Installing new septic tanks next to large Cottonwood tree?
Hey everyone. We're under contract on a house in CO (heavy clay soil). The original concrete septic tank failed completely due to root intrusion. They're buried directly under a large Cottonwood tree. See photo.
The seller is replacing the tanks before closing. The contractor is putting in plastic Infiltrator tanks (a 1250 and a 500 gallon) and recommending leaving the tree and just moving the tanks about 15-20' south of the tree. He says because the new tanks are plastic with no seams, roots can't pierce them, so there's no risk. Plus, keeping it saves us a ton of cash in removal costs.
However, a different septic guy told me leaving a giant Cottonwood near the system is a terrible idea. He said the roots will still mess up the PVC pipe connections, choke the lines, or shift the tank alignment over time, even if they don't pierce the actual plastic hulls.
Getting a tree this big taken down is going to cost nearly 5 grand out of pocket. What would you do? Thanks in advance!
