Deeder McDaniel wrote:
Our little family of two has been grossly negligent of our cesspool for
four years. We've ignored it and put all sorts of horrible things in
there. No surprise when it backed up on us. We had it pumped, and went
right back to doing the same things, and within a week it was full
again. This time I did my homework, concluding that we had killed all
the bacteria in there, we were using WAY too much water, and lots of
inappropropriate products (cleaners, etc).

They pumped the tank again and now I can peer down the tube and see the
bottom of the cesspool (for the expert that came out said that since
the house was built in 1941 it is certainly a cesspool). I watch when
someone in the house runs water and it comes out quickly and cleanly
into the tank.

We've added some of the bacteria starter from Roebic, have gotten rid
of our anti bacterial soaps, are using a LOT less water, and so far as
I peer down in there everything looks good. I hope we are on the road
to recovery.

Then somebody said, well, I sure hope you're not creating conditions
for it to collapse by removing the internal pressure the water was
creating - it is 60 years old. I almost passed out - I didn't know that
was possible. Installing a new system here would be nearly impossible.
The cost would run into tens and tens of thousands of dollars if it can
be done at all. Now I am obsessed with the idea of it collasping.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it outlandish, rare,
possible, probable, likely, certain...? What's the oldest successful
cesspool you've heard of?

Thanks! -Deeder


I wouldn't be worried about it collapsing. Cesspools are pumped empty
all the time and no special precautions are taken. As long as you use
common sense and don't drive a truck over it, you should be fine.

On the other hand, the bad news is that with a 60 yr old cesspool, it's
likely at the end of it's life. The fact that it was pumped and
completely filled again in a week is a bad sign. I wouldn't be too
hard on yourself that you caused it either. 60 years worth of all
kinds of stuff going in there and eventually the surrounding soil can
become plugged up to a degree that the water can no longer filter out.

Why do you think it will be nearly impossible to install a new septic
system?