Locating your Septic System

Do you know where your septic tank access is located on your property?

If you don’t and there are no records or drawings indicating the location, these guidelines may help.

To locate your system, follow the sewage pipe that leaves the basement through the wall. The tank is usually ten to twenty feet from the house in the same direction as the pipe.

The septic tank may be located by probing with a metal rod, following the pipeline from the house or by listening to the noise a plumber's snake makes when it contacts the tank inlet. Care must be utilized during the probing as it may damage the inlet tees or piping. The top of the septic tank is usually 2-4’ beneath the surface.

Once you locate your system, draw a diagram and store it with other septic system documents that record all maintenance. The folder should contain all documents and receipts in one handy location.

Make sure the system – both the tank and absorption field – are the required minimum distance from your drinking water well. The farther apart the well and septic system, the better.

Also, make sure the septic system is downhill from the well. If you find that your well and septic system are closer than the 50-feet minimum, have your well tested more frequently to insure your water’s quality.

In any case, well water should be tested annually as a precaution.