Advice On Conflicting Septic Tank Inspections
Hello,
I'm in need of some advice. I am in the process of buying a home that has now had two septic inspections performed on it's system. Our inspector said that they system was in bad shape, and the seller's inspector said that it was just fine. I have no idea who to believe and have not gotten a chance to speak to the seller's inspector yet.
Our septic inspector's report is below. He said that when the system was installed in 1989, they used a percolation test to determine if the water table levels in that area were suitable for a septic table to be installed. He basically said that based on what he saw in the tank and what he knew about that area, one could not be installed in that area today as the water table was too high for it to function properly. He also said that the baffles were severely damaged and that because of that, it was also not functioning properly. He basically recommended that it be replaced and have an aeration system added to it.
We submitted this report to the seller and asked that it be repaired before closing. They came back and told us that they sought a second opinion, one that told them that the system was just fine. I have attached one of the included photos from our report to this post, and have uploaded the video they took to Imgur for your viewing. Their written report is also below.
Any thoughts, opinions, advice or really any kind of input would be appreciated. We're unfortunately way too late in the negotiation period to get a third opinion scheduled and in.
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"The private sewage disposal system currently serving *address redacted* consists of an approximately 1,500-gallon septic tank with an undetermined amount of subsurface lateral field piping. The septic tank is located on the north side of the residence, approximately 14 feet from the foundation, aligned with the corner of the home.
During the inspection, a 20-inch green access lid was observed over the inlet side of the septic tank. After removing the securing screws and accessing the tank, the concrete access lid was found to be cracked and damaged. Sewage was observed on top of the lid and along the sides of the riser sleeve, indicating the lid and/or access area is not properly sealed. The cracked concrete access lid requires repair or replacement to restore proper access and prevent potential safety and sanitary concerns.
No access riser was observed over the outlet/discharge side of the septic tank. The discharge side of the tank was excavated and found to be approximately 6 to 8 inches below grade. After removing the access lid, the precast outlet baffle was observed to be severely deteriorated/eroded. Raw solid sewage was visible covering the outlet pipe leading to the lateral field. The deteriorated outlet baffle requires repair or replacement to ensure proper separation of solids and to protect the downstream lateral field from additional solids entering the system.
A sewer camera inspection was performed to evaluate the condition of the inlet sewer line. During the inspection, evidence was observed indicating that sewage has, at times during normal operation, completely surrounded the inlet pipe. Additionally, the presence of sewage above the inlet-side tank lid indicates that the lateral field has experienced periods where it was unable to accept effluent at the rate being introduced.
Based on the conditions observed during the inspection, the existing subsurface lateral system appears to be experiencing difficulty handling the current wastewater flow demands. While the system was operational at the time of inspection, the future performance and ability of the system to adequately serve additional demands from a new homeowner cannot be confirmed.
It is recommended that the cracked inlet access lid and deteriorated outlet baffle be repaired prior to continued use. Additionally, due to observed signs of hydraulic stress on the system, the current owner should consider further evaluation of the existing lateral field and potential replacement of the lateral system or installation of a new treatment unit designed to meet the anticipated wastewater demands of the property."