I live in Northern Vermont and just recently got laid off from my job, and of course that is the time when everything goes wrong. My septic tank needs to be pumped immediately and of course I don't have the money at this time. I can't get a loan or a credit card because I am on a fixed income right now and not working. I was wondering if anyone knows of a program(Federal, Church, etc,)out there that might help me to lend me about $300-400 to get it pumped, as it needs to be dug up and they charge quite a bit for the backhoe. I would be able to pay it back, but it might take a few months. If you have any suggestions, please leave message or Email me direct! Thanks, Carla

-- Carla (hoycarla@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000

Answers

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Carla:

Go to your County Health Department and explain the problem. They might have it pumped out for you or know of some place for financial assistance. Normally the top of septic tanks are only a couple of inches below ground level and can be accessed by hand. I know exactly where mine is because the grass dies over it during the summer.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Hmmm, that happened to us once. It was not pleasant! We dug up all the earth over the tank by hand, it was not very deep, and then the truck came to pump it out. When we had dug it up, we discovered the tank had been built of wood, which was now rotting, and we were standing on it!! We dug an outhouse hole while we were at it, as a backup.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Any local confinement hog farmers? They have "honey wagons". Try asking the minister of the local "farmer" church - he might be able to point you to someone. Check with Catholic Charities, if they can't help, perhaps they know someone who can. (You don't have to be Catholic.)

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

we had a septic tank that was an old car!they ran a hose to it cut a hole in the roof rolled up the windows and took blocks and built a wall around it, well it worked until we moved in about 20 yrs. we could not afford to fix so we traded off work to the back hoe guy and did alot of the work ourselves.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Very few tanks need to be pumped..they are either plug at the inlet or plug at the outlet. Open tank by digging up the inspection port.Flush all systems, if no or slow inflow then the sewer line or inlet of tank is plug. Use a eight foot 2 x 2 to see where the solids are. Dig up at the outlet of tank and see if you have good outflow. Next to check is the drain field. That can be expensive. If new one needed, then if at all possible install a potty pond and not bother with laterals replacement. Pic and shovel saves alot of money and will determine the problem..

Too many times and too much money is spent on pumping a tank and not resolving the problem.

-- James (triquest@about.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Your question kind of jolted me. I am from Northern Vermont. (Live in Montana now.) An answer of someone was to get the health department involved. Don't! They will probably check it and start pestering with code stuff. Ask around locally. Most Vermonters will help a neighbor in true distress. Careful who you inform about this. Your finances may not take the strain of an irrate neighbor. But a good neighbor who doesn't want your "smelly problem" becoming their problem, may have a contact who can help. Above all, if someone waits on backhoe/pumping payment, be sure to pay them back before eating! Or you will never get help again. However, if you pay promptly, you will never have this dilema again. I think the Vermont hotline still runs this way!

Second jolt, my brother just started a backhoe service!

Good Luck! Christina

-- Christina (crublee@homer.libby.org), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Christina, What part of Montana are you from? I'm in South Central Montana. It's good to know there's anohter Montanan here...

-- (trigger@mcn.net), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

I had to have mine pumped last fall. I called around and found a guy who had just started the business, didn't have anything lined up for the day, and pumped it for $40.00! He didn't even charge milage for coming up the mountains. That beat the $150.00 all the others wanted. Always use the yellow pages first. You better believe that I have talked this guy's service up. I saw him the other day. Still working.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), August 24, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

FWIW, I had a similar problem some time back. The top of the tank was 5' below the surface. Fortunately I have a back hoe so that wasn't a problem however after the tank was pumped and befor the hole was backfilled I welded a 6" pipe to the top so the next time it was pumped I wouldn't have to dig the yard up.

Also for future reference, after its pumped invest in one of those biological treatments. It helps to keep the microorganisms active and the guck in the septic tank liquid.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), August 26, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Goto http://www.weblife.org/humanure/default.html This book is now entirely online for those who don't want to purchase it, you should forget about that polluting old septic system. Good luck.

-- JC (survivors00@hotmail.com), August 26, 2000.

Response to Was wondering if someone could answer a question?

Carla, our septic also backed up, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, neighbor is a Plumber. The site of offense was part of the down-flow, things can get clogged there. So you dig it up, and clear out the muddle, "slug" he called it. I suspect "slug" is the same as accumilation. Easy for me to say, since I did not have to do it. My neighbor made it look easy. But I have to wonder why my Grandmother's septic, never caused a problem. Oh well, she was a one person, in her house.PTA, baths and all. For those who remember the PTA Baths, and can smile at rememberance.

-- Apostle in training wheels (Beenthere@donethat.com), August 30, 2000.