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unc_tom
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2023 01:39pm
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Looking for some ideas....
I have a camp that is very close to a small lake, as in ~0 feet in high water, 20' in low water. There is an active cesspool behind the house. The lake is spring-fed, and I am sure that groundwater travels from behind the house towards the house, as there are a series of lakes in the region of progressively lower elevation, and this one is in the middle. The site plan wants me to put my well basically 20' downstream from the cesspool. I'm not a fan of that. I could drill a deep well, that that is really expensive, and the neighbors complain about horrible iron. I'm sure I could get water uphill from the cesspool, but I'd like to some day put in a septic, and the lot is tiny and the whole backyard will be taken. I've been using this seasonally, with a hose in the lake for years....
I'm hoping to use this a bit more year-round in the future, and am otherwise winterizing the house. I'm leaning towards still drawing from the lake rather than suck on the cesspool. This is in NH, so front line is 48". Basically...I don't know how to trench the shoreline to get a line 4' below grade until the water is greater than that depth. Soil is sandy/rocky. Does anyone have any ideas? Thought about a pressure washer, but I don't see that getting 4' down before caving in. Or am I just better off putting in a point and chlorinating the water? Probably have to chlorinate anyway.
Thanks
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2023 02:20pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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Imo, fwiw...
You need to stop with the cesspool asap.
You basically have yourself sitting on contaminated ground and a well only 20' downstream/away is madness.
Id also want to excavate as much of that c-pool as sensible costs/work allow so the ground can begin to get healthy again.
On a small lot with those ground conditions I wouldnt want a septic at all. Will they allow a holding tank you can periodically have pumped? Should be far cheaper than a questionable (imo) septic system even with pumping costs over time.
That said, we successfully and happily have used a diy composting T system for 2 seasons now. Works Great for the 2 of us; and a simple French drain for grey water.
If you reduce the 'black water' contamination from your ground so it only has to deal with the 'grey water' (and there are ways to min its effects too) you will be waayyy farther ahead than using fresh water to become foul water to flow with minimal ground filtering back into fresh water.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2023 06:11am
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A cespool? Like a real open air shit pit? A cespool can mean alot of things to many people.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2023 09:52pm
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Can you not rent a trencher?
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unc_tom
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2023 01:27pm
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The cesspool, fwiw, is a open-bottom concrete tank put in ~1960. I'm not a fan of it at all, and obviously will have to go at some point. We require "state approved" septics around here, and with the small lot, seems they'd rather I continue to use a cesspool than agree to an undersized septic. Meanwhile holding tanks are banned, but a variance is possible. What I really want is a reasonable septic.
But in the meantime, the ground is not something I want to drink from, and you can't just excavate on a shoreline either.
I can rent a trencher, but never used one before. Can that be run into the the lake 4' deep? Won't the trench just collapse being completely wet?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2023 02:01pm
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I suspect you are in a situation that your simple solutions may run you afoul of several regulatory entities.
The most obvious is whoever is in charge of the septic tank regs, another is State and/or Fed regarding the lake waters and shoreline. Here in WI 'they' are touchy about both and the permitting process is required before moving any dirt.
If you can apply for and hopefully get a variance for a holding tank maybe you could get the 'cesspool' pumped, flush and dry it and pour a concrete bottom to make it an affordable holding tank? That is done here but they do have regs on the size for the number of people and the 'uses'.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 8 Nov 2023 06:33am
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So a cesspool is just a combination of a septic tank and a leach field. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as its working properly.
Really any lake water should be treated. Filtered properly a if you use a UV light of it I should be safe.
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unc_tom
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2023 08:07am
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No matter what I'll need UV, but I guess on my original question, does anyone have experience trenching in saturated / wet material?
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