Frank wrote the following:
On 5/17/2011 5:49 PM, willshak wrote:
Frank wrote the following:
On 5/17/2011 1:21 PM, Joe J wrote:
Are there any reasons besides looks, to mow the grass growing on a
mound
septic system? 2.5 acres and it's all grass and I would just like
to let
some of it grow wild, maybe throw out a few thousand wildflower seeds
and cut in some walking paths and let a lot of the rest of the grass
just grow, including what's on the mound. Any negatives to not cutting
the grass on the mound?

I cut grass over mine. Purpose is evaporation. Your system can't cover
a full 2.5 acres. Does not make sense to be that big.
He's not talking about the fields. I have less than an acre and my
fields are 400' long (4 at 100' each).
The field size is determined by the number of bedrooms, not bathrooms as
you may assume.


Yes. There are basically two kinds of fields, seepage, and
evaporation or a combination of the two. The evaporation fields are
larger or with more surface area. Around here, perc test may determine
how many bedrooms you are allowed and now alternate fields are also
required. The county would like to push everyone into being hooked up
to the sewer lines.

Yes, if sewer lines are installed that could service your house, you may
be charged, even if you elect not to hook up.
I live in a rural area, and there are no sewer lines within miles of me.
As I remember (in 1984), the local law was 100' per bedroom. I only have
3 bedrooms, but the GC put in 400' of fields.
Here, it costs around $400 to empty the septic tank. I also have a dry
well for gray water (sinks, clothes and dish washers, and showers) which
costs about the same.
I also run off a 325' deep well, so I take the water out of the ground
in one place and return it to the ground in another place. I only pay
for the electricity for the pump. Fuel Oil and Propane are delivered by
trucks. The only company utilities I have come in from utility poles,
like electricity, telephone and cable TV/Internet, the last only
available after 1984 when I had the house built.


OP says he has 2.5 acres and I guess he could pick any part to grow
however he wants. My neighbors yard grows completely wild and I've
seen his septic up. OK now but was a problem when kids and in-laws
lived there. Neighbor across street got by with a cesspool as there
was just him and his wife but when a family with kids moved in they
elected to tap into the sewer line.


--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @