- The recommendation for home use is a 1000 gallon septic tank as a starting point. The 1000 gallon size tank is a minimum and *can be suitable for a 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom house. Some recommendations say to add an extra 250 gallons of septic tank capacity for each bedroom over 3 bedrooms.
How do I know what size septic tank I need?
The larger your home, the larger the septic tank you’re going to need. For instance, a house smaller than 1,500 square feet usually requires a 750 to 1,000-gallon tank. On the other hand, a bigger home of approximately 2,500 square feet will need a bigger tank, more than the 1,000-gallon range.
How many gallons should a septic tank be?
The correct size of the septic tank depends mostly on the square footage of the house and the number of people living there. Most residential septic tanks range in size from 750 gallons to 1,250 gallons. An average 3-bedroom home, less than 2500 square feet will probably require a 1000 gallon tank.
Is a 500 gallon septic tank big enough?
The minimum tank size for a three bedroom house is 1200 gallons. 500 or 750 gallon tanks used to be quite common in old houses, but they are not large enough for modern households, and are from a time without automatic washers, large spa tub, dishwashers, or multiple daily showers.
How long will a 300 gallon septic tank last?
Therefore, it will take about 5 years for one adult to fill 300 gallons of a 1,000-gallon septic tank with sludge and scum. A family of four will fill the 300-gallon storage volume of a 1,000-gallon septic tank in about 1.5 years.
How often does a 1000 gallon septic tank need to be pumped?
For example, a 1,000 gallon septic tank, which is used by two people, should be pumped every 5.9 years. If there are eight people using a 1,000-gallon septic tank, it should be pumped every year.
How deep should a septic tank be?
Septic tanks are typically rectangular in shape and measure approximately 5 feet by 8 feet. In most cases, septic tank components including the lid, are buried between 4 inches and 4 feet underground.
How do I calculate the size of my septic drain field?
Drainfield Size
- The size of the drainfield is based on the number of bedrooms and soil characteristics, and is given as square feet.
- For example, the minimum required for a three bedroom house with a mid range percolation rate of 25 minutes per inch is 750 square feet.
How often should a septic tank be pumped?
Inspect and Pump Frequently Household septic tanks are typically pumped every three to five years.
Is a 500 gallon septic tank big enough for two people?
A rule of thumb is the tank should be at least 400 gallons bigger than the amount of water it’ll handle. For example, if your water usage per day is 500 gallons then the septic tank should be 900 gallons. The average water usage of a person per day is 80-100 gallons, that’ll take us to our next factor.
How much does it cost to pump a septic tank?
How much does it cost to pump out a septic tank? The average cost is $300, but can run up to $500, depending on your location. The tank should be pumped out every three to five years.
What is the average size of a home septic tank?
Common residential septic tanks range in size from 750 gallons to 1,250 gallons. A septic tank is a self-contained unit designed to hold residential wastewater. The system is comprised of two main components: the tank and the drain, or soil absorption field.
Does shower water go into septic tank?
From your house to the tank: Most, but not all, septic systems operate via gravity to the septic tank. Each time a toilet is flushed, water is turned on or you take a shower, the water and waste flows via gravity through the plumbing system in your house and ends up in the septic tank.
How fast should a septic tank fill up?
It takes years between having the tank pumped for the septic tank to fill to its capacity. The average usage for a family of four will fill a septic tank to its working capacity of 1000 – 1500 gallons in approximately one week.
Can I shower if my septic tank is full?
Only the water would get out into the leach field in a proper system unless you run too much water too fast. The thing to do is to run your shower water outside into it’s own drain area, but it may not be allowed where you are. Used to be called gray water system.
Do I need a permit?
