Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry Septic systems around ponds

We will be building a house this year. We will have to use a septic systme. Will this interfere with the pond if it is located uphill about 40 yards? Will a septic system be beneficial to a garden area if placed in close proximity? Never been around septic systems before so I'm not sure about the DO's and DONT's. Thanks for any input.

You are probably going to get advice different from mine on this as I feel many people feel systems can cause excess nutrients. My feeling, however, is that if you have use an aerobic vs. a passive type of system: aeration pumps in the tank; adequate holding capacity; and a final state chemical tank, and maintain the tank with nuteralizing chemicals in the final stage, there will be very little or no determental impact. In a properly maintained system the water which flows out of such a system, although not of drinking water status, has very little bacteria or other nutrients.

Bing

If you are concerned, you can always pony up the extra cash and install a lift station, pumping the sewage to a septic tank you located further away from your pond area.

septic system vs pond thread

Go with the aerobic system if possible. I have a home on each end of my pond and they each have an aerobic system. Just make sure to run the sprinkler lines away from the pond. Aerobic is also good for watering your backyard.

Thanks for the input and the link guys. You guys really have all the answers!!

Brettski

Thanks for that link! I also am going to be getting into this before to long and was wondering who, what, where and when of putting in a septic tank. Much appreciated sir!

You are welcome cmf and RC.
I should add the next chapter to the story; maybe tonight.

Next installment to septic dilemna is added to the link.

Great info Brettski, Thanks.

Be thankful you are not in California asking that. AB 885 passed way back in 2000, and it took a decade to hammer out the regs. They are supposedly in place as of Jan 2010. But there is an auto six month delay written in. Been SRO workshops with a lot of super pissed off people. I think within a year you will not be able to have a septic system near or within 600 feet to be exact of a body of water or a pond without some type of state inspection and certification. Nor will you be able to stock a pond, without state certification.

My septic leachfield is less than 100' uphill from the pond. Heavy clay soils seperate it from the pond as does the ponds core trench and the soil under the leach bed perks enough that it hasn't caused any issues since 2003.

Aerators use power and IME break down fairly often and need to be inspected regularly.

If there are concerns about the soil not perking enough and septic effluent rising to the surface and making it's way to your pond, a curtain drain could be installed and directed away from your pond.

Cmfulmer, I had an issue a couple years ago with a drain(leech) field located too close to a pond.

My grandfather decided to dig a pond with one edge within 25ft of the leech field. It wasn't an issue while he was alive, but the system finally failed when I owned the property.

It first formed a soft wet area on the lawn surface, then the grass started growing 4+ times faster than the surrounding area. The rapid grass growth extened all the way to the pond edge, and it wasn't long after the pond literally exploded in growth. Mostly algea, but also the plant growth.

The pond went from an asset to the property, into an ugly eye sore, very quickly.

I've since moved both the septic & leech field(still gravity to the tank, but pump chamber and pump to move the effluent uphill and quite a distance to the field)

I wanted to keep a good distance between the pond and the field incase I decide to enlarge the pond.

Anyways, still working on bringing my pond back to the natural state it was in before the septic system problem.

Think/hope I'm on the right track?!

Jeff