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So the pipe on the left is an inlet (flows from the house into the tank). Is the pipe on the right an inlet or outlet? Is it connected to anything? The outlet pipe in the tank should be lower than the inlet.

It does sound like water is leaking into the tank somehow. The tank itself should be fine if it's only 4 years old, unless someone drove over it with something quite heavy, perhaps. It may be that one or more of the risers are cracked, or not properly sealed against the tank. How many covers...

Could it be related to this type of setup? (see photo below) Those are concrete slabs laid across the tank. Generally they are rather heavy and there is a good chance a slab will fall in when you're trying to move it, especially if you don't have help. This is a photo I found from an online...

Ponding of water around the sprinklers can be a symptom of clay soil if it's being overloaded, as in too much water is being sprayed out too often for it to dry out. If this has been a constant issue for several months, however, it's more likely a landscaping issue, as others have pointed out...

That is odd looking. For me, at least, I've never seen anything quite like that. I would guess the tank was poured-in-place instead of precast, which would probably explain the wood and the rough surface and no apparent inspection port. Also seems kind of small if it's 4 feet wide at most, but...

Are septic installers licensed in your state, or locally? If so, there's the option of reporting them to the regulatory authority and possibly getting some enforcement action on the installer that way, which could include revocation of license and/or fines. Clay is about the worst soil for...

I'm a couple months late on seeing this, but I thought I'd post anyhow to add a little info for anyone else. I have no personal experience with septic systems in North Carolina. I'm going based mostly on what little I've looked through the NC state septic rules (Chapter 18, Subchapter 18A...

If the disposal method of the system is located underground (some form of leachfield or lateral lines), then the wastewater going out of the tank into the lateral lines will either drain very slowly or won't drain at all when the soil is saturated with water. Normally the wastewater drains into...

How often does the filter clog? How do you know the clogging is being caused by the insects? Is the baffle filter located at the final outlet of the tank before the water goes to the disposal area? How many tanks and/or chambers does your system have? Making sure the tank is sealed as tight as...

Ideally nothing goes over a leachfield except grass, and the soil is mounded or sloped enough for rainwater to runoff somewhere else. Having cars or construction over the lateral lines could potentially break them. Wastewater from the treatment system can be pumped to the disposal area, so...

Five feet from the house means any edge of the tank should be at least five feet from the foundation. There are jurisdictions that grandfather older systems that were installed before any official rules were established. In that case, those systems aren't required to be brought up to code unless...

When the amount of rainfall exceeds the drainage and storage capacities of the soil, the soil becomes saturated and cannot take any more water. This will result in standing water, or surface runoff. At that point, the lateral lines are essentially underwater and they will not drain (or drain...

Also, Public Announcement, don't ever flush any kind of "flushable" wipes. It's misleading advertising and potentially harmful. Yes, they are flushable in the sense that they can be flushed down a toilet. So can lots of other things, but that doesn't mean they should. People often interpret...

Depends on your local regulatory authority, if they'll allow it. Also depends on the site layout and terrain, if it's physically possible to arrange them both on the same system. You'd have to ask a septic installer / designer for options. I have seen seen similar setups, though, with a house...

I know of lots of systems in my area that are hooked up to municipal water. I assume, then, that it's fine. I've never heard anything against that kind of setup.

Was the system not required to be inspected when the property was sold? I would think Minnesota would require that for all the 10,000 lakes it has. :rolleyes: Clay soil is the worst for drainage. Well, an impermeable rock layer would be worst, but you know. Here's a fun fact that nobody with...

I'm sorry to hear about the situation you're in. Unfortunately, it's not the first story like that I've come across. Part of my job is inspecting septic systems in a more rural area of Texas. A lot of people don't think about their septic systems since they're out of sight, out of mind. Until it...

Is there any way you could post some photos of the tank? I think I might know what you're talking about. Part of my job is inspecting septic systems for a local health department in Texas. I've come across a couple tanks like that and they both had 3 slabs. Only one of those tanks was...

30 year old system, lateral lines might be clogged with solids. They would need to be replaced in that case. Or could be plant roots if there are large bushes or trees near the lateral lines. With clay soil the system will drain slowly under normal conditions (this is counteracted by having a...

I guess I'm not familiar with a standing head test. Do they fill up the tank with water to see it if leaks or something? As long as the tank doesn't have any visible cracks or holes, it should be good to go. If the system has never been used, I can't think of much that might be wrong with it...