RV Drain to Septic Tank

[Norm L]

Hi. I'm putting in a couple of RV hookups on my property. They will be about 220 feet away from my septic tank. What are my options in selecting ecnomical pipe to do the job properly? ABS? PVC? Some sort of flex tubing? Can I use 3 inch or should I use 4 inch? And, lastly, what sort of drop per foot of pipe am I after? 1/4" per foot minimum????

Your advice is appreciated, as I'm pretty good at doing things over when they don't work the first time!

[Pilot Dane]

Is your septic system sized to handle all that....um...smelly stuff (oops, I almost said $h1t)? I would hate for you to overload your septic system by opening a campground/trailer park in your backyard.

[majakdragon]

Ummmmm.. Just wondering if you calculated all this. You say your septic tank is approx 220ft from where you will be parking the RV's. At 1/4 inch of fall per foot you would have to bury the end of your lines..... ummmmm .....55 inches lower than the RV's. Did you say you were attaching the lines to the BOTTOM of the septic tank? Or were you building a HILL to park the RV"S on?

Seriously though... 1/4 inch of fall per foot is the minimum. Any thing less and your lines would be plugging up.

[Jon Foster]

Is a 1/4" drop per foot really enough? That doesn't seem like enough. And what does the additive in the RV tank do to a septic system? Anything bad?

Jon.

[Mike Swearingen]

Jon,
First, you need to check with your Health Department for any permit and inspection requirements.
I don't think that a 220' line to your existing septic tank is going to work without a sewage pump. Septic tanks are too shallow for that kind of slope.
They may require another septic system in any case.
Good luck!
Mike

[Norm L]

The septic tank is about 15 feet lower than the RVs and down a hill. But the area near the RVs is level, so that's why I was asking about the 1/4 inch per foot.

The RVs will only be on the property a couple of weeks per year. Don't want to live with my kids, just have them visit!

And the septic system is sized for 3 bedrooms, and my house will only have two, and only one used. I checked with the county, and since I am in a rural area, they don't care about the RV attachment, but I want to do it right.

So what about the pipe? 4 inch? 3 inch? PVC? ABS? Something else?

[Pilot Dane]

I would use 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe and put in a clean out every 50 ft.

[Mike Swearingen]

And you can rent a small trenching machine. You can get the minimujm 1/4" per linear foot drop across the level ground, and then let it follow the natural fall of elevation down to the septic tank.
Are you going to run a water line? You could run it in the same trench above the drain line, and below the frost line with a shut-off valve and drain spigot near the house.
Good luck!
Mike