Wife and I have been looking at some properties for our retirement home. Found a couple properties we're interested in and may be making an offer soon. Been 30+ yrs since i was on well /septic. One property we looked at, prior owner did a perk test 13 yrs ago. No real issues on rpt, cleared for a 4BR home... But in looking at the prior report, well is shown on one side of the home, leach field on the other. I see the well is shown on a plat mockup on the 'lower' part (maybe 6' lower) of the property and leach field on the higher ground. Kinda struck me as odd... Any insights here or concerns jumping out or thoughts on how much latitude is have to alter (e.g. Well in front of home, leach field behind the home or well on high ground)? Realtor is suggesting get a new perk test anyway, since report/permit was from 13 years ago... Thoughts?
Local code will dictate the well usually has to be a minimum 50' away from the drain field. I would also recommend a 4" well with a submersible pump and motor.
Spacing between shouldn't be an issue...lots were looking at 3-10ac. Noted on well size. Just unfamiliar with the assumptions relative to each other and why/where they noted a drive, well and field...
When I had my septic tested I knew the woman was probing the old drainfield not the newer one, who am I to second guess a trained professional?
I wouldn't hold hard and fast to a 4" well. Check state well code and the counties records on well depth for that area. 4" means a drilled well versus a "sand point". Using that as an example, in WI, one is required to have 30 feet of well casement below ground. In my area, the well driller will have set casement below good water that can be reached with the sand point and still meet code for the sand point. In my case, the driller would be drilling an additional 150-200 feet with a 90% chance of hitting sulfur water. Pros and cons to each option
A submersible pump and motor is superior to any other well pump available. Water quality seldom gets worse the deeper you go.
I'm NOT knocking the bennies of a submersible pump. It is absolutely better at pumping water than a sand point. Time for you to road trip. I will introduce you to my neighbor. I will have him shut down his water softening system and let you smell and taste what comes out of his "well". I wouldn't water my animals with that crap. And where do you dump the regen water from the softener? In WI, by code, it's the septic system. Salt plays nice with absolutely nothing. He has replaced his pump (mound system like mine) twice in 15 years. I just replaced mine after 27.
The water at the ranch was great never had a softer, I am not sure where the softner drains. I should say that all my well drilling experience was in Minnesota and we rarely drilled a well under 100+ ' deep. Shallow wells just seem gross to me.
They may have perked it in multiple places and it perked better on the higher elevation. Then you just place the well on opposite side of the home. I think here in MD we have a 100' setback between well and septic. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
At was the approx distances shown on the plat. Drive was shown on opposite end of home with well just past drive...house depicted was ~60' wide
Soil in my part of Carolinas is clay. Property is still just West of the Uwharrie mountains so soil still will be closer to clay than sand... Alone with a good bit of rock.
That could explain it. If you have alot of clay in the area, they may have been punching a few holes and maybe found a gravel bank under the higher elevation. So may be stuck with that location for septic in that case. Rock is better then clay for septic, and neither is fun to dig in! lol Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Not radon, that's usually mountains and close to coal seam areas... The clay will expand when it gets wet and drastically contracts in the heat. That expansion / contraction causes no end of problems like settling and cracking off foundations, let alone a basement wall.
