Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[tolmij]

Fine day today for the installation, tank delivered 7am installer arrived 7.30, let the fun begin.

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

[tolmij]

All finished, very efficient and tidy work. Good choice of contractor.

[SixtySomePing]

Fine day today for the installation, tank delivered 7am installer arrived 7.30, let the fun begin.

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

Afta is a soothing after shave lotion I used to use about 112 years ago...

[Fellaheen51]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

[tolmij]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

It’s a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

[tolmij]

Fine day today for the installation, tank delivered 7am installer arrived 7.30, let the fun begin.

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

Afta is a soothing after shave lotion I used to use about 112 years ago...

 

Never used after shave, my mother used to buy it for me a Christmas but like others on here it never ever was used, made you smell something terrible.

[scomac2002]

Not an aftershave man myself either. That hasn't stopped DW from buying me some periodically. Of course, when you only wear it once in a blue moon the potion can go off a bit or a lot depending upon age. I've just never been in the habit of using it regularly.

 

Now my FIL was an Old Spice man. He wore it everyday. So was the case for my Dad and his brother. That maybe as much a custom of that generation as anything I think. Now-a-days, it seems as though the popular MO amongst the younger set is to spray oneself with AXE or some other facsimile. That seems to be the potion of choice with my sons.

[Fellaheen51]

Interesting that the system disperses the the treated water via sprinklers. Substantially different than the septic system we have in the ground. A 1200 gallon, concrete septic tank that is connected to a buried drain field of perforated PVC pipe. Fortunate that we have very sandy soil that results in good leaching of the field, adding to the longevity of the drainage system. Pump out the tank every 5 years or so, keeps the system functioning properly. We've been in the house for 28 years now, with no system issues. Knock on wood. Hope it keeps doing what its suppose to.

 

Not sure if new systems are substantially different than what they always have been. Read that plastic tanks are beginning to be used rather than concrete. Other than some locations, do to soil conditions, ground water levels and ability to perk, an "engineered" septic is required. That cost 3x to 4x more than a conventional system.

 

Quite variable geological conditions around here as a result of the glacial era. I'm on high ground with very sandy soil. (Was told once that we sit on a glacial lateral moraine.) But a mile away in town, there's clay soil combined with high ground water levels. A septic failure there results in an engineered system requirement. Because of this, the township had been trying to get a sewer system installed for years. But the problem is the small service area and lack of sufficient SEU's (System Equivalency Units) to disperse the implementation costs. The estimated assessment for my home was over $25k.

 

Real thorny issue. Even the people in town that are most affected, are telling the board that they're better off financially installing an engineered system, compared to the assessments being proposed. Not even counting the annual usage fee of ~ $1200.00 and the requirement for grinder pumps to be installed upon hookup. Because the best location for a treatment facility (along side a small stream to dump treated water), sets at a high elevation than the village. So a basic gravitational flow system cannot be implemented without pumping.

 

Its become quite political. Those on the board and a small vocal contingent of business owners are arguing that a system is needed to spur development, increase the quality of the ground water (everyone uses wells), and bring the community into the 21st Century. Whereas, the vast majority of the residents are saying, "Not at those assessment costs". I can see the need from an environmental standpoint, but my pocketbook is of a more paramount concern.

 

Edit addition: Forgot to add for Tol a diagram of what the typical septic system in the ground looks like.

 

 

[scomac2002]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

It's a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

 

Interesting contrast in technologies for dealing with effluent versus what is typical here in NA. We have a 1000 gal. holding tank for the solids and the liquid is pumped off to a leaching bed. The holding tank is good for 3 years between pump-outs. Truth be told, I think I went twice that time when I had ours done back in the fall. It was getting fairly chunky, but there were no apparent issues from going over that we can tell. I think that it helps that there are only two of us and we don't waste a lot of water because we buy it.

[Wriggles]

Feel pretty much OK, but still sneezing like crazy, over a week now. In many years past, I'd go to the doctor, he'd check me out, and give me a prescription. The last time the missus went, Doc took a throat culture, blood work, and chest x ray. NO medicine of any kind. Told her to take Tylenol. Nothing, just CYA for Doc.

