How are you guys dealing with this? This is relatively new to me. I don't know if this requirement has been around for a while, and just wasn't enforced, but over the last two years I've had several requests to show well, septic tank, and drain feilds on surveys. In Florida, with the sandy soils, it's pretty common for the drain field to be buried somewhere below natural grade with no visible sign of it's location. Our county health department is supposed to keep sketches of septic systems on file, but claim they only kept records post-1974 and even then, they have a hard time finding them.
In today's case, I located the septic tank by spotting a cleanout, and probing, but I have no idea where the drain field runs from there ... the owner is dead, the county has no records, and the septic tank is 60' from the well, so there'd have to be 40' leader to the drain field for this to be in compliance ... what's a surveyor to do?
I wrote a note that I couldn't find the drain field and the county has no records, and been in contact with the agents involved, but I'm sure this is not going to fly... and it will be my fault for not having x-ray vision.
Someone has to flag the lines for you to locate. I never have located anything like this on my own. I assume a septic specialist has some tool he uses to locate the lines.
In the past we would just show the approximate area based upon the sketch.
If you have a probe, which I thought you said you did, you can find the septic tank. Around here, you can generally find the field lines based upon the vegetation directly above the lines. It is usually greener and thicker over the lines.
You can only do so much based upon your current situation.
Good luck!
The grass is always greener over the leach field (apologies to Erma Bombeck).
Rick
> I wrote a note that I couldn't find the drain field and the county has no records, and been in contact with the agents involved, but I'm sure this is not going to fly... and it will be my fault for not having x-ray vision.
Why is it that we surveyors are so quick to dismiss these types of jobs as if they are someone else's problem. How much money would you make if you were to hire a firm with a ground-penetrating radar system? How about purchasing one of your own, learning to use it, then advertising a required service that few other surveyors will touch? How much would you make if you were to hire a backhoe operator to do some exploratory work?
We surveyors are complaining on one hand about the lack of work that we have and wringing our hands over the fate of our profession. On the other hand, we seem to come up with nearly every excuse we can come up with about why "it's not our job" or that there's "too much liability."
I figure there's plenty of work out there that the land surveying profession can do. We've just got to think outside of our little surveyor boxes and look for opportunities to provide a service to our clients that they absolutely require.
Who else is going to map the drain field? Bet you could make triple the money on your survey if you were to do the work that's being requested.
JBS
I usually ask the owner if they know, check the Health Department, and see if there is anything on the ground that looks like drainfields lines. Finally, on the plat I add a note that states how I determine their "approximate" location as shown and another note that states "the exact depth and location will require excavation". I've never had one turned down.
Gary
BINGO!!!!
GPR...think about how many of these type surveys are going to be needed...then think about how you can fill that need!!!
Backhoe and/or laborer with shovel
Ground-Penetrating Radar Soil Suitability Maps
Ground-Penetrating Radar Soil Suitability Maps
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that is often mentioned in news commentaries for its use in locating unmarked graves, clandestine burials and tunnels, terrorism and military hazards, and disaster victims. However, the effectiveness of GPR in these activities is highly site-specific and soil dependent. A common concern of GPR service providers is whether or not GPR will be able to achieve the desired depth of penetration in the soils of an assignment area. In many soils, high rates of signal attenuation severely restrict penetration depths and limit the suitability of GPR for a large number of applications. Knowledge of the probable penetration depth and relative suitability of soils can help service providers assess the appropriateness of using GPR and the likelihood of achieving acceptable results. Soil attribute data contained in the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) databases have been used to develop thematic maps showing, at different scales and levels of resolution, the relative suitability of soils for many GPR applications.
http://soils.usda.gov/survey/geography/maps/GPR/index.html
I've used a probe before and I will stress that when looking for a sewer line to be cautious.
It is very easy to puncture a PVC pipe and cause a field line to fail from debris and roots entering the hole. If one is punctured within the minimum distance from a well, you have caused the site to fail that test and repairs can be costly.
Just as easily, a water line can be stabbed causing an instant puddle/geyser depending upon the pressure. I stabbed 3/4 inch PVC once looking for the main line from a house. Took about an hour to fix (trip for supplies included)
I have put "undetermined location" for the field lines before when it was impossible to tell and nobody knew exactly where it was.
That satisfied the FHA specs when it was obvious from the location of the septic tank that they were outside the required distance from well.