Septic vs Sewer in Pine Mountain Lake & Groveland, CA.

How the Septic System works

The septic system is a natural sewage treatment and disposal system.  By natural, I mean that it relies on bacteria to digest and clean the wastewater.  The bacteria in the septic tank literally eat the solids in the tank turning them into liquids and gasses.  The liquid wastes flow to the leach (or drain) field.  The final purification occurs by organisms living in the soil.

Care for your Septic System

The average septic system will last from 30-40 years; but with proper care, they may last quite a bit longer.

One of the biggest enemies of the septic tank and system is tree roots, so rule #1 is to not plant trees near your tank or leach field.

Additionally, there are a few items that you just don’t want to get in your tank.  Never flush cat litter, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towels, facial tissues, cigarette butts, or similar items down the toilet.  You should minimize the use of your garbage disposal and avoid oil, fats, or coffee grounds, or eggshells from going down your drain; consider installing a top-of-the-line disposal, which will grind waste into smaller particles that break down more quickly when they reach the system.  You also want to avoid getting powdered detergent in your tank, so always use liquid detergent for dish and laundry washing.  Lastly, avoid the overuse antibacterial soap or strong cleaners, especially those with bleach in them, as these may kill the bacteria essential to your septic system.

There are many myths about “seeding” your septic system including advice to add yeast or “septic enzymes” being marketed, which will supposedly help in the decomposition of waste and/or eliminate the need to pump the tank, but most experts agree that they don’t really help.  The bacteria that are a byproduct of human waste are sufficient to do the job on their own.  But, a cellulase based septic enzyme is beneficial; these will help in the decomposition of cellulose (toilet paper/tissue).  “Rid X”, or any other septic enzyme with cellulase as a major ingredient.

The bacteria in the septic tank eat and digest most of the waste.  But there's always some waste that doesn't even appeal to these critters.  As a result, the health department recommends pumping out the tank every three to five years.  The purpose of pumping out the tank is to remove accumulated solids and sludge.  These solids can and will stop-up the soil where the wastewater is to be absorbed.  If you have a larger tank and/or the house is not occupied full time or by a lot of people, you could possibly go as much as 10 years without pumping.  Pumping of the tank will typically cost from $350-400, depending on tank size.

Septic System Inspections

Inspections are relatively inexpensive ($125-150), and homeowners should consider having them every time they have their tank pumped (it has to be pumped for inspection anyways), and of course every home buyer should have a septic system pumped and inspected.

The purpose of the inspection is to:

1) Confirm that there is proper draining from the house to the septic tank.
2) Confirm that there is proper draining from the septic tank to the leach lines.
3) Confirm that the leach field drains properly.
4) Verify the integrity of the tank and confirm that there is no tree root intrusion or leakage.
5) Verify whether or not the tank is in need of pumping.

For Septic Pumping and Inspections in Pine Mountain Lake or Groveland, I recommend All Septic Service Co. (209) 586-1372.

Septic vs. Sewer in Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake

If you come from an area where most homes are on sewer, you may be a little intimidated by the idea of using a septic system, but they do have one significant benefit over sewer and that is cost.  Sewage bills in Pine Mountain Lake range form $90-110 per month.  Septic Systems are free!

At present, Groveland Community Services District provides sewer service to about one third of Pine Mountain Lake (most of the service is to homes that are near the lake).  There has been speculation that all of Pine Mountain Lake will at some point be transitioned to sewer, and that when people need to install a new septic system they will be forced to convert to sewer use.  However, considering the cost of installing such a sewage system (to taxpayers in general as well as to homeowners required to convert), it is hard to believe that this will ever happen.  At any rate, it is not likely to happen anytime soon.

There is now a Tuolumne County Ordinance that states that properties located within 300 feet of an existing public sewer disposal system may be required, if feasible to extend the disposal line and connect to the service (100 feet for properties that slope downhill from the sewer connect area).
Such determination is made by the Tuolumne County Environmental Services/Health Department and Groveland Community Services District at the time of application for a sewage disposal and/or building permit.  So, if you are in a sewered area, and try to do any work to your septic system or home which requires a permit, they may require you at that time to connect to sewer.

One disadvantage of septic is that you will not be able to build on or near the tank or leach field.  You must avoid building within 5 feet of the tank and 8 feet from the leach field.  And you should not concrete over the tank or leach field, park vehicles on top of them, or plant trees on or near them. Additionally, the plot plan you submit for building additions or new construction must contain an expansion area, which means space to put an entirely new leach field if the first one is saturated after extensive use – thus, more land area that you can not build upon, and more land area that must be deemed suitable for a leach field..

There are even more potential concerns for septic installation. For example, if your property contains a “DPA” (drainage protection area), you will need to plan your septic system around it; and if your neighbor happens to have a cut bank that is near your property boundary, that may affect leach line and "expansion area" location possibilities as well.

To summarize; a septic system can be a very efficient and cost saving means of sewage disposal, but precautions must be taken when buying a property with septic, or a lot where septic is a requirement or option.  As your real estate broker, I will refer you to a choice of professional septic specialists who can address all of the issues addressed in this summary as they relate to the property that you are considering purchasing.

This article was designed to provide a subjective overview of septic system considerations, but the author recommends that you only rely upon the advice of a licensed septic contractor.

Updated Jan 10, 2009.  Copyright © 2009 Tom Knoth. All rights reserved.