 

I've always used some sort of aftershave since HS. In HS, used the real stuff, Mennen and Aqua Velva. Graduated to the clone aftershaves. A couple years ago, I ordered some Pinaud Bay Rum from the internet. A month or two ago, I bought some Pinaud Clubman from Walgreens locally. Prices have really skyrocketed, like everything else.

 

Funny, the missus bought me a bottle of J. Peterman Bay Rum for Christmas. I believe it was half price and free shipping. Yes, there is a real J. Peterman. (Seinfeld)

 

Literally, a bottle of aftershave lasts me for years, don't use it everyday. I think what I currently have might last me the rest of my life. A frightening thought.

[scomac2002]

WE live in what may best be described as a hamlet even though we are technically part of the city. everyone is on septic and has a well or buys water depending. Our well has sulpher so we use city water that's trucked in about once every 3 months. We also collect rainwater off the roofs.

 

Our soil type is variable , but mostly heavier clay loam. Over the years the acceptable septic system has changed from trenched in fields to raised beds, back to trenched in fields and now engineered. My next door neighbour's house was built in the late 1960's and it has a raised bed. The waste water used to spew out around the perimeter which was eventually rectified with a clay berm to hold it in. The only problem with that was that it turned the raised bed into quick-sand during the spring so he could never cut the grass until June.

 

Experiences like that lead the local council to return to trenched in fields which we have that was installed in the mid 1980's. It works perfectly despite the fact that the soil engineers now claim our soil is too heavy for adequate percolation. I think they must measure rates during a 1 in 100 year storm to get their figures because we've never had a moment's trouble with ours. So now, in the powers that be infinite wisdom they have gone to these engineered systems that cost upwards of $40K to install. The worst part is that they stick out like a sore thumb often looking like a pingo in the middle of some poor schmuck's yard.

 

I've had more run ins with local gov't officials over environmental regulations than anything else. You'll never convince these mandarins that 95% effectiveness at a third of the cost and widely adopted is far better than mandating perfection at huge cost with little in the way of uptake. You used to see it all the time in agriculture. Of course now there is no choice and that's why no one wants to farm anymore. But hey, we're from the gov't and we're here to help! :rolleyes:

[billh17]

Here at my hilltop,we were forced to install an Aerator system. There is a stream flowing along the lower property line and a State Park lake

within 1/4 of a mile. The rules on installation were 15 pages of bureaucratic gobbly-gook nonsense. The cost of the pump itself is 800 bucks..

I had to replace mine last month. Lasted 18 years,so that at least is a good thing..and only took 20 minutes to install the new one.

Agree that it seems like the "clean environment" folks dont care one iota about the ability of the common persons to pay for their

systems/policies. I want things taken care of as much as anyone,probably more than most,since i live in the country,and i see the abuse

and non-caring attitude spread along the roadside every day. The trash is terrible. But,I am not in favor of any huge expense shoved on

me because a system that has worked correctly for a hundred years or more isn't what they prefer.

[SixtySomePing]

Fine day today for the installation, tank delivered 7am installer arrived 7.30, let the fun begin.

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

Afta is a soothing after shave lotion I used to use about 112 years ago...

 

Never used after shave, my mother used to buy it for me a Christmas but like others on here it never ever was used, made you smell something terrible.

I would never use aftershave or cologne, and my DW would never use any perfume. Her asthma (even though she's a runner) and my epilepsy would make us bounce off the walls if either of us wore any. Worst thing that can happen to us is if we go like to a restaurant and some old lady comes along that has on some of that 29 cent/gallon Walmart perfume on, you know the smell... ugh, it's just too much. Poor old ladies, they're so much nicer without it, and you wouldn't need a deflector shield...

[Conrad1953]

 

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

Afta is a soothing after shave lotion I used to use about 112 years ago...

