Troubleshooting: Homeowners and Water Use Habits

Troubleshooting: Homeowners and Water Use Habits

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A colleague and I were called to a home years ago where sewage was backing up into the basement. We investigated the basement drain where the washing machine was connected to see if water backed up when it was running upstairs. We snaked the drain and found no blockage. When we went outside and opened the septic tank access, we found that the level in the tank was above the outlet. When we investigated the drainfield all of the trenches were filled. The conclusion was that the drainfield failed and needed to be replaced. 

The yard was framed by several rows of beautiful 15-year-old spruce trees, each one perfectly pruned. Of course, the only area available for the drainfield replacement was where the spruce trees were planted. 

We had a lengthy discussion with the homeowner about possible causes of the failure and he asked about an alternative to complete drainfield replacement when we reported our findings and recommendations. The end result was that the drainfield could not handle the amount of water used in the house. 

We explained that drainfields have a finite capacity to handle water and if that capacity is exceeded regularly the drainfield fails; a new and larger drainfield would be the answer or the owner and family could try to cut back on their water use enough to get the drainfield operational. We did not have much hope that cutting back would work and we expected the homeowner to just choose replacement. 

Unexpected plan

The homeowner explained that he had three teenagers, all of whom would stand in the shower daily until the hot water ran out. He asked whether it would be worth a try to address water use within the house before moving onto replacement. We said it certainly couldn’t hurt and would be worth a shot. Neither of us expected this to go anywhere because from our experiences with homeowners, they always think they use less water than they really do and efforts at cutting back usually fail. 

However, this homeowner was not typical, and we had no idea the lengths he would go to reduce water use to save the spruce trees. He agreed to put a water meter on the house to gauge how much was being used. We’ve always made this recommendation, but almost no one has ever taken us up on it before. He also installed a timer in the shower (similar to the kind installed in campgrounds) limiting the amount of time the water would run during a shower. He monitored the meter readings to ensure the kids did not exceed the daily water usage for a three-bedroom house. 

After a few months enforcing these controls, the system was functioning properly. This story is certainly an exception to the rules, but it demonstrates that water usage in a house has a big impact on the life and operation of onsite systems. In this case, the homeowner kept his spruce trees and avoided an expensive drainfield replacement — a happy ending. 

Troubleshooting water use and wastewater characteristics undeniably influences onsite systems. We will look at a few of those issues in the next few articles. 

About the Author

Jim Anderson is connected with the University of Minnesota onsite wastewater treatment education program, is an emeritus professor in the university’s Department of Soil Water and Climate, and education coordinator for the National Association of Wastewater Technicians.

Send him questions about septic system maintenance and operation by email to kim.peterson@colepublishing.com.

What issues do you regularly encounter with homeowners? How do you help them understand the importance of caring for their onsite system? Leave a comment below.



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