Hi,
I was wondering if I could get some expertise/advice regarding an issue I have. I am renting a basement apartment that has an effluent pump and basin in the closet connected to the bedroom. This pump empties into the septic tank in the backyard. It is connected to the toilet/sink/shower/and kitchen sink of the basement kitchen. There is also a sump pump on the other side of the basement for groundwater which empties into the front ditch.
The effluent pump failed yesterday and my landlord bought a new one today. There is a side issue though that I am trying to get him to address.
There is groundwater somehow getting into the basin through a perforation or leak. My landlord believes that since the leaking is occurring above the point of the sewage(the float pump will activate) that it isn't an issue. I am trying to convince my landlord that this is not how a sewage basin/effluent pump is designed and that the system should be sealed. He says that it is OK to allow groundwater in and that the sewage wouldn't mix with the groundwater because the sewage would never reach the holes. Last year the effluent pump would go off several times during the night/day even when we did not use anything. We set the sump pump lower in the fall so it only goes off occasionally now when it isn't supposed to (in the middle of the night when no water is being used)
From everything I have read online:
1) A sewage basin/pump should not be pumping groundwater into septic bed as septic bed isn't design to take so much groundwater in (will have to be emptied sooner)
2) The sewage basin and lid is supposed to be airtight. All gases are supposed to be vented out to the roof and not able to escape out the basin.
3)The top of the basin is also not sealed properly and has duct tape over everything because there was a smell occasionally.
I am guessing if sewer gas is able to escape through holes in the top then it is easily penetrating into the basement. I'm not sure if radon would be an issue as well?
He is installing the new pump tonight so I would like to be able to address the basin issue with him so that it can all be done at once.
Thanks for you help
I was wondering if I could get some expertise/advice regarding an issue I have. I am renting a basement apartment that has an effluent pump and basin in the closet connected to the bedroom. This pump empties into the septic tank in the backyard. It is connected to the toilet/sink/shower/and kitchen sink of the basement kitchen. There is also a sump pump on the other side of the basement for groundwater which empties into the front ditch.
The effluent pump failed yesterday and my landlord bought a new one today. There is a side issue though that I am trying to get him to address.
There is groundwater somehow getting into the basin through a perforation or leak. My landlord believes that since the leaking is occurring above the point of the sewage(the float pump will activate) that it isn't an issue. I am trying to convince my landlord that this is not how a sewage basin/effluent pump is designed and that the system should be sealed. He says that it is OK to allow groundwater in and that the sewage wouldn't mix with the groundwater because the sewage would never reach the holes. Last year the effluent pump would go off several times during the night/day even when we did not use anything. We set the sump pump lower in the fall so it only goes off occasionally now when it isn't supposed to (in the middle of the night when no water is being used)
From everything I have read online:
1) A sewage basin/pump should not be pumping groundwater into septic bed as septic bed isn't design to take so much groundwater in (will have to be emptied sooner)
2) The sewage basin and lid is supposed to be airtight. All gases are supposed to be vented out to the roof and not able to escape out the basin.
3)The top of the basin is also not sealed properly and has duct tape over everything because there was a smell occasionally.
I am guessing if sewer gas is able to escape through holes in the top then it is easily penetrating into the basement. I'm not sure if radon would be an issue as well?
He is installing the new pump tonight so I would like to be able to address the basin issue with him so that it can all be done at once.
Thanks for you help
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