 

Never used after shave, my mother used to buy it for me a Christmas but like others on here it never ever was used, made you smell something terrible.

I would never use aftershave or cologne, and my DW would never use any perfume. Her asthma (even though she's a runner) and my epilepsy would make us bounce off the walls if either of us wore any. Worst thing that can happen to us is if we go like to a restaurant and some old lady comes along that has on some of that 29 cent/gallon Walmart perfume on, you know the smell... ugh, it's just too much. Poor old ladies, they're so much nicer without it, and you wouldn't need a deflector shield...

 

They may be trying to cover up "old people" smell. I've heard about it. Old people having some

sort of peculiar odor about them. I've wondered what caused it. The only thing I can think of is

................................

[scotee]

Pl ease Rad don't offend us "old people" :taunt:

[tolmij]

Bathe..... no smell.

 

 

I can remember back to my youth following older people and the smell was not good, but, none of the houses where we lived had bathing facilities, no bathroom, outdoor toilets, only one small basin in a very small one person kitchen. We had a bath, used to be in the dining area, had a cover over it, bath day was the same for everyone, bucket of water boiled on the stove, take turns locking the door and bathing.

 

The other facility was the local swimming pool, it had a public bathing area, around 20 bathing booths can’t remember the cost but for many it was a weekly journey. The older people could not walk that far, no cars, no public transport so they would stink the street out when they left home. For some people bathing was a sign of weakness and they only had one once a year whether they needed it or not.

 

So old people used to stink, now in some areas where we live there are the great unwashed, don’t work, drink all night, crawl out of bed mid morning, go to McDonald’s Donald’s for breakfast, you can smell them before you see them. Older people are now clean having put up with all the poor housing etc of their youth.

 

This post is in the interest of public information.

[tolmij]

 

Man, you are tanked, those should take care of you for years to come. I was lookin' at them trying to figure out what they reminded me of...

 

 

Nice picture Sixty, being from Australia though I have no idea what they are :)

 

Only one of those tanks was ours, take a while to fill it up though, hope we are not then expected to ladle it out with a bucket.

Afta is a soothing after shave lotion I used to use about 112 years ago...

 

Never used after shave, my mother used to buy it for me a Christmas but like others on here it never ever was used, made you smell something terrible.

I would never use aftershave or cologne, and my DW would never use any perfume. Her asthma (even though she's a runner) and my epilepsy would make us bounce off the walls if either of us wore any. Worst thing that can happen to us is if we go like to a restaurant and some old lady comes along that has on some of that 29 cent/gallon Walmart perfume on, you know the smell... ugh, it's just too much. Poor old ladies, they're so much nicer without it, and you wouldn't need a deflector shield...

 

DW loves perfume, never too much, just a hint. Problem is it has to be very expensive perfume as the others do smell very harsh, the cheap stuff offends the sense if smell.

[SixtySomePing]

Yes, the expensive stuff I'm sure is fine. The cheap stuff is I'm sure at Walmart, stacked right in between the prune juice and dill pickles. 29 cents/gallon.

Here, scratch & sniff,

[scotee]

Bathe..... no smell.

 

 

I can remember back to my youth following older people and the smell was not good, but, none of the houses where we lived had bathing facilities, no bathroom, outdoor toilets, only one small basin in a very small one person kitchen. We had a bath, used to be in the dining area, had a cover over it, bath day was the same for everyone, bucket of water boiled on the stove, take turns locking the door and bathing.

 

The other facility was the local swimming pool, it had a public bathing area, around 20 bathing booths can’t remember the cost but for many it was a weekly journey. The older people could not walk that far, no cars, no public transport so they would stink the street out when they left home. For some people bathing was a sign of weakness and they only had one once a year whether they needed it or not.

 

So old people used to stink, now in some areas where we live there are the great unwashed, don’t work, drink all night, crawl out of bed mid morning, go to McDonald’s Donald’s for breakfast, you can smell them before you see them. Older people are now clean having put up with all the poor housing etc of their youth.

