Where exactly is my leach field?

[travispremo]

Hello all. Short of digging up my front yard, is there a way to determine the exact location of my leach field? Can I obtain a copy of the original stamped drawings from the County? If so, who do I contact to obtain such information?

Furthermore, if one were to build a room addition or any sort of hardscape (sidewalk, rock wall, etc.) what sort of setbacks are required between the leach field/septic tank and the new construction?

Thanks for your help?

[Rob Tucker]

You don't provide much base info but it is unlikely that you have a leech field. If you are in Puna and on an acre or so you are likely on a cesspool system. Which ever it might be there should be a record with the State Department of Health, How accurate that record might be is another matter. If your system is modern the pipes would be ABS plastic and difficult to trace, Older systems used cast iron and there are methods to trace iron pipe without digging.

Good luck.

[riverwolf]

....and if you have a clean out which is some what shaped like a "Y" with one end sweeping up and a threaded plug. You can have the drain pipe scoped and they can tell you where your tank is located and usually the condition it's in.

riverwolf

[Carey]

State Health dept. on Kamehameha (near Couquis' Hideaway) has the permit info on file...do not be surprised if they do not keep the drawings & just have a file card with a brief cryptic description

That is all we could get on our house - still have only an idea of where our cesspool is.. following as much of the waste line .... and knowing it is NOT exactly where the Health Dept notes lead us at first..

[travispremo]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm happy to provide as much base info as you'd like. For starters, we're on a 1/4 acre in a home that was built within the last two years, which does in fact have a septic tank. The inspection cover and cleanouts are visible in the front yard.

The Health Department sounds like a good place to start, but I was hoping for some specific contact info since the county and state websites are a litle tough to navigate. My question regarding the required setbacks still standa by the way. Thanks again for the reedback.

[travispremo]

Thank you Carey for the info. I ended up posting my last reply before seeing your response.. Sounds like its time to take a trip over there and see what I can dig up, without digging. Har har.

[DanielP]

Where do things grow fastest?

[Carey]

Daniel, had to laugh, as in the midwest that was where the grass was always the greenest... but here, that doesn't work as good if the leach field is near, or into, a lava tube....

[travispremo]

I've tested the greener grass theory, but no one spot does particularly better than another. I have a neighbor that mentioned something to the effect of "leach fields aren't the same here (in Hawaii) as on the mainland since the earth is so porous. There are no long runs of pipe; the leach field is typIcally in the same 'hole' as the septic tank." Can anyone weigh in on this statement? Now that we're on the subject, how big (area and depth) is your average leach field in Puna? If it helps, my home and septic system are less than two years old. I'm on a quarter acre in Shores. As always, feel free to ask as many questions as necessary for background.

Thanks everyone.

[Carey]

Have only seen two leach fields put in here, our church had to go to a 'commercial' septic due to the EPA regs... the old cesspool was a lava tube, the septic installer place the septic tank adjacent to the tube & the leach run ran into the tube...

The only new construction neighbor put in a septic & leach field ~ 2 years ago.... tank was lower & the leach field looked to be ~30 ft of corrugated drain tile looped out & back around towards the tank, with about 5" red cinder cover - nothing even close to the 100-120' per bedroom leach field - with aerobic treatment - that we are used to from the mainland...