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Addition of attic insulation without remodeling a space. | No |
| 02 | Carpet, new. | No |
| 03 | Deck (Greater than 30 inches above finished grade or floor level). | Yes |
| 04 | Decks and non-structural flat work not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over any basement or story below, and are not part of an accessible route. | No |
| 05 | Demolition of building or structure. | Yes |
| 06 | Door, replacement. | No |
| 07 | Driveway. | Yes |
| 08 | Drywall. | No (Unless shear or fire walls are affected) |
| 09 | Fireplace, new. | Yes |
| 10 | Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops, or other like finishes not affecting plumbing or electrical. | No |
| 11 | Remodel improvements. | Yes |
| 12 | Rain gutters (New/Existing). | No |
| 13 | Structural roof work. | Yes |
| 14 | Re-roofing with like materials, tile, shingles, etc. | No |
| 15 | Enclosing or porches, screens, windows, etc. | Yes |
| 16 | Siding work, new. | Yes |
| 17 | Skylight | Yes |
| 18 | Slabs on approved, graded site. | No |
| 19 | Non-retaining walls and fences no more than 7 feet in height. | No |
| 20 | Window Replacement. | Yes |
| 21 | Window awnings on single family dwellings and accessory structures, supported by an exterior wall, that do not project more than 54 inches (1372mm) from the exterior wall and do not require additional support. | No |
| 22 | Wood burning stove. | Yes |
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves, fixtures, and the removal and installation of water closets. | No (Provided such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes, or fixtures.) |
| 02 | Fixtures including sinks, toilets, tubs, etc. | Yes |
| 03 | Pipe work, new. | Yes |
| 04 | Propane tank. | Yes |
| 05 | Septic only. | Yes |
| 06 | Sewer connections. | Yes |
| 07 | Solar water heaters. | Yes |
| 08 | Steam, hot or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment. | No |
| 09 | Stopping of leaks in drains, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe. | No (Unless any concealed trap, drain pipe, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material, such work shall be considered as new work and requires a permit.) |
| 10 | Water heater, new or replacement. | Yes |
| 11 | Water tanks supported directly on grade. | No (So long as the capacity does not exceed 5000 gallons, the height to diameter ratio does not exceed 2:1, and the zoning maximum height and setbacks are observed.) |
| 12 | Dishwasher, new. | Yes |
| 13 | Water softener. | Yes |
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Central air conditioner/furnace. | Yes |
| 02 | Portable cooling unit. | No |
| 03 | Portable evaporative cooler. | No |
| 04 | Portable heating appliance. | No |
| 05 | Portable ventilation equipment. | No |
| 06 | Replace existing evaporative cooler with like unit. | No |
| 07 | Modifying or replacing duct work. | Yes |
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Decorative holiday lighting, temporary. | No |
| 02 | Electric outlets or fixtures installation, new. | Yes |
| 03 | Electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus, or equipment operating at less than 25 volts and not capable of supplying more than 50 volt-amps of energy. | No |
| 04 | Repair or replacement of current-carrying parts of any switch, contractor, control device, or overcurrent device of the required capacity in the same location. | No |
| 05 | Repair or replacement of fixed motors and transformers of the same type and rating in the same location. | No |
| 06 | Replace existing electric outlets or fixtures. | Yes |
| 07 | Photovoltaic systems or generators. | Yes |
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Agricultural buildings. | Yes |
| 02 | Amusement devices or structures located on a site for no more than 30 calendar days. | Yes |
| 03 | Any work performed under the auspices of and owned and controlled by the United States of America or the State of Arizona. | Yes |
| 04 | Devices used in the manufacturing, processing, or fabricating normally considered as involved in industrial plants. | No (Permit for building and use must be approved.) |
| 05 | Nonfixed and movable fixtures, cases, racks, counters, and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches (1753mm) in height. | No |
| 06 | Oil derricks. | Yes |
| 07 | Shade cloth structures constructed for nursery or agricultural purposes, not including service systems. | Yes |
| 08 | Swimming pools (Including pre-fabricated residential that exceed 18 inches in depth, exceed 5000 gallons, and are installed entirely above ground). | Yes |
| 09 | Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two- family dwellings. | No |
| 10 | Temporary motion picture, television, and theater stage sets and scenery. | Yes |
| 11 | Tents and membrane structures. | Yes |
| Item | Work | Permit Required |
| 01 | Single dwelling on a single lot with 14,000 square feet or more of graded area. | Yes |
| 02 | Excavation below grade for a basement, foundation, or swimming pool. | No grading permit required, a building and or zoning permit may still be required. |
| 03 | Single dwelling on a non-hillside lot with less than 14,000 square feet or more of graded area. | No Grading Permit Required, A Building Permit may still be required. |
| 04 | Non-residential development not requiring a plat or development plan. | Yes |
| 05 | The clearing, brushing, or grubbing of an area less than 14,000 square feet on a non-hillside lot. | No |
| 06 | Stockpiling of 100 – 50,000 cubic yards or materials. | Yes |
| 07 | Resurfacing or maintenance of an existing paved surface. | No |
| 08 | New pavement of less than 3,000 square feet. | No |
| 09 | Grading for maintenance of existing private access road or driveway. | No |
| 10 | Grading with cut or fill slope greater than 5 feet (1.5 meter) in height and steeper than 3:1 slop. | Yes |
| 11 | Grading on a slope of 15% or greater. | Yes |
| 12 | More than 3,000 square feet of new pavement. | Yes |
Note: For information on additional grading permit requirements, such as Type 2, fugitive dust, and other exemptions, please see theGrading Permit Requirementssection of this website.