 

This post is in the interest of public information.

 

It must have been a cultural thing back in the day. My grandparents on Mom's side bathed once a week whether they needed it or not. Hot water was a luxury when they grew up. A little funk was just normal for them.

[Conrad1953]

Musk was popular..........after the Jade East fad. Of course, Musk is short for Musky, which, of

course, is short for Muskellunge.........so sort of a half body, half fish smell that was supposed to

arouse the feminine species as the male and female Musky smells blended into a powerful

irresistible aphrodisiac.

[SixtySomePing]

Have they got your new tanks installed yet tol? Is everything coming out alright? :dntknw:

 

We've got weird weather scheduled for this week/weekend. They can't seem to make up their minds about snowfall amounts, or if there's a winter storm or not. Just

a lot of speculation right now apparently. Then next week some cold weather to deal with at night time. I don't like the cold, when ya get old, ya get cold...

[SixtySomePing]

Musk was popular..........after the Jade East fad. Of course, Musk is short for Musky, which, of

course, is short for Muskellunge.........so sort of a half body, half fish smell that was supposed to

arouse the feminine species as the male and female Musky smells blended into a powerful

irresistible aphrodisiac.

Aquaman might be interested in that Muskie-lunge ha... I remember Jade East, that was quite the thing for a while. So was Jovan, and English Leather. For the chicks they had stuff like Charlie, Babe, Yves St. Laurent, Channel #5, not sure what happened to #'s 1-4, apparently missed the mark, or fizzled out somewhere between touchy-feely and make-out but didn't get any farther...

[Conrad1953]

Musk was popular..........after the Jade East fad. Of course, Musk is short for Musky, which, of

course, is short for Muskellunge.........so sort of a half body, half fish smell that was supposed to

arouse the feminine species as the male and female Musky smells blended into a powerful

irresistible aphrodisiac.

Aquaman might be interested in that Muskie-lunge ha... I remember Jade East, that was quite the thing for a while. So was Jovan, and English Leather. For the chicks they had stuff like Charlie, Babe, Yves St. Laurent, Channel #5, not sure what happened to #'s 1-4, apparently missed the mark, or fizzled out somewhere between touchy-feely and make-out but didn't get any farther...

 

Out with Stack n Tilt. In with Lunge n Plunge.

 

My first wife used Cache. I think she reeled me in with that stuff. It had a powerful effect on me.

One whiff and I was...................................................

 

"Shameless.........when it comes to lovin you"

 

"I'll do anything you want me to"

 

"I'll go down upon my knees"

[tolmij]

Have they got your new tanks installed yet tol? Is everything coming out alright? :dntknw:

 

We've got weird weather scheduled for this week/weekend. They can't seem to make up their minds about snowfall amounts, or if there's a winter storm or not. Just

a lot of speculation right now apparently. Then next week some cold weather to deal with at night time. I don't like the cold, when ya get old, ya get cold...

 

 

Yes well and truly installed and the price was under the original quote, first time ever that has happened to me, DW thinks it looks ugly and is now planning to hide it with SOMETHING. will post a picture tomorrow. Seems to be working well but one day is not enough to tell, here’s to the future.

[tolmij]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

It's a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

 

Interesting contrast in technologies for dealing with effluent versus what is typical here in NA. We have a 1000 gal. holding tank for the solids and the liquid is pumped off to a leaching bed. The holding tank is good for 3 years between pump-outs. Truth be told, I think I went twice that time when I had ours done back in the fall. It was getting fairly chunky, but there were no apparent issues from going over that we can tell. I think that it helps that there are only two of us and we don't waste a lot of water because we buy it.

