These are wetland type leach fields. Plant life decomposes the waste, cleaning it, and then filters it back into the environment. This is more natural, more condusive to the environment.

Many have liners or cells underneath it all. Bacteria in the tank decomposes the solids. Only the already broken down liquid is piped to the wetland area, for further cleansing, before it releases back to nature through evaporation.

The tank does it's job, and then, instead of leaching into pipes buried under 800 yards of sand it would leach into this controlled wetland area.

More septic info, in case you haven't had enough

Picture all these fields in a sand mound 4' above the ground.

I placed a couple of calls to some engineers I know through work, no luck. Then it dawned on me that I know the town engineer from next door, so I've left him a mesage.

After that I called a friend at the town hall that knows everyone. He told me to stop over because there are 3 engineers! I hope to find out if it is worth paying an engineer for the septic design instead of the almost free county one.

Now, you are asking, well, why pay for an engineer when the county does it all (perc/layout/inspection), for one price? Because the county quite possibly over designs, whereas a qualified engineer may have better and more affordable ways to design the system.
For example, the county only will do a mound system with me. Well, there are a lot of other kinds, like wetland or marsh systems. Whether it is appropriate for this location considering the amount of shale, I don't know. It is worth a phone call, though.

Dowsing

Dowsing for water.

More water veins

I am ready to have the well digger come out - now that the septic field placement has been solidified - so I asked June to come out again to dowse some more. She dowsed around two more prospective building sites. I like the knoll the best, now, but I wanted her to 'feel' around in the pines also. This is the water vein she found up on the knoll. Two veins together, one over the other. One is about 100 feet and the other 300 feet down. She said it actually had the strongest pull of the three areas of veins she has uncovered so far.

I marked it with two stakes with red flags and the white bucket, way back (which I switched out with some rocks).

Too Pretty

To give you bearings on this pic, this is almost to the main road, facing west. At the horizon line is the ridge that slopes down to the main road.

This is such a pretty spot. Too pretty to picture oozing septic! This is the spot, though, that the leach field will go. The trees have to be cut flush to the ground rather than knocked over with the excavator. 

This was one of the spots I originally selected for the house. After some consultations, I realized that putting a driveway so far back in, would be really costly and I also realized that the pretty site would no longer exist if it had a house in it, the trees would have had to go. Anyway, as fate would have it, this will be the septic field. Suzie said it will now be called a glade. Good idea. She called it G...z's Glade. 

Suzie definitely gave it a positive spin. She said I could put my garden on it and have a nice view from the knoll.

Right in the Middle

When Mom said I could buy the property she said she didn't want to have a chunk cut out of the middle. I didn't either. I wanted the upper end, the older woods. 

The way the whole project is going, though, the middle is the only place the county says we can put the septic. I'll have to speak with Mom to see if this is acceptable to her or not. 

Wish me luck! Pray for me, please, if you'd like.

The septic area has to be level, away from water, and of course away from those dang power lines. If it is graded then I would have to bring in tons more dirt (if it is allowed by the county) and then the cost would skyrocket with dirt and labor. Dirt is really a ton of $ when you consider we're talking truck loads already, with the existing top soil. 

So, the county was looking for 110' x 75' level land for the leach field, 100 feet from intermitent stream (now called drainage ditch, haha), 100 feet from well, and 25 feet from the ridge of the main road, only leaves one spot. Right in the middle!

Dowse

I left a message for Betts and June to come out again. June had offered to come out and dowse again before I have the well dug. Double checking the land and confirming everything. I look forward to it. Not only is it practical, but it is way fun!

Crow Architect

I spoke with Crow Architect today and she confirmed what I thought. She said we can do a barn conversion in the town we are in. I told her that when I asked the building inspector if I could live in a barn or garage, he laughed at me and said no. I realized later that perhaps I wasn't clear. I wanted to know if they allowed me living in a converted barn. 

Crow was really empathetic and said not to listen to him, because it is totally acceptable. 

To do the plans she would come out and do an on-site measurement before the barn is dismantled (I figured this from my movie experience), draw it up, and then I'd submit drawings for the building permit. 

No word on whether or not I am getting the barn, which is all good. I just want to be prepared. I need to get all these other matters settled first before I have any house plans done anyway.

She said if I do a basement (which I wanted) that there is a lot involved with a barn, due to the structural elements. She explained these to me and said we can do it if I want, but it is more complicated (that translates to $). 

Crow told me it is easier and less expensive to do a slab for a barn. That barns are built to go on the ground. 4' footings, 2' pads for under the breaks? (I think those are interior vertical supports), and the slab with control joints. I forgot how deep the slab is, but I know she said we need mass. She told me the slab and walls of foundation would be insulated to keep it from getting cold. 

I asked her about radiant heat, then, and she said it would be good in this scenario. 

We'll see what happens. At least I know that I can do the barn conversion in the town.

It perc'ed

But don't get too excited, while that is all good and I am definitely pleased, County Guy said I have to bring in 4' of sand.
4' doesn't sound bad right? But remember that is 4' high over a huge amount of land.
The entire outside area dimensions will be about 110' x 75' (but the sides will be sloped).
500 yards of dirt, he said, with 30% compression which ends up being 800 - 1000 yards of septic sand, at possibly 10 -12 $ a yard.
Plus clearing the land, septic pipe and tank, and oh yeah, don't forget labor...

25 feet away, if that.

At first I thought I saw a dog, and right when I said to County Guy, "I think that's a dog up there" I knew it was a coyote. Having never seen one up close and personal before...I said "Do you think that's a coyote?"...in my disbelief.


Thank goodness he was walking along the ridge of the knoll (yes, the one where I want the house) and we were sitting at the bottom of it, at the most 25 feet away. The coyote just went along its business, headed uphill.
Earlier this morning, Neighbor was at the site with me and we watched a partridge with delight. What fun.
Now the coyote, well...that's another thing.

Digging

Last nights adventure, dig, dig, dig, all by hand. 12" wide and 30" deep. Plus we had to dig the two 12" wide and 12" deep ones (those are a snap). We were both tired when we started and tired at the end. We dug a fifth one over in the old goat pasture also, but that stands alone, it's not a set.

I did do some digging, too, but the power digs I have to attribute to Sammy.

Whoops, I guess you want to know the results...dirt! Yes, it was 99% dirt!!! A couple of pieces of shale but otherwise, good dirt.

The excavator will dig the 6' hole today or tomorrow morning. I pray it hits dirt all the way down! 

I love Yahoo groups

I joined two Yahoo recycling groups thanks to my daughter's boyfriend and to Princess. Thanks you guys, for turning me on to them! I picked up my first free stuff from them last night. 

Guess what? 1100 sq of new shingles, still bundled!

This picture is the last of it, after I made two trips already.

I didn't know shingles are so heavy.

Here is the whole lot in my shed! Crazy, huh?

You can't image the look on my face when I saw the stack of shingles to pick up. I was over-joyed and overwhelmed at the same time. I didn't know what 1100 sq would look like and there it all was, Owens Corning, 25 year shingles, bark brown, and best of all...Free.