COMPLAINING NEIGHBORS

THE PROBLEM

Let’s face it, nobody likes the smell of sewage which is why it is best kept underground where it is designed to stay. Unfortunately, that is not always the case when there is a septic system failure as a result of an inferior and outdated design that cannot keep up with a large family’s needs. Such was the case in a nice suburban New England neighborhood where neighbors began to voice a concern that soon escalated. Shortly thereafter local town Health Department officials were on the scene and determined that unless an adequate repair could be made, a completely new system would need to be installed. If not done and brought up to present day guidelines, the family would be forced to move out.

The Solution

This particular property created a bunch of challenges for the engineer to consider while trying to design a repair to the original system. There was extremely poor soil permeability, wetlands setbacks, property line setbacks and a large ledge rock outcropping that loomed over one side of the available yard. It was quickly determined that there was simply not enough available space in order to design a traditional system repair that was consistent with current Health Dept. code requirements. One alternative was for the homeowner to apply for a variance consideration from the town, but after further consideration was given it was determined that it would take too long and be costly to pursue with a slim chance of succeeding.

The Results

After doing some research about alternative septic systems, the engineer came across the GoodFlow Solutions CTL System. There was lengthy consultation offered by the team at GoodFlow to help determine the best design given the constraints of the 66’ X 10’ footprint available on the property. The result was an impressive system design that provided 832 square feet of ELA and 3,840 gallons of capacity. Amazingly, by using the CTL 24 concrete septic leach field chambers, the GoodFlow system actually occupied less space than the original while adding additional load capacity. The result? The homeowner’s neighbors are talking to him again and he has extra septic capacity should he ever want to expand the home!