 

That used to be how it worked here, now they can be used if it is already in place but new units are illegal, it’s all about the bio systems now which are relatively expensive to test and maintain. Our tester will charge $85 a quarter, send the results off to the council who then decide if you are using it as they specify. The point that annoyed me yesterday was the system has to be officially commissioned by a council inspector before it can be used, this includes an inspection of the join between the house and tank. The contractor tells the council the date of installation, the time he requires the inspection and the system being installed. From 1pm to 3 pm the contractor was standing waiting for the inspection, all work except covering the inlet pipe was finished, the inspector arrives stands looking at it with his hands in his pockets, says that looks OK signs the paper work and departs, all of 5 mins and that cost me $550, that was on top of another report the council determined was required which gave exactly the same information for the property as they already had on record. I was given a copy and it is identical to the one I recieved from the seller when we purchased, same report by the same person saying almost the identical thing, the biggest discrepancy was the date the report was written.

 

Mini rant about our local government employees over.

[SixtySomePing]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

It's a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

 

Interesting contrast in technologies for dealing with effluent versus what is typical here in NA. We have a 1000 gal. holding tank for the solids and the liquid is pumped off to a leaching bed. The holding tank is good for 3 years between pump-outs. Truth be told, I think I went twice that time when I had ours done back in the fall. It was getting fairly chunky, but there were no apparent issues from going over that we can tell. I think that it helps that there are only two of us and we don't waste a lot of water because we buy it.

 

That used to be how it worked here, now they can be used if it is already in place but new units are illegal, it’s all about the bio systems now which are relatively expensive to test and maintain. Our tester will charge $85 a quarter, send the results off to the council who then decide if you are using it as they specify. The point that annoyed me yesterday was the system has to be officially commissioned by a council inspector before it can be used, this includes an inspection of the join between the house and tank. The contractor tells the council the date of installation, the time he requires the inspection and the system being installed. From 1pm to 3 pm the contractor was standing waiting for the inspection, all work except covering the inlet pipe was finished, the inspector arrives stands looking at it with his hands in his pockets, says that looks OK signs the paper work and departs, all of 5 mins and that cost me $550, that was on top of another report the council determined was required which gave exactly the same information for the property as they already had on record. I was given a copy and it is identical to the one I recieved from the seller when we purchased, same report by the same person saying almost the identical thing, the biggest discrepancy was the date the report was written.

 

Mini rant about our local government employees over.

I've always wondered about the city workers who dig a hole in the street. You have the city truck with flashing yellow light blocking a lane. A guy directing traffic around said setup. A guy with a shovel. A newbie halfway in the hole with a pickax beating the tar out of everything in the hole, then the guy with the most seniority, who's official title is 'The Guy Who Stands Around'. He gets to have a radio on his shoulder, and he calls other Guys Who Get to Stand Around, around town who are overseeing similar jobs, digging holes and such. The purpose for the hole? No purpose, heck, why would there be a purpose, who's going to get out and ask them what they are doing, it's always rush hour, and their yellow light is flashing anyway. The next day when you drive past, the hole has been filled in and paved, sort of, a patch, already sunk lower than the existing surface. By winter it's a pothole. Someday you read in the obituaries 'Hank loved fishing, checkers, having a beer or two, and was one of the city's 'Guys Who Stood Around'. The newbie with the pickax that you saw moves up a notch in seniority, waiting for his day when he gets the yellow vest and radio.

[tolmij]

Ha, Ha Sixty!!! Good one. Tol, Afta is very inexpensive after shave. Don't think I've ever used it. Not an after shave sorta fella, preferring to go au naturale. Although BITD (H.S), slathered on Brut by the handfuls. My Grandfather use to give me an Old Spice gift pack every Christmas. Didn't use the stuff, old man's aftershave (chicks didn't dig it). Except the "soap on a rope" was cool. Hang it over the shower head, conveniently ready for the next day. I digress.

 

Weird looking septic tanks you have there in Oz. Was there a drain (leach) field installed? Always a good thing when a project is efficiently completed by a contractor. Feel like you got your moneys worth.

 

It's a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

 

Interesting contrast in technologies for dealing with effluent versus what is typical here in NA. We have a 1000 gal. holding tank for the solids and the liquid is pumped off to a leaching bed. The holding tank is good for 3 years between pump-outs. Truth be told, I think I went twice that time when I had ours done back in the fall. It was getting fairly chunky, but there were no apparent issues from going over that we can tell. I think that it helps that there are only two of us and we don't waste a lot of water because we buy it.

