Report: #243255

Complaint Review: Infiltrator Systems

Infiltrator Systems Septic System Failure/Failing Old Saybrook Connecticut

Reported By:

— Winder Georgia
Submitted:

Tue, April 10, 2007
Updated:

Wed, April 11, 2007

Infiltrator Systems

6 Business Park Road

Old Saybrook, Connecticut

U.S.A.
Phone:

800-7182754
Category:

Plumbing

*Consumer Comment: Well, Chris, it is true that *Consumer Comment: Well, Chris, it is true that *Consumer Comment: Well, Chris, it is true that *Consumer Comment: Well, Chris, it is true that *Author of original report: Georgia *Author of original report: Barrow County Environmental Health Department *Author of original report: Barrow County Environmental Health Department *Author of original report: Barrow County Environmental Health Department *Author of original report: Barrow County Environmental Health Department *Author of original report: Infiltrator Systems

Names left out and Jane Doe, John Doe and Individual were put in place instead.

Myself, my wife and my son purchased a new home (4 BR) in 2004 and from day one we have had problems with our septic systemwe actually had issues before the house was even purchased (see attached doc), this issue was resolved after loan closing.

The onsite septic system required length is based on what the soil scientist finds when he/she augers the soils and is also based on water usage per day (150 Gallons per day per bedroom). We are not currently using our extra two bedrooms for people, they are simply used for storage so correct me if I am wrong but this is another 300 gallons per day of use we have at our disposal or for those times when we may have guests or extra usage.

Based on our water bills our usage is around 200 gallons per day (6000 gallons per month). Our total and current system length is around 226 linear feet (66 LF was added at time of closing). If you study the attached document you will see that we had uncovered the lines for repair and my findings were 75% of the total system was completely full of grey water (sewage), and that the other 25% of the system was not even being used do to negligent installation practices by a licensed onsite sewage contractor approved by the State of Georgia and on the list of approved installers (Stinchcomb Repair Services).

The type of drain field line used is made by a company named Infiltrator (http://www.infiltratorsystems.com/), this plastic chamber is used because it has more capacity than a typical gravel system using the same area, and at the time of installation of my system the required length was 50% less than a gravel based system(this has since been increased and the reduction is only 35%).

So based on my findings and usage my system does not have the capacity for an additional 2 persons and will fail (at this time sewage is not running on the ground like before). If you understand that 75% of the system was completely full of sewage at 3 persons usage, will the extra 25% work if another 2 persons are added to my family? The reason for the total saturation of the 75% system is due to the slow percolation rate of my soils (60 perc, this is one inch per hour) so you see that a lower number for percolation would be better.

I have spoken with soil scientist and she stated that she would have gone with a higher percolation rate had she known that Infiltrator would have been used, she stated a 90 perc would have been used instead do to the 50% reduction in length used with the Infiltrator product at the time. I have also spoken with the Infiltrator sales representative and he stated that he would add additional line to my system if Barrow County Environmental Health would write a repair permit stating a failure, this is where the problem arises.

It seems that if they write a repair permit stating a failure they can be held responsible do to approving a system that failed, they also cannot write this repair permit because at this time the system is working as it should and no sewage is surfacing at this timeadd 2 more people to my family and this is sure to happen.

I contacted the Barrow County Environmental Health Department district manager and he returned my call in 2 days and he said that he would call me back with recommendationsI have yet to receive this phone call after numerous attempts to contact him (Individual).

When I spoke with the Infiltrator sales rep I told him that I thought his product was inadequate and that the Barrow County Environmental Health Department was not qualified to make soils and engineering design decisions and he turned right around and told this to them. When I spoke with the Health Department (Jane Doe) she mentioned my comment and said that it was unlikely that I would ever get a repair do to me burning bridgesI guess personal feelings will keep me from getting the repair I need.

I tried to work with these people to the best of my ability before I got upset and realized I was getting nowhere with government officials which are here to protect the health and well being of the same people who pay their salaries.

Here are a few facts for you to digest:

1)I spoke with another soil scientist and he stated that Infiltrator was tested in south Georgia where the soils are sandy and the percolation is faster.

2)Coincidence? Jane Doe is married to another Health official named John Doe who is higher in the food chain and it so happens that Jane answers to him, Another individual also answers to himit seems that based on my burning of bridges these three individuals could be swayed to go either way on a decision, and the decision is not to repair my system.

3)I told the Infiltrator and Barrow County Health Department that I would simply use additional water until my system failed and both said that they would not help me if I purposely used more water causing a failureI spoke with an attorney and explained my problem and his solution was to use more water as wellmy problem with using more water is that I am stressing the system. If additional line is added at a later time it will be because the primary system has failed.

I would like to add the additional line to help the existing system, not impair it. The way the system is designed is serial distribution. Serial distribution is a bad way to design a system because the first trench never gets time to dry out and is in a progressive failure situation from day one. The alternative to serial system is a system composed of lines of equal length and a distribution box to allow equal dosing of each line.

Chris
Winder, Georgia
U.S.A.