STUDY DECK
Clearing a 43-Year-Old System for Property Sale in Arlington, WA
PROJECT SNAPSHOT Swede Heaven, Arlington, WA 98223 1983 two-compartment cement septic tank
Read the full Arlington property-transfer inspection ca se study →
43 yrs
Original 1983 system 12 in Buried lids below grade 250 gal Stress test passed $1,311 Project total
Outcome 250-gallon drain field stress test passed; report prepared for Snohomish County
• Property sale required licensed transfer inspection
• County as-built records did not match the property layout
• Older tank had buried lids and no outlet baffle filter
The visible symptom was not treated as the full diagnosis. The crew traced the failure through the septic system until the real constraint was visible.
1 Lids were 12 inches deep, not 6 inches
3 No outlet baffle filter was installed
2 Second compartment had 10 inches of sludge
4 Root growth on top of cement tank needed active management
Visible symptom
Property sale required licensed transfer inspection
Hidden cause
Lids were 12 inches deep, not 6 inches; Second compartment had 10 inches of sludge
Correct repair
Prepare county filing
Excavate buried lids →
2 Pump and clean both compartmen ts →
3 Measure scum and sludge layers →
4 Run 250gallon drain field stress test → Step 5 Prepare county filing
• Property transfer inspections create the official county record
• A missing outlet baffle filter silently threatens the drain field
• Risers eliminate repeat excavation on older buried tanks
https://septicsolutionsllc.com/projects/one-day-septic-inspectio n-case