Home – Arizona Precast Septic Concepts LLC
Other grading permit requirements, such as Type 2, Fugitive Dust, etc., as well as exempted activities may be found on theGrading Permit Requirementspage.
What is dual metering?
Dual metering is the installation of two meters on your property that measure how much water is used outside and how much is used indoors, allowing your sewer cost to be calculated solely on your interior water consumption. Dual metering is a method of reducing sewer user costs by excluding irrigation and other outside water usage from total water consumption. It is most often used in agriculture. A dual meter is installed after the existing domestic meter and connected to the customer’s private side for irrigation and other outdoor uses.
It will therefore be determined that the only use utilized to compute sewer user fees is the difference in meter reads between the overall consumption (existing meter) and the irrigation/outdoor usage (dual meter).
How are sewer user fees calculated without dual metering?
Instead of using dual meters and only accounting for domestic water consumption, the county assesses sewer usage fees based on a three-month winter average (December, January, and February) of all water consumption through the existing meter, and for the entire fiscal year beginning in July following this three-month average. Over the course of the year, this average is believed to represent the “minimum” monthly water consumption impacting the sewage system, regardless of how much water actually enters the sewer system from the house, is consumed, or is utilized for irrigation outside the home.
If the water usage in a month is higher than the estimated winter average, no sewer fee will be applied.
Who qualifies for dual metering?
Those who have an existing residential domestic water meter and who pay sewer user costs (i.e., those who are not on a septic system) may be eligible for dual metering services. Customers who are in the commercial or multi-family sector do not qualify for dual metering and are obliged to split their domestic and irrigation consumption with a specialized irrigation meter instead. The use of dedicated irrigation meters already exempts them from sewer costs.
What paperwork is required to establish dual metering?
Duplex metering is available to District customers who have an existing home domestic water meter and who pay sewer user costs (i.e., who are not on a septic system).
The use of dual metering is not permitted for commercial or multi-family clients, who are obliged to segregate their residential and irrigation consumption using an irrigation meter. The use of dedicated irrigation meters already exempts them from sewer charges.
What does dual metering cost?
The District will charge an initial application fee equal to the current “Meter Fee” portion of the Water Service Connection Fee for a 5/8-inch meter in order to recover the costs of materials, labor, inspection, and testing associated with a dual metering system. The fee will be waived for new customers. This is due in full at the time of signing the Dual Meter Agreement and granting the right of entry, and it is not eligible to be stretched out over consecutive billing months. Customer expenditures to separate their private irrigation system and/or other outdoor uses from all other home connections, as well as costs to rearrange pipes so that all outdoor uses are fed by the dual meter, will also be incurred in most cases.
The most up-to-date Water Availability Rates may be obtained by clicking on the “Billing/Customer Service” link at the top of the website, then selecting “Rates & Charges” for the service area in which you are interested.
Who installs the dual metering system, and what are the requirements?
After the reconfiguration is complete, the customer or their plumber/contractor is responsible for all installation and reconfiguration of the private system, with the exception of the dual meter and meter box (which are supplied and installed by Metro Water), which are the responsibility of Metro Water. It will be necessary for the customer to establish a tie-in to their private side of the customer’s service line, as well as to isolate their outdoor uses from the home plumbing and run piping to link these outside uses to the dual meter.
Customers will be provided with an upstream and downstream angle meter stop (AMS), a downstream dual check valve, and a “meter jumper” that will be used in lieu of a future dual meter.
Installation Instructions for Dual Metering Installation Instructions for Dual Metering Exemplification of Dual Metering Reconfiguration
What sort of permitting and inspections are required?
It is the customer’s or their plumber’s/responsibility contractor’s to check with their local municipality to see if any codes or permits are required for this job before proceeding. The District’s employees will inspect the meter before it is placed to ensure that it is located at a maximum distance of 5 feet from the main meter and that the AMS fittings are installed 7-10 inches below the current ground level as specified in the specification (above). Following the installation of the dual meter and box, District personnel will conduct tests to ensure that outdoor usage activates both the main and dual meters, and that indoor use activates only the main meter.
If any defects are detected following the customer’s fixes, a return visit as well as additional inspection and testing will be required.
Can I cancel dual metering at a later date?
Yes, the client has total control over the termination of dual metering at any time; however, the initial application cost is non-refundable. For the consumer to terminate dual metering, all that is required is a phone call to customer support. After that, a service order will be issued for District staff to recover the dual meter and reinstall the “meter jumper” (so that it may continue to work even if the second meter is not there), while keeping everything else in its original location. The same original application price and documentation would be required if the owner (or future owner) decided to re-establish dual metering at a later date, because there would be fresh inspections and a new dual meter would be required going forward.
How much will my reported usage be reduced with a dual meter?
The amount of water saved will vary from customer to customer, but you may approximate it by reading your own meter and adding up how much water comes through the meter during each scheduled irrigation cycle or other outdoor use. It is not required to analyze whole irrigation cycles because the amount of water consumed during each cycle should remain consistent throughout time. Consider the following example: if you have an hour-long cycle, you may record how much water is used in 10 minutes and just multiply by 6.
Afterwards, multiply the result by the number of cycles in a month to obtain the total monthly use for this cycle.
With regard to random outside applications like as topping up your pool, washing a car, or manually watering potted plants, you may need to conduct a representative trial and then multiply that result by the number of times per month that this is generally done.
To get an idea of how much of your monthly consumption reported to Pima County might be lowered, deduct your computed total from the entire amount of usage listed on your statement.
How do I read my meter to determine usage over a defined period?
The American Municipal Water Utility Association’s Smart Home Water Guide is a great resource for learning how to assess usage and leakage with your existing meter.
Is it possible to have leaks, even if the leak detector on the meter does not turn?
Yes. In contrast, however, a toilet that leaks into the bowl and only intermittently refills the tank would most likely not be spotted because of the dripping faucet or hose bib that caused it to move (unless you happen to check right when the tank is filling). The occurrence of periodic leaks outside is likewise less noticeable. In contrast to obvious leaks with fixtures within the home, leaks and overwatering with irrigation are more likely to occur only when the control valves open for a watering cycle, rather than at other times.
In order to make an informed decision on dual metering, customers should first physically turn on each control valve separately to ensure that there is no leakage and/or overwatering in their irrigation system.
Regardless of whether dual metering is being considered or not, we recommend that you check and repair the components of your irrigation system on a consistent basis.
What should I expect my new sewer fees to be?
Before you can figure out what you should expect in terms of new sewage expenses, you must first figure out what your existing sewer fees are (from a recent bill). In addition to a volume rate (which is determined by reported water consumption), sewer bills may include a service fee (a base rate for sewer connection). Only the volume rate is influenced by a decrease in the amount of water used, which has been documented. When you have estimated the total amount of outdoor consumption each month (as described above), you should contact Pima County to find out what your new sewer charge would be if the amount of reported usage is lowered by the calculated amount of usage.
When can I expect to see lower sewer fees on my water bill?
As soon as a dual metering system is installed, it is hoped that only the water used in the house (and not for outdoor use) would be recorded to Pima County as usage, which will be subject to a sewer charge. Due to the fact that this lower, home-only consumption will most likely be less than the last computed winter average of December/January/February, this lower usage will be utilized to determine the sewer charge. If this is the case, you should begin to see a reduction in your sewer rates as soon as the following full billing cycle begins.
How do I know if dual metering is really worth it for me?
Because each customer’s use and outdoor setup is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all response to this topic, while it is feasible for consumers to decide their own solution based on their own circumstances. When considering whether a dual meter system is cost effective for any customer, the savings realized from lower sewer fees must be significant enough to cover all of the associated costs: initial setup costs, reconfiguration costs to supply outdoor uses from the dual meter (which vary by customer), and ongoing costs to read the dual meter each month (1/3 the Water Availability Rate for 5/8-inch meter) over a recovery period that is acceptable to the customer.
Due to the fact that initial expenditures for reconfiguration might be significant, recovery of dual metering expenses is often more difficult for customers who use a little or average amount of outdoor water per year, as opposed to customers who use a big amount of outdoor water per year.
However, what each client thinks to be an adequate recovery period is a subjective judgment based on their own unique set of circumstances.
Are there any other options to lower sewer fees?
If it is possible to restrict or eliminate outdoor consumption during the winter months of December, January, and February, this is the most straightforward method of reducing sewage rates throughout the year. However, if this is not possible and there are three consecutive months of the year when a customer can regularly use far less water (apart from the winter months), you can petition Pima County to evaluate sewer fees based on the lower water usage during the remaining three consecutive months of the year.
It is likely that landscaping and other external improvements will be necessary in order to cut or limit use.
