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Septic & Cesspool Safety Guide for Homeowners SepticAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for homeowners Septic Tank / Cesspool Collapse Warnings

This document outlines key septic sysetm safety warnings for homeowners and home buyers of properties using onsite septic systems and cesspools. Septic tanks, cesspools, and drywells present serious hazards including septic cave-in's or collapses, methane gas explosion hazards, and asphyxiation hazards. Simple precautions which we describe here can help avoid a dangerous or expensive septic problem. © 2008-1978 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed at "References." This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

SPECIAL SEPTIC SYSTEM SAFETY WARNINGS FOR HOME OWNERS - Septic System Warnings for Home Owners and Home Buyers

• Signs of collapse-possible fatal hazards: include depressions or "soil subsidence" anywhere on or around the property. Any suspect area should be roped-off and absolutely no one should walk over or even close to such a spot until it has been investigated by a professional.Old or abandoned systems: such as site-built cesspools or drywells were often made with a thin steel or wood cover which with age can collapse. If the history of the site or visual observation suggests that there are or were old systems at the property, professional investigation is warranted. Improper "abandonment" (failing to fill-in a pit) can lead to sudden collapses. Signs that there may be old systems at a property might come from anecdotal evidence (ask a neighbor, ask the local septic installing or service companies), or visual evidence such as seeing abandoned waste pipes at basement or crawl space walls or floors. Don't assume that an old house which is now connected to the public sewer didn't previously have an on-site waste disposal system.Septic service by untrained workers: such as aerating, agitating, or pumping out an old site-built cesspool, can lead to sudden system collapse. Prevent access over or near any such systems.Unsanitary conditions such as discharge of sewage effluent to the yard surface, to a nearby well or stream, or previous septic backups into a building deserve professional attention. Indoors special cleaning may be needed to remove bacteria or other pathogens.Septic testing by inexpert "inspectors" who may not follow an adequate procedure increases the risk of a costly surprise.Uninformed or inexperienced homeowners may not notice a danger or malfunction. Homeowners should review the Septic System Safety Warnings listed above If your home uses a cesspool, drywell, or seepage pit, be sure to review our Cesspool Safety Warnings - Specific Warnings about Cesspool Collapse Hazards.
• The information here is general in nature. Since conditions and requirements vary widely at individual sites, the you should obtain qualified expert advice pertaining to the specific system about which you have questions, and should not rely on this general text for costly diagnostic/repair/replacement decisions.

More Reading on Septic System Safety Hazards, Cesspool, Drywell, and Seepage Pit Safety Warnings

• Septic Safety: (this document) Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners
• Cesspool Safety - Specific Warnings about Cesspool Collapse Hazards
• SEWER GAS ODORS: diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line odors


• Biomat Formation in the Septic System Drainfield Absorption System - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Cesspools for onsite wastewater disposal
• Drywells for onsite wastewater or graywater disposal
• Don't Flush these things into a septic system: a list of what's ok and what's not ok to put into septic tanks and building drains
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location - these methods also apply to locating a cesspool or drywell at a property.
• Inspecting & Testing Septic Systems: Online Book, Inspection, Test, Diagnosis, Repair, & Maintenance: Our Online Septic Book: Septic Testing, Loading & Dye Tests, Septic Tank Pumping, Clearances, details of onsite waste disposal system inspection, testing, repair procedures.
• Dye Tests: how to perform a Septic Loading and Dye Test - septic dye testing procedures in complete detail, a septic function test - a chapter in the above book.
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money

Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Alan Carson Carson Dunlop Associates, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Carson is a home inspection professional, educator, researcher, writer, and a principal of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection and education firm. Mr. Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors
• Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
• Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com 11/06
• Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. 11/29/06
• John Francis, Bioworks, Inc., marketing and technical services - editing/proof reading 4/07. "BioWorks provides environmentally responsible, safe and cost-effective solutions to the agriculture industry"
• Daniel Friedman - principal author
• Thanks to Denise Cermola for permission to use the photo above, showing a dump truck collapsed into a seepage pit. (email 11/16/06 to 12/10/06). The contractor drove over this seepage pit connected to septic tank and caused total destruction of the system.
• Thanks to George Fielder who points out that methane gas is not toxic, but rather (we add) the hazards of methane gas produced by septic systems include possible explosions or the asphyxiation of someone who enters or even just leans over a septic tank opening. (email 10/20/2007)
• Thanks to Donica Ben who points out the danger of digging into buried electrical wires (11/11/07)
• Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us

The Septic Systems Online Book - Where Are We?

• This Chapter: SAFETY WARNINGS
• Next Chapter: SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
• First Chapter: SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK

More expert information on this topic

More Information on Septic System Diagnosis, Maintenance, & Repair

• Cesspool Safety - Specific Warnings about Cesspool Collapse Hazards (this document)
• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money


Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include

• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
• Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
• Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)

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