[procheklou]

Is it acceptable to have a sump pump and/or a washing machine discharge into the old septic system on a 36 year old house,( the house is know on sewers). I realize this would have been acceptable at one time, but the septic tank and drywell are no longer in use.

[21boat]

I can't speak for your township or city codes on the sump pump but the washer can be hooked up on sewer line like All the cities The logic here is the city did not accept the washer water then N.Y. would be a bubble city

Signed 21 boat

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[speedball1]

I realize this would have been acceptable at one time,

Discharging anything but sewage and gray water into a working septic tank is NEVER acceptable.

the septic tank and drywell are no longer in use

You can discharge your sump pump and washer into the old septic tank. But in time the fiber from the washer will clog the pores in the filter bed. Good luck, Tom

[andrewc24301]

Tom:

Just so you know, building code in VA is:

Washer MUST discharge to sewer or septic system.

Sump pump MUST NOT discharge to sewer or septic system.

Whether it be, municipal water, or private septic. The rules still apply.

Personally, I think the washer rule is dumb. I figured all that detergent and additional water would kill off too much of the bacteria that break down the sludge in the system.

But, when my dad ran a drainfield in my grandmothers lot, it crossed paths with a washer pipe that discharged over a hill side.

Building inspector said she had to turn that washer drain to her septic.

Salt in an open wound, because grandma's house wasn't the one being modified. He just happened to see it and made her fix it.

And if this fella were living in my town, and found out about this old septic system, they would make him turn the wash water into the public sewer, and fill in the old septic, and seal if off. Mainly because they will want to charge money for that additional sewage.

It's a money thing.

[21boat]

I install septic and drainfeilds Hear Pa township our gray water HAS to go the tank which I never agreed with for the washing machine. My customers throughout the years spent untold amount of money for failed drainfields. Just to put a new engineered field can be up up wards of 15 to 20 thousands. I install it legally and get it inspected but I show the customer how to rig up the bypass and I don touch that (got to keep my licensees) . The skinny. The perk is done in dry seasons so it can pass. Some are borderline never would pass in the wet season. So now we add laundry and in wet season the 30% saturation 70%evaporation in field fails too much water from laundry. Doesn't catch up till mid summer. To late also when we pour conc garage floor a french drain no no. All new down spouts have to go in a HUGE stone pit. Code is "Water infiltration" Its getting tougher for homeowners. Some of my customers have almost lost there house because of laundry in septic. The bypass tanks have to be pulled/ or filled in with crushed stone.and conc capped. No sumps into field.

[andrewc24301]

If I lived back out in the country again, I'd just run my washer water out over a hill or something.

The county would have a problem with that, but they wouldn't know if I had anythig to do with it.

I don't worry about it now, because I'm on municipal water and sewer. They charge our sewer based on our water usage.

But yea, that happened to my grandmothers house about 10 years go. Her septic system is about 40 years old. Thankfully she no longer lives there, but I expect some kind of failure in the near future.

[speedball1]

Andrew,
You can't "bootleg" the connection to the old septic systen? In my area we direct our kitchen and washer discharge to a grease trap,(see image) before letting it enter a septic tank and filter bed. That way the garbage from a disposal and all the grease and fiber from a washer will be trapped. It's only good plumbing practice to protect the filter bed. Our area also will not allow anything but sewerage and gray water in the city sewer system. No rain water run off, No AC , sump pump or swimming pool discharge in the city or county sewer system. The reason being the cost of processing all that extra water as sewage. Good luck and thanks for the information. Tom

[andrewc24301]

Andrew,
You can't "bootleg" the connection to the old septic systen? In my area we direct our kitchen and washer discharge to a grease trap,(see image) before letting it enter a septic tank and filter bed. That way the garbage from a disposal and all the grease and fiber from a washer will be trapped. It's only good plumbing practice to protect the filter bed. Our area also will not allow anything but sewerage and gray water in the city sewer system. No rain water run off, No AC , sump pump or swimming pool discharge in the city or county sewer system. The reason being the cost of processing all that extra water as sewage. Good luck and thanks for the information. Tom

I'm not sure about the grease trap, and perhaps in the county, where no municipal service is available, as long as the "old septic" is in working order, then I suppose it could be used. Although there may be issues with the two "working" septic systems being to close together.

However, in this county, if you have access to public water or sewer, you are required to connect to it, or pay a "no user fee" from the authority.
This has been met with great criticism over the years as urban sprawl takes over, the authority is laying pipe left and right, as as it comes down a certain street, residents are required to connect to it, and foot the bill of connection, which for water/sewer combined, can get to an upwards of $10,000.

Naturally, any septic systems must be discontinued, and wells shut down.

In the above posters situation, in this county, if he has access to the county sewer, then he must discharge is washer waste water to it. However, gutters, sump pumps, AC condensate, and things of that nature must not.

I'm not a code enforcer, or plumber by trade, I just know what I have expirenced.

I'd like to know what state procheklou lives in. The fact is, none of this may apply to him.
In any event, it souds like it would pay for him to call the local inspectors office and see if he can do what he is suggesting.

The local inspector will rank above anything that any one of us says on this website eh?