As an incoming high school freshman, you wanted to graduate from the school where you started your formal education. It was a heart-breaking moment for you when your dad said that you had to move to another state again because of his job. He didn’t really mean to keep the family moving from one place to another. As a family, you had to support him because he didn’t want the two of you to be apart. When you moved into your new home, you started to think of the next house that you would be moving into in a couple of years. Just as you were about to call it a night, your dad told you that the new house would be the last house you were moving into. You dad also said my raised mound failed within weeks of moving into new home.
It was the best moment of your life. You would never have to think of how to make friends again after this. The high school you enrolled in shared functions with your old school so you already had a few friends there. It was the best news ever. You thought that nothing could ever make your blue skies grey the next day. But you were wrong. Just a few weeks after you and your dad moved in, you saw your dad say to someone on the phone, Help! My raised mound failed within weeks of moving into our new home! It was the septic expert and in minutes, he arrived with his small team. What could be the possible reasons of raised mound failure?
- The previous homeowner may not have been that diligent in maintaining and keeping the treatment schedules recommended by the septic expert. This resulted to a heavy accumulation of sludge that blocked the soil absorption and filtration systems and led to the raised mound’s failure.
- The rain gutter may be directed on the area of the raised mound. This caused too much rainwater to enter the raised mound system. The increased water load delayed the bacteria’s decomposition of the solid wastes and this resulted to clogs and failure.
- Heavy vehicles or constructions may have been placed over the raised mound. The heavy weight may have caused some of the components to give out.
- Woody roots may have already invaded the raised mound and may have caused blockages or irreparable damages to the system.
- Strong and corrosive substances or antibacterial solutions may have been dumped into the toilets, sinks, and drains. These kill off the bacterial population, resulting to the accumulation of solid waste particles that blocked the system, causing failure.
- An increase in water load may have been caused by the absence of a dry well and also heavy laundry and dishwashing loads. This results to the stirring up of the sludge, dispersing it into the soil absorption system and the filtration system. Blockage and failure inevitably happens.
- The system may not have undergone a thorough septic inspection. This type of inspection should b performed by a full-service septic contractor who knows what he is doing. He could even repair or replace anything that is damaged. A regular house inspector would just visually inspect the house and not do anything anymore.
- The raised mound may be very old already that certain parts of it may already be deteriorated by the natural elements.
When the septic expert arrived, he said that the raised mound could still be restored. He stressed the fact that the scheduled treatments and pump outs should be kept to keep the system running smoothly. He said that the construction fabric should be replaced regularly especially before winter. Inside the house, you couldn’t take the septic odors anymore. The smells penetrated the towel that you wrapped around your face. You had to go out. You watched your dad pay attention to what the septic expert did. He really wanted to make things right because that home was supposed to be your permanent residence. You were proud of your dad and you were definitely going to help make everything work. You never wanted to hear your dad say my raised mound failed within weeks of moving into new home.