"Steve Stone" wrote in message
.. .
I suspect the following,

Solids have migrated into the leech field piping, blocking the ability
of fluids to be fed to the field.

Probably have to abandon the exsisting leech field or dig it up and
replace with new field plus find someone to pump out 21 years of dense,
compacted solids from the tank.

$10k to $20k in my neck of the woods.

Well, sport, spend the $200 (or so) to get the tank pumped out. At worse,
it will buy you a little time while you seek bids for the system
replacement. Getting the "solids" broken up and pumped is part of the
basic service. Basically, they pump out, break up whats left, pump back
in, break up, pump out and repeat as necessary. You can add water with a
hose if there isn't enough liquid left to pump.


Lately, it seems that "they" have requred "gold plating" of the systems.
For example, the up hill side is required to have interceptor drains which
divert rain water to below the level of the disposal field pipes.

Even so, if you soil consitions are near "normal" it should be hard to spend
more than $10k.