 

That used to be how it worked here, now they can be used if it is already in place but new units are illegal, it’s all about the bio systems now which are relatively expensive to test and maintain. Our tester will charge $85 a quarter, send the results off to the council who then decide if you are using it as they specify. The point that annoyed me yesterday was the system has to be officially commissioned by a council inspector before it can be used, this includes an inspection of the join between the house and tank. The contractor tells the council the date of installation, the time he requires the inspection and the system being installed. From 1pm to 3 pm the contractor was standing waiting for the inspection, all work except covering the inlet pipe was finished, the inspector arrives stands looking at it with his hands in his pockets, says that looks OK signs the paper work and departs, all of 5 mins and that cost me $550, that was on top of another report the council determined was required which gave exactly the same information for the property as they already had on record. I was given a copy and it is identical to the one I recieved from the seller when we purchased, same report by the same person saying almost the identical thing, the biggest discrepancy was the date the report was written.

 

Mini rant about our local government employees over.

I've always wondered about the city workers who dig a hole in the street. You have the city truck with flashing yellow light blocking a lane. A guy directing traffic around said setup. A guy with a shovel. A newbie halfway in the hole with a pickax beating the tar out of everything in the hole, then the guy with the most seniority, who's official title is 'The Guy Who Stands Around'. He gets to have a radio on his shoulder, and he calls other Guys Who Get to Stand Around, around town who are overseeing similar jobs, digging holes and such. The purpose for the hole? No purpose, heck, why would there be a purpose, who's going to get out and ask them what they are doing, it's always rush hour, and their yellow light is flashing anyway. The next day when you drive past, the hole has been filled in and paved, sort of, a patch, already sunk lower than the existing surface. By winter it's a pothole. Someday you read in the obituaries 'Hank loved fishing, checkers, having a beer or two, and was one of the city's 'Guys Who Stood Around'. The newbie with the pickax that you saw moves up a notch in seniority, waiting for his day when he gets the yellow vest and radio.

 

And here is me thinking this is an Australian thing.

[tolmij]

Here at my hilltop,we were forced to install an Aerator system. There is a stream flowing along the lower property line and a State Park lake

within 1/4 of a mile. The rules on installation were 15 pages of bureaucratic gobbly-gook nonsense. The cost of the pump itself is 800 bucks..

I had to replace mine last month. Lasted 18 years,so that at least is a good thing..and only took 20 minutes to install the new one.

Agree that it seems like the "clean environment" folks dont care one iota about the ability of the common persons to pay for their

systems/policies. I want things taken care of as much as anyone,probably more than most,since i live in the country,and i see the abuse

and non-caring attitude spread along the roadside every day. The trash is terrible. But,I am not in favor of any huge expense shoved on

me because a system that has worked correctly for a hundred years or more isn't what they prefer.

 

Agree 250% with this post.

[tolmij]

Interesting that the system disperses the the treated water via sprinklers. Substantially different than the septic system we have in the ground. A 1200 gallon, concrete septic tank that is connected to a buried drain field of perforated PVC pipe. Fortunate that we have very sandy soil that results in good leaching of the field, adding to the longevity of the drainage system. Pump out the tank every 5 years or so, keeps the system functioning properly. We've been in the house for 28 years now, with no system issues. Knock on wood. Hope it keeps doing what its suppose to.

 

Not sure if new systems are substantially different than what they always have been. Read that plastic tanks are beginning to be used rather than concrete. Other than some locations, do to soil conditions, ground water levels and ability to perk, an "engineered" septic is required. That cost 3x to 4x more than a conventional system.

 

Quite variable geological conditions around here as a result of the glacial era. I'm on high ground with very sandy soil. (Was told once that we sit on a glacial lateral moraine.) But a mile away in town, there's clay soil combined with high ground water levels. A septic failure there results in an engineered system requirement. Because of this, the township had been trying to get a sewer system installed for years. But the problem is the small service area and lack of sufficient SEU's (System Equivalency Units) to disperse the implementation costs. The estimated assessment for my home was over $25k.

