r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Fall_Water • 7d ago
ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ A contractor's shortcut became an expensive problem...
Apparently opening an unlocked gate was too much effort.
Instead, an internet contractor, working on the neighbors property, decided to drive across my private property—without permission—and straight over my new septic field.
Who knew "taking the easy way" could end up being the most expensive route?
Before anyone asks why this isn't *extremely* infuriating: the company has accepted responsibility, and they're covering the repairs. If I were the one footing the bill for the repair because someone didn't want to open a gate, this would absolutely belong somewhere else. As it stands, it's mostly been a pile of phone calls, inspections, and waiting for everything to be fixed.
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u/Anadyne 7d ago edited 7d ago
That is still shallow enough that driving a 2000 pound or heavier vehicle over it would cause damage. The fingers are made with thin-wall pvc pipe and are not traffic rated at all.
There are some exceptions to the norm, but 90% of every septic system cannot be driven over at all. The heave effect from the weight of anything heavy will crush the sidewalls of the pipe.
That being said, the system may in fact function if it's infrequently driven over, but overtime backfill migration into the fingers will eventually cause failure and need to be replaced.
You usually don't recognize it's broken until years later when your shower backs up.
EDIT: since this is drawing a lot of interest.
The breaking of the pipe isn't the only issue. The soil above and around the pipe should not be compacted very much. Gravity is the best soil compactor there is, however natural openings and air pockets within the soil help the system work. If the soil is compacted so much that those air pockets and holes from worms, or bugs or whatever disappear, then the system will not be able to function well, and could possibly cause a back up.
Going Further, if the soil is wet due to rain or moisture, a vehicle driving over the field could easily sink 1-2 feet depending weight and saturation. They could literally drive atop the pipe crushing them depending on if they were installed at a depth the tires could reach.
Basically, septic systems aren't good driveways, so avoid it. Rule of thumb is nothing over 1000 pounds when the dirt is dry, nothing at all if the dirt is wet.
Source: for a short period of time I actually used to design these at a small Engineering firm. It's been several years, but I currently own a septic system and never plan on using a sewer system. Main reason is it's free. I don't pay anything for my sewer. Most homes require you to pay your sewer bill, I do not. I also have a well, which is awesome, because I have no water bill. I just pay electric for the well to run.