their own fee schedule for the cost of the permit, and their own requirements for who is qualified to perform the inspection. Some counties perform these inspections themselves, but many defer to NAWT (National Association of Wastewater Technicians), certified third party inspectors. NAWT is a national organization that provides resources and training to wastewater practitioners throughout the country, more information on them can be found at www.NAWT.org.

Besides permit inspections, there are a many other reasons that getting an inspection can be a good idea. Sometimes mortgage companies will require the inspection, or the buyer of a new home may want a more in depth inspection than a typical home inspection will include. Sometimes an inspection is just the beginning of the troubleshooting process, a good place to start when trying to figure out the root cause of a malfunctioning septic system. Ruby Septic performs inspections and provides inspection reports along with many of it’s services, in order to provide our clients with a complete understanding of their systems, or the problems they are experiencing with their systems. In these types of inspections, the inspector will provide their own inspection report, with photos of the system and other pertinent details.

Now that we’ve gone over why you might need a septic system inspection, it leaves the question, what is a septic system inspection? And more specifically, what it is an inspector will do to perform the inspection, and what you should expect in the inspection report.

The first tasks for the inspector take place at the office, before they even leave for the site of the inspection. They must gather the necessary documents from the county (if it’s a county required inspection), and review the septic records to see what information is already available on the system. Depending on the county, and the age of the system, there may be a lot of information on the system already on file, or there detailed records may be unavailable. In Colorado, septic systems are sized based on the number of bedrooms in a home, so the inspector must also look into how many bedrooms the home is permitted for, and make sure that the system is sized correctly for that number of bedrooms, and that there have been no additional bedrooms constructed since the construction of the septic system. If complete records aren’t available from the county the inspector may utilize historic satellite imagery, old real estate listing photos, or even reach out to the system installer to try and learn as much about the system as they can.

With the appropriate documents collected, and research conducted, the inspector is ready to begin the physical inspection of the septic system. When they arrive onsite they will confirm the location of the system if it is known, or locate the system and its components if the location is unknown. They will need to dig down to expose the access lids on the septic tank if they are not already extended to ground level with risers, and will then be able to inspect the septic tank itself. When inspecting the septic tank the inspector is going to look at a variety of different elements, but some key things they will check for are:

  • That the liquid level of sewage in the tank is appropriate to the inlet and outlet elevations of the tank. If the level is lower than the outlet of the tank, and the tank has not been pumped recently, then the septic tank is likely leaking. If the level is higher than the inlet of the tank, this can be a sign of a clogged line leaving the tank, a clogged septic filter in the tank, or an underperforming or failing soil treatment area.

  • That the tank is still structurally sound. That there are no cracks, or obvious deformations, or degradation of the access lids, risers, tank lid, or tank body itself. In order to do a full inspection of the tank it must be pumped, but depending on the situation this may not always be necessary. Your inspector will be able to determine if pumping is necessary, and coordinate the timing of the pumping with the inspection, as it’s also important that the inspector get to see the tank before it is pumped.

  • That the appropriate elements inside of the tank are present, in good condition, and functioning per the design of the system. This varies from system to system, but some of the most common components are the baffle wall, inlet and outlet tees, effluent filters, high water level alarms, and pumps.

  • That the tank is the right size per the county documents, and sized appropriately for the number of bedrooms in the home.

Taking a close look at the septic tank itself is a huge part of an inspection, but a septic system is not just a septic tank. At the very least, there will be a soil treatment area past the septic tank, but modern onsite wastewater treatment systems can include a huge array of different equipment and components before the effluent (liquid waste) reaches the soil treatment area. The inspector will also inspect these items to ensure they are functioning as intended. Below is a list of some, but not all, of the additional components that can make up the system that will need to inspected if present.

  • Distribution boxes, valve boxes, flow splitter basins, automatic distribution valves, and bull run valves are all elements of a system that can control the flow of effluent to the different lateral lines or zones of the soil treatment area.

  • Effluent pumps may be used to deliver the waste to a soil treatment area that is higher than the outlet of the septic tank. Pumps can also be used to pressure dose the soil treatment area, or control the timing of effluent delivery to the soil treatment area. Along with the pumps, there will be a electrical control panel that controls the pump and may have additional functions as well.

  • High water level alarms can be installed in tanks monitor system back ups.

  • Advanced Treatment or secondary treatment units further treat the wastewater before allowing it to go out to the soil treatment area. The most common types of treatment units are aerobic treatment units and media filters, but on the market today there are systems that utilize recirculation pumps, chlorine, UV lights, and many other methods for treating wastewater. While uncommon, these types of systems are crucial when integrated into the design of an onsite wastewater treatment system, and additional steps, beyond what is typical of a normal inspection, may need to be taken to make sure they are operating correctly.

The soil treatment area, (also commonly referred to as a drain field, leach field, or absorption area) is the area on the property where the liquid waste exits the septic system and is absorbed into the ground. It is also where the actual treatment of the sewage takes place, and also the origin of many potential issues. The inspector will observe the soil treatment area and look for any signs of failure or distress, or possible future failure, of which some of the most common are listed below:

  • Strong odors, which may indicate that the soil is unable or having troubles treating the liquid waste.

  • Wet areas on the ground above the soil treatment area.

  • Adequate surface drainage to keep ground water from infiltrating the soil treatment area.

  • Appropriate vegetative cover. Ideally the area over the soil treatment area will consist of native vegetation typical to the rest of the site, that is being maintained and mowed. Excessive vegetation may be a sign of excess effluent, and the roots from large plants may interfere with the pipes in the soil treatment area. Likewise, a lack of any vegetation can allow for excessive erosion of the soils in the treatment area where as cultivated gardens and lawns that require irrigation over the soil treatment area can contribute to the overloading of water in the system.

  • Any signs of traffic over the area, construction on top of the field, or livestock grazing will also be noted. All of these items will compact the soils in the treatment area, and can even crack the lateral line pipes that deliver the effluent to the soil treatment area.

For county required inspections, the inspector will fill out the county paperwork and file it with the county in order to get the permit issued. If there are deficiencies in the system, the inspector should work with you to provide solutions, give you options, and let you know what the next steps are. Depending on the issue, and the regulations in your county, it may be something as simple as installing risers on the tank, a minor repair, or something severe as a full system replacement.

If the inspection is being done for purposes outside of a permit application, the inspector should provide a full report on their own paperwork along with pictures of the system, and recommendations for any maintenance or repairs.

If you are need of septic system inspection on the Colorado Front Range or any other septic service, Ruby Septic would be happy to help. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or inquiries you may have.