drain field and force main questions

[BevP]

Hi, my name is Bev, and I just joined this forum since you seem like a group who could help with these questions. So thanks in advance! A drip irrigation system was just installed on my property, and there are a few issues with it, such as all the trees on the drain field being uprooted rather than cut at the base as was specified in the engineering plan. I understand the purpose of that was to have helped with soil stabilization. But there are two issues I would like to know more about :

1. The drain field covering was specified on the engineering plan as 12" of topsoil, with no aggregate larger than 3/4." But apparently there was some free fill dirt available, because the field is now covered with dirt containing rocks larger than 3/4" in almost every square inch, and in some cases actual boulders. My questions are:
   1. Will that affect the functioning of the system, and if so how?
   2. Should I be concerned that the boulders have damaged the lines? They were rolled over the connectors that were projecting above the trenches. The system is functioning now, but there is only one person currently using a field that is designed for four bedrooms in case of future additions.
   3. Even if damage is not obvious now, should I be confident that the drain field won't be compromised over time?
   4. Is it okay that the drip lines that were buried in 6" trenches are embedded with shards of shale?
2. In one place where the excavator encountered rock, the force main was only buried to half the specified depth of 36," which places it above the frost line. Questions:
   1. If it has to be rerouted, is it okay if the pipes are run near a well? I know there are usually 50' restrictions for the tanks and the drain field, but can't find anything about the lines.
   2. Similar to the drip lines, these pipes were embedded in and covered with shards of shale, but even larger and more extreme. The pipes are schedule 40 PVC, so I assume they are tougher than the drip lines. But is that okay?

Looking forward to hearing your advice.

 

[JG plumbing]

Those large rocks need to be filtered out of the dirt before they use it as backfill. The pipe itself should have a protective layer of small uncompacted rock around it and be on a layer of compacted rock.

This is how I would do it.

Your engineering plan wasn't followed and therefore yes you should be worried. Uneven settling will occur and could cause pipes to be broken or wear.

This is why I do things myself.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Sounds like heavy equipment was used to do work above your drain field.

That’s not good. You may have compacted the earth below.

Good luck with it all, not much you can do after the fact.

 

[BevP]

Thank you both, that is helpful. I'm trying to figure out whether the field needs to be abandoned and move to the reserve field.

Can anyone advise me on the other question regarding proximity of pipes to the well?

 

[Twowaxhack]

if the engineer specified how and what was to be done and it wasn’t followed you screwed the goose maybe.

It’s a guess for everyone now if it’ll work.

Consult a professional in your area, this really isn’t a DIY question.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Did a licensed contractor do this?

 

[FishScreener]

Hopefully this clown was a licensed an bonded contractor. If they are, you might stand a chance of getting it corrected. Call the Engineer who did the design, and ask them the questions? They will generally know how to go about getting things squared away.

I always put witness pipes at the ends of the galleries, so the cap can be screwed off, and a person can check for standing water at the ends of the runs. If there is standing water the gallery is clogged, if there is more than a bit of water, it is clogging up, if it s damp, or has just a bit of water it is working fine.

 

[BevP]

Yes, he is licensed, but I don't know if he is bonded. The engineer has helped somewhat, but I haven't heard back from him on what needs to be done to fix the situation.

That sounds like good practice to put in witness pipes.