Question about septic system for the brain trust

[wdfifteen]

I don't understand some of the terms on this sketch of the septic system.

1. "Well isolation line"

2. "B.M. Nail in tree" (WTF??)

3. "Earth dam" (nothing on the surface indicates anything different below ground)

[slow&rusty]

B.M. Nail in tree is NOT a "Bowel Movement" in the tree...haha!

It is a survey term short for "Bench Mark", which is a reference when setting up survey equipment to a fixed object to get all survey shots consistent and properly geo-referenced.

Is the Well isolation line for a water well versus the septic?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

B.M. Nail in tree is NOT a "Bowel Movement" in the tree...haha!

It is a survey term short for "Bench Mark", which is a reference when setting up survey equipment to a fixed object to get all survey shots consistent and properly geo-referenced.

Is the Well isolation line for a water well versus the septic?

Thank you. I don't know what you mean by your question. The "well" noted on the drawing is a water well. Don't know what an "isolation line" is. Maybe it's the required distance from the leach field to the well?

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Thank you. I don't know what you mean by your question. The "well" noted on the drawing is a water well. Don't know what an "isolation line" is. Maybe it's the required distance from the leach field to the well?

Exactly. Here, I believe the required distance from any septic component is 50 ft.

Earth dam is likely compacted soil at either end of the leach field to prevent leachate runoff.

[juanbenae]

I would guess the earth dams are compacted native material that "cap" the end of the line to act as an impervious dam where the rock & the leach lines end. Confines the wastewater to the leach lines promoting it to only drain into the soil below the system.


Agree that the isolation line is the minimum distance between the two facilities.

[dad911]

IDK about your area, but here it is 50' from well to septic tank(s) and 100' from well to septic.

BenchMark & 'dams' as above. I haven't seen a system like that in years, on a slope engineers used to call for use clay dams(barriers) on the low side, as of mid-90's there is a band of select fill around the septic beds instead.

I suspect that system is 40+ years old?