Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How much weight can a septic tank cover handle?

Concrete, I believe have one septic system on the new property that I don't know exactly where it is... I know the location, drain field etc, but not the tank lid. Worried if I drive a Kubota L2501 over it... Perhaps even a 600#+ Zero turn mower. I guess I should just pay to find it exactly. The other one I know where it is.

How deep is it?

A tile probe should find it.

I made a probe with a 5/6" rod, and a ball bearing weld on the end.

Little tractor, ZTR should be fine.

Darn sure need to find it.
You ever gave a truck drive through,
It won't be nice.

Anxiously awaiting pix that are surely to follow

Perhaps you can try a metal detector to find the actual cover, that should have rebar..

L frame is fine to drive over it however I wouldn’t park on too if it!!!

If it's concrete, keep in mind that freezing and thawing can cause cracks. Even if it's plenty sturdy upon installation, I never trusted a tractor on top. Each corner is flagged for ease of visability. It can be hand mowed, weed eater, etc.

I don't even want the tractor close to mine. I have a repair to make from the last mowing where the guy got too close and clipped the corner. It was well marked and I walked him to it. He must've gotten stoned or mad about something.

I’d find it, you’ll need to know sooner or later if you have stoppage issues. There is nothing more fuucked up than running a sewer cable in a septic tank, grease, oil trap, or any other type of interceptor and getting it hung up.

I have mine by a circle drive that goes around house, had stock trailer on that side of house, Swans food truck couldn't get by trailer, so he drove big tandem axle truck over top of tank, I jumped his ass, made him call big boss , pics sent , still have not had any trouble , been 4 years ago.

We found ours accidently with a tractor and it wasn't pretty. It was a brick tank with a concrete cover. Use a metal detector or the probe as suggested earlier. Don't drive on it as it may be in poor condition.

We replaced ours about ten years ago with a larger concrete tank and two risers with a lid as ours is pretty deep. No problems with the tank but it is well marked these days.

We found ours accidently with a tractor and it wasn't pretty. It was a brick tank with a concrete cover. Use a metal detector or the probe as suggested earlier. Don't drive on it as it may be in poor condition.

We replaced ours about ten years ago with a larger concrete tank and two risers with a lid as ours is pretty deep. No problems with the tank but it is well marked these days.

You need to find the tank and the lid. period. I owned a septic pumping company for 22 years and have seen more that one tank collapsed because the home owner did not know it was there. Also, Many concrete tanks experience what is called gas erosion. This is when the hydrogen sulfide that is given off by the anaerobic breakdown of the organics rises and mixes with the air above the top of the outlet baffle. Once it mixes it turns into sulfuric acid and eats and weakens the concrete. I saw many tanks with enough gas erosion that the tank lost all its structural integrity and had to be replaced. If there is unseen gas erosion you can even stick a probe right through the top of the lid or the tank. Been there and done that.

This one is at the MIL quarters, a single wide. Planning on getting rid of it, but the septic and well are still there. Had the main house pumped and inspected, but not this one. I know the clear areas around it, and that is where it is, as to the cover?? \Guess I will get it pumped and I guess filled in/decommissioned.

3,203 pounds point loaded in the middle (dry dirt )

(Y-2%)÷L= SWL.

Y= Yield

L= luck

When I had my septic tank installed I specifically asked the guy if it would handle the weight of my MF471 (6600 lbs) driving over it, he assured me it would. So far it’s held up fine.

If it’ll handle my tractor I wouldn’t worry about a tractor weighing 1/3 as much.

Ya , find that sucker fast! I read about the erosion above. Very appropriate, and if all the pre cast concrete were actually poured in controlled environments with the latest mix designs it would be fine, but quite often it is poured too wet, dried too fast (without curing) and lousy mix design, or in some instances left over mud from another pour! Weak concrete does not last as long as it should !

Local Health department should have a plat with it located or at the very least a drawing.

Jack,
Don't know what they have done in Virginia, but here....

It's not uncommon for older homes to be bought, and in the sale process or
remodel....to find a stacked block tank, or an oil barrel tank, or.....

Today it's tightly regulated, has been since the late 80's.
Before that, not so much.



Reading about the gas erosion, never heard of it.

A few townships require pumping every three years, with an inspection.
That is not a popular thing. Not at $200 to pump.

Ours doesn't, and my friend the supervisor assures me it won't change.
Even that, right now, varies from twp to twp within the same county.

Yes find it, pump it out and have the baffles inspected. If they’re the older concrete type, one or both may have fallen off. You can have them replaced with pvc. Then stay off of it with anything but the lawn mower. Shouldn’t be that hard to find. If you can find your clean out tee outside the house that’ll help get you going in the right direction.