Well and septic system

[O.city]

So the wife and I are looking to get outside of Springfield with some land and build a home so the kids can get a little room to stretch their wings

First off, if anyone is looking for a home in northeast Springfield, let me know. We just listed our home.

Second, we’ve found about 15 acres we are gonna buy and I’ll have to get a well dig and septic put in.

Anyone have any knowledge on do’s and don’ts and what I should look out for?
Any thing is appreciated

[Mr. Wizard]

Our well is 440' deep and cost $22,000 completely done with pump and well house. Dont forget the cost of getting the water to your house (be sure they run 2"line, they can go smaller but it effects volume/pressure) at the house, outdoor hydrants, (put them in now when its cheapest) and a water softener (you'll need one) and a whole house water filter, (you'll need one)
New EPA rules have spiked the cost of septic systems. Ours was for 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and cost $12.500 its a good idea to have a drain put going into the line for an rv pad too with water hydrant and electricity. Cheapest time to do it and its nice too hook up your rv for company, etc...

[cooper barrett]

Comanche +1!!!

May I add
Do not use a garbage disposal or allow cooking oils, borax, bleach, etc into a septic system. They do not play well. Do give it a monthly cocktail, and check the silt levels yourself, don't just call on time alone.

I had new neighbors that built and they used a back hoe on a bobcat to DIY a system. They had the company's engineer it and inspect it as they went. Said
they saved big bucks and were able to use better materials. too. It was a big house.

If you have lots of space and you can pass permitting a oxidizing pond may be worth looking into. My friends in Smithville area have one and says the water is very clean and no issues what so ever. Once again your location may not allow this. Ecstatics can be an issue for some. His is shielded from the house by evergreens. You'd never know it was there.

Given my choice I would look at gray water system fed to a septic tank feeding an oxidizing pond and utilizing composting toilets. (skip the laterals altogether). When everything is engineered properly you should only have to deal with the composters twice a year. (if you keep poop knives in the bath, more often) and you could install flushers but why?
I looked at a house that is set up with small septic/ laterals system as a pond was not an option due to forestation. He told me he couldn't get past county without one. All that goes into his septic is gray water.... that simply needs a filtration system( sand) to be used for anything but drinking. I would like to know since you are not introducing fecal matter into the system if there is any risk involved with this design. (Need for fencing) You could just run the gray water to the sand and into a hole filled with gravel but the pond makes you legal.

My old house had a rainwater system under the patio for the barn and
freeze-proof faucets and the garden, a well water supply for utility sinks, laundry, and showers and city water for drinking and cooking. The well water was treated for odor but I was required to connect to expensive Raymore water, so I did

Originally Posted by Comanche

1. Drill the well deep. 400 or so feet depending on what you can afford, anticipated usage and the topography. Shallow wells can work but typically the water is better in deeper wells and they are less likely to run dry during drought conditions.

2. Make sure the CASING is deep. Some contractors dig you a deep hole but put in a shallow casing. Again, go as deep as you can realistically afford.

3. Buy the pressure tank that DOESN'T have a bladder. IMO, there are less maintenance problems in the long run.

4. I don't know if Greene County requires a percolation test or not but imo, it might be good to get one anyway. This will tell you how well the soil will absorb your sewer drainage.

5. Get a good lateral line system installed. Your septic tank will only work as well as your drainage system. Keep a map of the lateral line layout. Many people don't have a clue where their lateral lines run.

6. Pump out your septic tank at least once every three years. More often depending on size of tank/usage. They tell you the "bugs" break down the waste which is true but only to a degree. A full septic tank can clog the lateral lines in your drainage field. It is expensive as hell to dig those up to clean them out. Don't put them near any living root systems.

7. Don't be cheap buying a well pump. Get a good powerful one. Make sure it is grounded from lighting damage.

8. You will love not having a water/sewer bill each month.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by frozenchief

I’d get the soil tested so you can get an optimal system. There are lots of good pieces of advice but I’ll add one more: overbuild by a bit.

Most housing codes require a certain size of septic tank depending on the number of rooms so if your tank is built for a 3 bedroom house, you can’t add rooms or decide that a study is now a “bedroom” if you decide to sell. The cost difference between a 3 bedroom tank and a 4bedroom tank (or 4 versus 5) is comparatively small now. If you ever decide to add a bedroom or call something a bedroom in the future, digging it up and expanding it is a giant smelly hassle and expensive. I suggest that even if you’re building a 3bedroom house, put in a septic tank that would fit codes for a 4or 5bedroom house just for that possibility.

I agree. If it's a traditional septic system, add 20% more laterals and 50% more rock base. We did this 22 years ago on my current house and have had no issues.

We do not have a well, but my brother does, and he had radon in his water and had to mitigate this as well.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by O.city

Is it worth having soil testing done on the land to determine what I’m getting into in regards of well and septic?

I’m thinking I can get both done for about 12k but if it’s a limestone quarry or some shit it could get into the 30s

Make sure you put the well as far away from the septic system as you can get. Put the well pit and pressure tank close to the house. For my sisters house at the farm we have a pressure tank pushing at the well and a higher pressure tank at the house. But that’s better than a half mile. The difference in pipe from the well to the house is basically nothing. So go big. Like 3” big.

Make sure you have the capacity for your sprinkler system if you’re going to do it. We don’t have the luxury of living in a Rainforest here.

Get as big of septic tank as you can get away with and as much leech line as you can get away with. Make sure the contractor follows alll the rules. I think you’re supposed to have an epa certification to install one. Maybe it is KDHE here but I think it is EPA. Just make sure you can get the local permits.

