Septic System Installation Start to Finish

Gravity fed equal flow distribution system in Kentucky. 3br home requiring 1000gal tank with effluent filter, 292' low profile ‪@InfiltratorWaterTechnologies‬ quick 4 plus chambers at 14" depth, and a 32" deep curtain drain.
Project completed with a ‪@ditchwitch‬ 2310 trencher, ‪@Kubotatractorcorp‬ KX040-4 excavator and ‪@ASVCompactEquipment‬ RT40 track loader.
Using ‪@idigsystem‬ 2D grade control on the excavator. ‪@4kequipment88‬ ‪@Aptella_‬

[@flat6fever680]

Wow, incredible. There's a lot involved in installing (and reinstalling 😩) these septic systems. Nicely done!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! Yes before this video I had come out to take grade shots and draw a plan to submit for the permit application.

[@Adam-re3ur]

Awesome job, and yes, we all make mistakes from time to time. Its how you recognize and recover that makes the professional difference.

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! I agree, I was mad about it but the only way to move forward is clear your head and do good work to make it right.

[@bp5558]

@@NealORussa Learning from mistakes is the key to success. Besides, life is an adventure. Glad you're out there exploring instead of missing those wonderful experiences others can only imagine. Thanks for the new video!

[@srmcontracting]

Nice video! I liked the self propelled trencher action. I'm sure removing that pea gravel was aggravating. I've been thinking about getting into septic but I haven't looked into in yet.

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! Yea the worst thing about the gravel was I placed it on Friday evening and inspection wasn't till Monday. So I was stressed about it all weekend. But in reality it didn't take a whole lot of time, maybe 2hrs.

[@user-yd5dl7ql1r]

Nice job, what does a system like that cost the customer?

[@jeffhudson9130]

So my whole yard has a slope to it as well. I take it you put in the perforated weeping pipe or whatever with the straw and pea gravel uphill above where you put your leach fields? And then, why does it matter if due to hills and such, that some of the leach fields end up being deeper below ground than others as long as their level? I'm fixing to do my own because I can't afford to pay someone unfortunately so I would appreciate your advice and input on this! Thank you! Love the video and thanks for putting in the time and effort to do it!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! The soil testing by the county showed there was clay at 26" depth I believe. So the chambers need to be placed 12" above that impermeable clay layer. So they stipulate the chambers have to be placed 14" below existing grade. It is assumed through multiple tests in the area that that thickness of topsoil over the clay is uniform. So you follow the contours of the hill so that your chambers are always 14" below ground and 12" above the clay. The curtain drain goes in above the leach field and along any uphill sides. It penetrates 6" into the clay layer. So any ground water uphill of the system will pretty much run in that seam between the topsoil and clay layer, downhill. The curtain drain will intercept that water uphill of the lateral lines and drain around the field.

[@jeffhudson9130]

@@NealORussa thank you so much for the reply! I will only ask you one more question, so I don't have to have inspections where I live nobody cares lol. But I'm going to do it right of course. My dirt is all good black dirt. So it doesn't matter on my slope area where I'm going to put my leach fields, that some of them end up deeper or parts of them deeper below the surface than others as long as they're good and level would I be correct? And what that mean that I don't need the weeping part of it above?

[@diggingwithdylan9092]

Interesting! Where are you located ? That’s a bit different than the systems I see here in TN ! I just recently got my license but haven’t installed a system yet. They don’t use the distribution box here as far as I know. It’s one tight line from the tank to the field lines and “crossovers” to tie the lines together !

[@NealORussa]

I'm in Kentucky. Tennessee does serial distribution as you described and it's very easy to install but not permitted in Kentucky. We have to use distribution boxes or hillside boxes. I prefer to use hillside boxes but here the chambers were installed so shallow the hillside boxes wouldn't work.

[@mittenequipment2443]

Thanks for the video and thanks for showing your mistake also! How long have you been in the industry and did you have prior experience? I’m looking to get started in the near future. I’m sure working for someone else would be beneficial, but I’m more of a trial by fire learner myself…

[@NealORussa]

I've been in construction since around 2008. As far as septics, i started doing those in 2022. I worked on a few projects with another licensed installer. Its fairly comparable to any gravity drainage system, but you have to do it right with the inspections and all required.

[@bp5558]

Wow. 6 months settling, that's interesting! Is that a county requirement or a professional preference?

[@NealORussa]

The regulations state, "Backfilling of lateral trenches or drainage trenches shall be accomplished with minimal compaction of soil fill, and soil fill material shall be left mounded four (4) to six (6) inches above grade over trenches to allow for settling." I've found 6 months is a nice round number for people to remember and it provides ample time for the soil settle into place. Need to get some good rain on it for the soil to break down and settle into place.

[@bp5558]

Makes sense. Especially for enough time to allow for a few good rain events

[@BeastmowedNEPA]

I like to use fabric not straw as straw decomposes

[@NealORussa]

There are provisions for fabric in our state code, but most every installer uses straw. Hay is not permitted.

[@robertomiranda2757]

Hi what kind of pipes did you use in the distributor box thanks for your video

[@NealORussa]

The piping right out of the tank is schedule 40 pvc. Then it adapts to the green pipe which goes to the dbox and all the lateral lines. That is sdr 35 pipe.

[@michaelp761]

A driverless trencher….interesting!

[@NealORussa]

Is that the way everyone runs a ride on trencher? Haha it's too boring to sit on it!

[@GearinCreek]

Do you cap the back end of the chambers?

[@NealORussa]

Yes both ends of each lateral line gets an end cap. Thanks for the comment and question!

[@obedychando7517]

i lik it

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment!

