Septic Tank

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Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
59
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Location
South Carolina
So I was doing a family job the other day and got into some crap.. Pun intended. I am used to customers saying "Hey my septic tank is right here don't go near this!" And I didn't think to ask where it was. The guy was standing there watching the whole time we stripped two 85' oaks and dropped trunk #1. I dropped trunk #2 in the exact same spot and crack splash boom... Septic tank. He walks over, looks at it, and proceeds to tell me the history of how long that septic tank has been there. I feel obligated to pay for the repairs since I am the one who broke it, but I can't help but be upset that he watched it all happen and didn't mention the tank being there. Or even offer to pay half of the repair.
Just figured I'd ask for some like minded folks opinion on the situation.
 
Where I live and work (in the mountains) there is no such thing as sewer system--everyone has a septic system and leach field. In every job I do we locate these items and go to great lengths not to cause damage as replacement cost here is very high. A new system commonly runs something like $25,000, and the county does not like to allow repairs, only replacement. I hope your area is less demanding.

But unfortunately, I hate to say it but it's more your responsibility than a homeowner's to look out for utility lines, septic, possible window or siding damage--essentially anything that your work could damage.
 
If the tank was real old, it might have been about to collapse anyway. Maybe offer to pay for half. Maybe he's not expecting anything. I think he shares responsibility if he was watching.
 
you broke it, you fix it. whatever the cost, its the cost of doing business honestly. You should have asked, its not on them to remember the hazards you might cause.

That said, I may or may not have dug up a drain field line today... it may or may not have been inspected after repair, I may or may not be licensed to do any repairs... but it was done, and no one is going to ask questions about it.

Tank lids area available, they aint cheap, but its better then getting sued into non existence, rent a mini excavator, a couple few shovels and some gas masks, have the tank pumped, spend a day on it, what ever the cost, your client will thank you, so will your conscience
 
So I was doing a family job the other day and got into some crap.. Pun intended. I am used to customers saying "Hey my septic tank is right here don't go near this!" And I didn't think to ask where it was. The guy was standing there watching the whole time we stripped two 85' oaks and dropped trunk #1. I dropped trunk #2 in the exact same spot and crack splash boom... Septic tank. He walks over, looks at it, and proceeds to tell me the history of how long that septic tank has been there. I feel obligated to pay for the repairs since I am the one who broke it, but I can't help but be upset that he watched it all happen and didn't mention the tank being there. Or even offer to pay half of the repair.
Just figured I'd ask for some like minded folks opinion on the situation.
I always ask them first since I had a truck collapse one.
 
I collapsed a dry well once. Not being used anymore since the sewers were hooked up. I filled it with scrap engine parts, dirt, planted grass over it. It was a buffet of sbc parts. My front wheel on my 1954 Chevy 3800 broke into it.

People can be idiots. My neighbor across the street from my septic tank and leech fields told me something was wrong with my septic tank but he won’t complain to the town about it. Kind of using that to leverage me to work for him. He tried to put in a small pond directly across the street from my septic system which had sewage flowing into it. I just purchased the house. But the home inspector caught the rusted out baffle on the septic tank cover. The seller paid to have it repaired. So it all stays in the tank and leech fields. My neighbor didn’t want to hear that. I more or less told him to get lost.
 
Call your insurance broker, this is what commercial liability is for. It's already been stated it's on you to verify anfbe aware of any and all hazards on a jobsite document them on your site briefing/estimates so they can be accounted for when doing the work. It takes a bit more time during set up but if it saves you a claim or embarrassment it's worth it also add a to your professional apearence to the client which more then often leads to more and better work.
 
I never listen to the homeowners. First, they most likely aren't the original owners so really have no clue where the septic system is. Second, sorry, but it's my responsibility to find it on my own and protect it. Town hall usually has a plan on file and Locating the system components is one of the first things I do if I need to drop trees on the property.
 
I've had homeowners and farmers fail to point out hazards they reasonably should have known about. Anything from near new waterlines snaking through trees they've asked me to drop to bridges that are unrated and dodgy that they only ever put a quad over and would never even take a tractor over. They just somehow 'forget' to mention these things and 50 other hazards. In the case of farms, as a commercial enterprise they have a duty to disclose hazards to contractors, just as much as contractors have a duty to ask and check/verify everything. It really ***** me when I ask and get told nothing and then roll up to a dodgy bridge or roll over a high-grass paddock that's littered with undisclosed tomos.
 
You're not alone. I've smashed two septic tanks rolling over them with trucks. One was an old tank not being used anymore, the other was active. I'm sure the second one was active because I could hear it when they flushed their toilet and there was corn floating on the top. I just replaced the lid. It was not big deal.
 
This is one we had last fall. The tree was on one property and the tank was on another. The funny part was both people had the same insurance company, so it was Acme Insurance trying to collect from Acme Insurance who didn't want to pay. But the chick wanted a whole new septic tank and I think she got it.

https://imgflip.com/i/40oxwxhttps://imgflip.com/i/40oysl
 
There's many things to watch out for when working around people's homes.

We were doing a job in a neighboring town uphill from here (6 yrs ago?) during a time when I was recovering from a back injury. Had my left arm in a sling and had turned over all chainsaw duties to my assistant. The homeowner had a propane tank next to the road at the bottom of the hill (2--3 acre property in the mountains, mostly rock underfoot) and a 1/2" flexible copper line snaked along the ground from the propane tank up to the house. Tarnished from age, the line was camouflaged and hard to see in the duff. I told Chris (my helper) several times: "Make sure you watch out for that copper propane line--don't let your saw get anywhere near it."

Even with my left arm in a sling I was eager to do what I could to get this job done, so I was running a Stihl 200T one-handed to clear ground juniper. Ground juniper which you find within 3--6" of the ground. Was running that saw when--SON OF A BIOTCH!--I nicked that copper line. Went tear-assing down the hill to cut the gas at the tank.

The homeowner was one of those rare birds who had built his place, was mechanically adept, and was understanding and ready to jump right in with his toolbox to help repair the line. I ran down to town, got parts, and we had his propane restored before work was done that day. As a souvenir, I still have a short chunk of that copper line with the bright opening I made, sitting on a shelf in my shop.
 
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