Septic system lateral line

[warrington]

Can a lateral line for a septic tank go down hill? Our current septic line backs up when it rains a lot And back fill the tank. Thinking about running a lot longer pipe. Making the first 100 feet solid then a lateral line when it starts going down hill. Would that work?

[scotth89]

All of your field lines should be level.

[deerplanter]

The most grade you can have is 3" per 100', most likely your aggregate bed needs to be redone. This is why I prefer aerobic systems now, I have had to redo several drain fields thru the years mostly for friends and family.

[RMW]

I’ve done a few myself and never had a problem. When digging my drain line from septic I dig it about 4ft deep then every 20ft I dig a hole down till I hit sand, my lines are usually 100ft long and slightly down hill 6 inches every 50ft. I fill drain line with 5/8 rock about 2 ft thick. To test I put water hose in and turn on for a few days and water never builds up it drains into deep holes filled with rock down into sand.

Usually I have to dig 8ft to hit sand, sometimes less sometimes a little more.

[warrington]

We don’t have sand

1000 yr old red clay
Which doesn’t drain well

[TXDraht]

Divert the run off from the rain away from your lateral lines.

[RMW]

We don’t have sand

1000 yr old red clay
Which doesn’t drain well

It’s there just got to dig deep to find it. I’ve dug in black gumbo down to 10ft to get to the sand.

[Mudbug]

Yes but not in a straight line you would actually have to zigzag it down the hill with your lines sloping a quarter inch per foot and then drop into a 45 slope down no more than two feet into the next one and that one has to slope 1/4 inch per foot you just have to zigzag it down the hill not completely recommended but I have seen it work plenty of times without any problems I guess that would also depend on how steep downhill you need to go that could be a lot of work

[Mudbug]

And that is your tight line not the perforated pipe

[Mudbug]

If you slope it more than a quarter inch per foot the water will pass up the Heavies and not carry them out to your lateral field they will build up in the pipe and you'll still be stuck with the same thing