Septank Tank Separation Distance - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Aggie67 · 04-19-2009, 02:41 PM

In our state, separation distance from any element of an occupied structure to the tank is 10 feet, but can be reduced to 5 feet if you can plead your case (deck piers, etc). This is slightly unusual because it's a landscape feature (seat wall), not an occupied structure.

Anyone ever see concrete poured up against a septic tank?

The rest below are details, if you want to read:

Customer wants to build a seat wall in her yard, and got busted for starting work on a design different than what was permitted. She sketched up the original drawings for the permit (actually, I think the landscape archy did it). She called me in to draw up details for the footings and wall to support a permit revision, but I told her she was waisting money on drawings that would not get approval. I told her what the required separation distances were, but she didn't want to hear it. She said her landscape archy said it was ok, the town knows it's there, etc. But I know her. I know the reality is that yes, the plumbing inspector knows the tank is there from the inspection 2 years ago, but the building inspector that discovered the alternate design of the seat wall probably doesn't. And she thinks she's in the clear because at least one person at the town knows there's a tank there.

So ultimately I told her if she wanted to try, to her to have her landscape archy do the permit drawing of the seat wall location, and I'll do a wall detail, but I won't sign or seal anything that puts the footing right up against the tank.

KillerToiletSpider · 04-19-2009, 05:17 PM

You really need to check with the local authority on this, here in Illinois septic specs change from township to township depending on soil conditions and enviromental impact.

glassman · 04-20-2009, 05:51 PM

I sometimes wonder why the HO's do these things, Thank GOD for professional tradesman to inform them with their knowledge that this will or wont be acceptable/legal in function or form. We are not telling them what they may not want to hear because we want to rain on their parade,but to protect them and everyone else from such blunders.KUDOS go out to the tradesman who wont give in to demands or sell out for a quick dollar.
Codes get stricter all the time,we have to abide by them.
This will only get worse as more fly by nite hacks try to do what many of us have spent many a hour and dollar learning our trades.

Aggie67 · 04-20-2009, 07:04 PM

I got a hold of both the construction code official and the health department.

Construction Code Official - what the HO is looking for is not wise, but I don't have anything that says she can't do it. Ask the health department, they need to be involved.

Health Department - while the 10 foot separation and 5 foot relief do apply to occupied structures, I don't have anything that says she can't do that for a landscape feature in the location you describe. The leach field is much more restrictive, but this is between the house and the tank. People have been known to bury the access cover in pavers, and as long as you have an accessible inspection port, the state says you can bury the hatch. Someone in town put a permitted flag pole snug up against the tank, in concrete. Why someone would want to do that, I don't know, but people do, and it is allowed.

I ended up telling the client that the building department and health department both don't recommend it, although there is no restriction anywhere in either department. I also said that I wouldn't recommend it either.