 

Real thorny issue. Even the people in town that are most affected, are telling the board that they're better off financially installing an engineered system, compared to the assessments being proposed. Not even counting the annual usage fee of ~ $1200.00 and the requirement for grinder pumps to be installed upon hookup. Because the best location for a treatment facility (along side a small stream to dump treated water), sets at a high elevation than the village. So a basic gravitational flow system cannot be implemented without pumping.

 

Its become quite political. Those on the board and a small vocal contingent of business owners are arguing that a system is needed to spur development, increase the quality of the ground water (everyone uses wells), and bring the community into the 21st Century. Whereas, the vast majority of the residents are saying, "Not at those assessment costs". I can see the need from an environmental standpoint, but my pocketbook is of a more paramount concern.

 

Edit addition: Forgot to add for Tol a diagram of what the typical septic system in the ground looks like.

 

 

 

We call the area where these pipes go a transpiration trench.

[scomac2002]

It's a Japanese system and is supposed to be one of the best, we shall see.

 

It pumps out the treated water to two outlets that have sprinklers joined to them, it is a bio three stage treatment, yes it is large tank takes around 3,500 litres, serviced every 3 months, filters cleaned etc, good service and a good price.

 

Interesting contrast in technologies for dealing with effluent versus what is typical here in NA. We have a 1000 gal. holding tank for the solids and the liquid is pumped off to a leaching bed. The holding tank is good for 3 years between pump-outs. Truth be told, I think I went twice that time when I had ours done back in the fall. It was getting fairly chunky, but there were no apparent issues from going over that we can tell. I think that it helps that there are only two of us and we don't waste a lot of water because we buy it.

 

That used to be how it worked here, now they can be used if it is already in place but new units are illegal, it’s all about the bio systems now which are relatively expensive to test and maintain. Our tester will charge $85 a quarter, send the results off to the council who then decide if you are using it as they specify. The point that annoyed me yesterday was the system has to be officially commissioned by a council inspector before it can be used, this includes an inspection of the join between the house and tank. The contractor tells the council the date of installation, the time he requires the inspection and the system being installed. From 1pm to 3 pm the contractor was standing waiting for the inspection, all work except covering the inlet pipe was finished, the inspector arrives stands looking at it with his hands in his pockets, says that looks OK signs the paper work and departs, all of 5 mins and that cost me $550, that was on top of another report the council determined was required which gave exactly the same information for the property as they already had on record. I was given a copy and it is identical to the one I recieved from the seller when we purchased, same report by the same person saying almost the identical thing, the biggest discrepancy was the date the report was written.

 

Mini rant about our local government employees over.

I've always wondered about the city workers who dig a hole in the street. You have the city truck with flashing yellow light blocking a lane. A guy directing traffic around said setup. A guy with a shovel. A newbie halfway in the hole with a pickax beating the tar out of everything in the hole, then the guy with the most seniority, who's official title is 'The Guy Who Stands Around'. He gets to have a radio on his shoulder, and he calls other Guys Who Get to Stand Around, around town who are overseeing similar jobs, digging holes and such. The purpose for the hole? No purpose, heck, why would there be a purpose, who's going to get out and ask them what they are doing, it's always rush hour, and their yellow light is flashing anyway. The next day when you drive past, the hole has been filled in and paved, sort of, a patch, already sunk lower than the existing surface. By winter it's a pothole. Someday you read in the obituaries 'Hank loved fishing, checkers, having a beer or two, and was one of the city's 'Guys Who Stood Around'. The newbie with the pickax that you saw moves up a notch in seniority, waiting for his day when he gets the yellow vest and radio.

 

And here is me thinking this is an Australian thing.

 

No, it's just a thing that you will run across most anywhere in the world when you see gov't markings on the vehicles... :rolleyes: