Most people who live far away from a common sewerage system often construct septic tanks to collect human and kitchen waste.
It is also common to find such people with a well on their property, which supplies the entire homestead with water.
A well becomes very useful, especially where the city water service doesn’t get to the rural areas.
If you are building or buying a home in a rural area, you will need to build a septic for waste collection and a well for water supply.
(In an attempt to keep your rural home safe) Can You Have A Well And Septic Tank On The Same Property?
The answer to this is – Yes! You will need to have a well and a septic tank to operate comfortably in your home. Having all of them on your property will make the operationalization of a home relatively easy. However, the positioning of these two essential units is a key concern.
It is common to find people in rural areas drinking the well water every day without appropriately treating it.
Well water can easily get contaminated by septic waste and bring about dangerous diseases.
This post guides how to position a well and a septic tank on the same property.
How Far Should The Well Be From The Septic Tank?
EPA recommends certain well and septic distances necessary to ensure water safety.
However, local authorities may require larger distances than those stated by EPA.
The soil structure should also be a factor to look keenly into when spacing these two.
Property elevation restrictions can also help you determine how and where to construct different essential home structures.
Even though different states give varied clearance for property, 50 feet is enough space for septic and well.
However, this varies depending on the soil structure and the exact positioning of the well.
Most constructors advise that you place a well at a higher place, and the septic should be on the lower place of the property.
This way, it will be hard for contaminants to flow from the septic to the well.
Insufficient space between a septic system and a well or just a leakage in the septic and the well can lead to contamination of well contents.
When this water is taken in for consumption, health is exposed to high risks.
Five Possible Harmful Contaminants From A Septic System
When the well is too close to the septic system or any other source of waste, contaminants will flow into the well water and make it unsafe for consumption.
Some of the common bacteria that flow to the well water from a septic system are;
- Phosphates from soaps and detergents
- Bacteria like salmonella and E. coli
- Heavy metals like iron.
- Viruses like hepatitis A and norovirus
- Chemicals from drain cleaners, paint, or other household products.
High amounts of these contaminants are fatal and will easily cause serious illnesses and diseases if not taken rid of early.
When they get into the human body, these diseases can kill within a very short time.
When well water is contaminated, treatment methods like reverse osmosis and chlorination should be utilized to make the water safe.
You can also use UV purification or activated charcoal filtration to ensure the water is clean and free from contaminants.
In a worse situation, repair on the well or septic tank may be very necessary.
Four Tips For Maintaining Both The Septic And Well On The Same Property
You want your septic and well to work efficiently without one interfering with another. So you have to ensure you maintain them simultaneously. Here are a few maintenance tips.
1. Keep The Lids Closed
The septic tank lid should always be closed. Otherwise, open septic tanks risk people and animals falling inside the dirt mixture.
You can periodically check on the septic lid’s firmness to confirm if it is in a good state.
The same should happen to the well. Always check to confirm that it is in the right state.
Closing the well will help prevent dirt from falling inside the water. A closed well is also safe for the surrounding people, children, and animals.
2. Avoid Using The Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal can allow too much solid substance into the septic system, and it will fill up very fast.
This increases the frequency of pumping out waste from the septic.
You should instead opt for a compost pit where you can dispose of the solid substances and only run dirty water from the kitchen sink to the septic.
Remember, when you let your septic fill up to the brim, it can spill and contaminate the nearby well. Filled septic tanks will also pollute the air.
3. Inspect The Well And Septic Tank Annually
Even when you think they are in a good state, always inspect the septic system and the well pump at least once every year.
You can hire a local septic inspector to check the pressure within the expansion tank. This will help you know when to suck out dirt from the septic.
Checking your well pump will help you solve the problems behind its regular failure. A maintenance company will help you keep the well pump in a good state and the water safe from contaminants.
4. Protect The Drain Field
This is the part of the yard where pretreated water flows throughout the soil and settles down with groundwater.
Your septic has this drain field, which should be protected for safety.
Consider these simple tips for keeping the drain field near your septic safe.
- Avoid parking cars here.
- Do not drain pools to the drain field.
- Divert snowmelt and rainwater away from the drain field.
- Plant trees at least 100 feet away from the drain field.
- Plant shallow-rooted flowers near the drain field.
With these tips, you will confidently operate a septic and a well on the same property.
Just ensure every structure functions efficiently.
Conclusion
With rural homes, every homeowner must invest enough to ensure they get all the utilities available.
This is one reason you will commonly find homes with a well and septic tank.
In most cases, these structures are privately owned. For effective service, you have to keep your well and septic appropriately positioned and cared for.
Sources
https://www.angi.com/articles/how-maintain-your-septic-tank-or-well.htm