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Jonathan Cartwright
11-07-2010, 03:37 PM
Why are these PVC standpipes scattered around this leach field.

My assistant in photo #3 had no clue either.

Agent reported that the septic guy said "something" about homeowner inspection of the leach field using these pipes?????

What are they for?

Thank You
James Duffin
11-07-2010, 04:28 PM
My first guess would be that this is a low pressure system with a pump and these pipes allow you to monitor the flow to each lateral.
H.G. Watson, Sr.
11-07-2010, 04:55 PM
They're inspection/squirt ports for inspection, maintenance and periodic squirt testing. The caps can be removed to view, etc. or replaced with caps with smaller orafices/ports for a squirt test.

You can read more about it here: Septic System Design (http://www.eco-nomic.com/indexsdd.htm#Squirt Test)

You are welcome to d/l the article about inspection/squirt ports from here (big file): http://www.eco-nomic.com/pix/Improved%20Port%20Design%20Artical%20Installer%20M ag%202009.pdf

The irregularity in the heights, and the irregular finished grade itself (and the ruts!) leads me to suspect that the grade work was not completed to plan, and things aren't quite "finished" or filled properly for correct treatment, OR something may have been damaged. The swampish dark/dead zone appearance also concerning. (Bleach kill for a clean well test?)

I would recommend strongly acquiring the plan work and having the system evaluated by a pro - including proper depths and/or signs of heaving, shifting or breakage, or a collapse, possibly from someone driving on the area; d-boxes, laterals, or vaults, etc, and a fresh squirt test.

HTH.
Ted Menelly
11-07-2010, 05:03 PM
Why are these PVC standpipes scattered around this leach field.

My assistant in photo #3 had no clue either.

Agent reported that the septic guy said "something" about homeowner inspection of the leach field using these pipes?????

What are they for?

Thank You

Not a leach field. That is where they keep the hostages. Every now and then they drop some food and water down and blow some fresh air in.
H.G. Watson, Sr.
11-07-2010, 05:13 PM
No, not air vents for a bomb shelter, or a living hostage vault either :rolleyes: - no open ports, the pipes are capped, Ted! :D ;)
Paul Kondzich
11-07-2010, 07:18 PM
Interesting article. I saw a few of those when I was in Colorado, and asked a few supposedly good septic guys and all they could come up with was inspection ports, nothing more when I pressed for details. Obviously they didnt know how to test them either. Is this a primarily Western US thing?
James Duffin
11-07-2010, 07:52 PM
If the pipes are indeed the ends of laterals in a LLP system, they are quite common in NC where the land does not perk for a conventional system.
Ted Menelly
11-07-2010, 08:31 PM
No, not air vents for a bomb shelter, or a living hostage vault either :rolleyes: - no open ports, the pipes are capped, Ted! :D ;)

I not only knew what they were but just took a refresher course on septic design the last week of October.

I was just being the typical fool I tend to be from time to time :p
John Kogel
11-07-2010, 08:32 PM
HG is right, they need to work on that one. The green caps are the way to go here. This one has some lawn gnomes added. :D

Sometimes, in a pressurized field such as the one in my pic, there will be valves under some of those lids so that branches of the field can be turned off.