“Here”. USDA cost shares septic if it is in the country. I’m sure it is to prevent slapsticks with a backhoe from doing it themselves. Call your local Usda service center and see if there is any cost share available for septic.

I cannot reiterate enough. Get your well as far away from septic as you can. You know. For the poop

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Comanche

2. Make sure the CASING is deep. Some contractors dig you a deep hole but put in a shallow casing. Again, go as deep as you can realistically afford

The state of Missouri told our guy how deep the casing had to be once he picked a location. He is licensed by the state and the county had nothing to say about it according to him. He had to put our casing 180 feet deep.


***edit*** We do not need a heated well house as we put the pressure tank in the house. That was always a pain in the winter when we were on the shared well.

[Icon]

Regarding septic tanks, I'm not sure what the rules are in Missouri but in Kansas you have to contact your County Health Department to determine whether you can put in a septic tank with leach field or are required to go with a lagoon. This would be dependent upon a percolation test or, in many cases, the County will simply know based on soil type whether a septic tank/leach field will work. The total lenght of your laterals will be dependent on the size of your house, number of bedrooms, etc.

You probably already know but don't drill your well near the septic system for obvious reasons.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Make sure your wellhouse/pumphouse is heated. I use a “ milk barn heater” for about 5 months out of the year.

I'm going to come across as a city boy but even down on the farm the pump and tank were in the subbasement,.The last house with a well that I had was a submersible with controller and tank in the basement, and I think, my father in law's pump and pressure tank was in his sub basement in an old farmhouse. I have seen pumps inside small rooms in out buildings as they used to hook up lights to warn for leaks or faulty switches. I have never seem a stand alone building or a decorative one solely for a well pump and tank. Is this due to me being naive or cold weather locations or both?

I'm used to seeing things like this. for drop in pumps.


not this

I think I can understand if you have a remote location you want the pump as close to the source but ant other reasons ???

[TLO]

I don't have much to add to this thread. I just want to say that it looks like this thread will be one of those that always manages to stay towards the top of the front page without actually having that many posts on it.

[O.city]

Thanks for all the info guys.

Dad and I are gonna go out and look at the property here in a bit and get his thoughts on it so I'll be sure and share.

[MahiMike]

Originally Posted by In58men

Springfield is a shithole

You suck.

Springfield is nice man.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

You suck.

Springfield is nice man.

Septic=Shithole

[Mike in SW-MO]

Originally Posted by O.city

Thanks for all the info guys.

Dad and I are gonna go out and look at the property here in a bit and get his thoughts on it so I'll be sure and share.

All wells in Greene County must be cased through the Northview Shale layer. Close to the surface on the east and nearly 400 feet on West side.

Well must be at least 100 feet from septic regardless of slope.

Find out where neighbors septic is as well as your own.

With 15 acres, you should have no problem placing septic & well properly.

I second the quality of work from the boys out of Crane. PM me if you want a name & details why I think they are good.

Do NOT forget about county permits & zoning. Greene is serious.

Check topo maps & the assessors GIS website for sink holes.

That's all off the top of my head.

[SuperBowl4]

If you do sell your house be sure to invest some of that money into some Club Level CHIEFS Season Tickets for the whole family!

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Well, that is a deep subject. We have now been on both well and septic for the first time in our lives for the last 7 years.

We were on a shared well and it made our life miserable since the neighbor was the most narcissistic person in Missouri.

Last year we put in a new well, quite a process. We found a nice company out of Crane, that did a nice job and was very reasonable compared to some. They went 365 ft deep and we have great water now. PM me if you want their information.

Septic? We had it pumped out about 5 years ago and make sure we put Ridx or bakers yeast down the system once a month. No issues.

A couple of our neighbors have installed complete new systems, actually helped one put lateral runs in. Tanks were concrete but some are fiberglass. Don't know much more than that.

Kind of ironic timing of this thread. With the snow melt and beautiful weekend, I decided it was time after five years to have our tank pumped.

I didn't know exactly where the lid was, but started digging. Much to my pleasant surprise, we have a concrete tank. I fully expected it to be like most other things down here and be disappointed with a plastic tank.

Had it pumped out yesterday and learned a lot. DO NOT USE RIDX OR BAKERS YEAST as I had been told. You want the solids to drop to the bottom instead of being broken down to run in your lateral fields that could plug them up.

I did a google search to confirm and it sure seems to be true.

[cooper barrett]

So what you're saying is that Rid Ex makes the "Scum" become so much more massive that it starts pumping scum to the laterals? That would be 3 foot of scum or does it emulsify into the liduids and go out that way?. Even if you do yearly inspections I don't think you would see that. Good info.

I never put any thing in mine when I has one, laundry, shower water was not put into septic ever. but it was just me and occasional guests for 7 years. Buyers had it checked and still didn't need service. Pays to shit at work or the bar.

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Kind of ironic timing of this thread. With the snow melt and beautiful weekend, I decided it was time after five years to have our tank pumped.

I didn't know exactly where the lid was, but started digging. Much to my pleasant surprise, we have a concrete tank. I fully expected it to be like most other things down here and be disappointed with a plastic tank.

Had it pumped out yesterday and learned a lot. DO NOT USE RIDX OR BAKERS YEAST as I had been told. You want the solids to drop to the bottom instead of being broken down to run in your lateral fields that could plug them up.

I did a google search to confirm and it sure seems to be true.