[@batterylow9724]

Can you do a video or explain how you set up that job? In Ohio we have to go off of engineered drawings wondering how you would lay that out accurately

[@NealORussa]

Yes I could do a video on that for Kentucky. Every state has their own regulations and ways of doing it though. Here the homeowner or builder goes the county health department with information about their home and the land plat and schedules a site evaluation. Then the environmentalist goes to the site, pulls soil samples with hand auger and evaluates the site conditions. They write a site evaluation report and give to homeowner or builder. The report states the square foot of lateral trench, the depth of trenches, the size tank required, whether a curtain drain is required, and a general location of where to install the system. Then the homeowner or builder gets quotes from state licensed septic contractors based off the evaluation. Once a contractor is selected, the contractor goes to site, shoots existing grades and draws a plan for the installation including invert of pipes at tank, dbox and each lateral line. Contractor takes drawing to health department and reviews with environmentalist. When approved, a permit for construction is issued. Contractor installs and gets inspection prior to backfill. Then backfill when inspection passes.

[@victormentado4484]

Where can I get the distribution box that you installed and the pieces that go inside the tubes to level them at the same level? I would appreciate the information.

[@NealORussa]

That dbox comes from my local precast tank supplier. I have also used the tuff tite plastic dboxes. The levelers are called speed levelers. Also from tuff tite. amzn.to/4aCeAFx

[@jprh96]

What good is that curtain drain do ?I watched your man install the chambers without a transit for level .Than you installed the feed lines had to drop the elevation on the lines so now you may not hit the inlet of the chambers .Ass backwards if you ask me .And made a mess out of the lot HACKS

[@NealORussa]

Way off bud. I have idig 2d machine control on the excavator. The laser level is set up and hits a sensor on the stick of the machine and computer screen shows me when I'm digging level. Just as accurate as a rod man just saves the time. If you watch the time lapse of me digging laterals you'll see after every move I swing to the right and stop for a second to catch the laser with the stick. Feed lines from dbox to chambers have fall to the chamber and the kytc code 6" step down from lateral trench to the distribution trench. Curtain drain was required per state permit and the purpose was because of an impermeable clay layer at 28" I think it was? So the curtain drain penetrates 6" into the clay layer so that ground water running on the seam between clay and topsoil is intercepted upstream of the lateral lines and take out to daylight in pipe. The job site was left very clean with existing grass between trenches and trenches mounded for settlement again per state code. Thanks for the comment and the chance for me to explain.

[@jyhl4373]

How many acres of land did you use to do this ?

[@NealORussa]

I'm not sure what you mean. The system require low-pro chambers so i had about 350LF of trench to install I believe? The lateral lines need to be dug on contour, so thats why they are curvy. The lines also have to be a minimum of 8' apart, sidewall to sidewall. Lastly, the dbox had to be way uphill of the first line due to the inspectors interpretation of the regulations to get the invert of the dbox above the top of the highest chamber. With the shallow chamber depth that required the dbox to be placed far uphill of the 1st line.

[@joemama8379]

Is it possible to have 2 homes on same system?

[@NealORussa]

A lot of rules vary state by state and county by county. Physically, it is possible, if the tank and lateral field are sized appropriately for total the number of bedrooms. Legally, its probably not permitted.

[@ragingbull1267]

Im surprised the inspectors didnt do a stop work and require a licensed professional since you are not leveling the tank or sloping the drain field pipes , not using proper gravel ect.... wow Having mine done at this time and a lot more to it than digging and dropping pipes.

[@NealORussa]

The tank was level and shot on all 4 corners. The lateral field in Kentucky is level not sloped. You follow the site contour lines. My excavator has idig grade control system which is why you don't see a rod man in the trench with me checking grade. I am a licensed septic installer. I agree there is a lot more to it than digging and dropping pipes.

[@nerisilva9516]

How much fall on the tank itself? 2%

[@NealORussa]

The tank gets installed level. The inlet is 3" higher than the outlet.

[@nerisilva9516]

Ok so level tank, what’s the fall from the outlet to the pound??

[@chriswesnofske]

How does the idig system work. Im interested for my excavator. Thanks in advance.

[@NealORussa]

It works great! I have a few more septic videos showcasing it. I also have another coming soon. I can dig the tank hole and lateral lines on grade no rod by myself. Can also dig sloped lines at 1-2% for plumbing.

[@chriswesnofske]

@@NealORussa what is the cost for the system?

[@chriswesnofske]

@@NealORussa Also I am new into business. How do you price your septic jobs?

[@NealORussa]

@@chriswesnofske it's around $12k new. I got mine used for around 8k.

[@NealORussa]

@@chriswesnofske I price them lump sum to a customer. I have a proposal outlining my work that I do and do not do. I include permits and their costs. All my material costs get a markup in line with most contractors in my area. Then I calculate how many hours I anticipate the job to take including taking grade shots, getting permit, install, inspection and backfill. Then I multiply those hours by my hourly rate and add it all together.

[@jyhl4373]

Nothing against you Neal. From the pictures it looks like the system went all over the lot.I am not sure why the chambers need to be 8 feet apart but if that's your code so be it .The same system in my area would be 6 units long and 10 wide all touching each other .

[@NealORussa]

They could only be installed 14" deep at this site due to poor clay soils at 26" depth that don't drain at all. When you're on a slope you cant do wide beds because the bed needs to be level and you would be very deep on the high side, much deeper than 14".

[@wildwoodtop]

Can ya get a mortgage with a cesspool

[@NealORussa]

Not sure what you mean? If you're asking about getting a mortgage with a permitted lagoon septic treatment pond, then I don't see why not?