vanity: possible sewage line break in my Mom's yard: how do I tell?

self | 05/19/2010 | Racebannon

[RaceBannon]

My Mom's yard has a spot where grass is dying.

I noticed birds feeding there a lot in the last month, it is a mostly round patch, 10 feet across

I tried to use a gerden weasel on it today and huge hunks of soil came up with the grass, easily broken up, stillmoist, odorless

no apparent moles, voles, or grubs at this spot

[RaceBannon]

Question: Since it is in the vicinity of the sewage line I saw dug up 40 years ago to be redone, how do I determine if this die-off is that sewage line rupturing again?

I just spent money to replant seed to test if it grows again, seed and that blue mulch/seed patch stuff. I had to try before I dig it up...

[RaceBannon]

All advice appreciated! :)

[KarlInOhio]

A good plumber can run a camera down the sewer line and see if it is broken at that point.

[library user]

gerden weasel

Bump.

[cripplecreek]

Taste it.

[wbill]

Remember that the grass is always greener over the septic tank.

[Revelation 911]

if the turf is pulling up it might be the grub damage was significant and now theyve grown into junebugs which is why you arent seeing them

just guessin

[dynachrome]

Camera down the line. It wil cost a couple of bucks, but might as well be sure.

[raybbr]

Is this septic or utility?

[raybbr]

Isn’t it too early for grubs? I have always been told they hatch in early June.

[Grunthor]

“possible sewage line break in my Mom’s yard: how do I tell?”

Do you possess a sense of smell?

[mnehring]

Like this? Possibly grubs.

[skr]

The grass around our septic tank is usually the greenest; odorless doesn’t sound like a sewer line break, but I’m no expert.

[Star Traveler]

Well, the best way I know how to do it and pretty cheap, too ... is to get your shovel out “dig it up” in that spot. It shouldn’t be too hard. I had to do that myself a few months ago and found the broken spot, right where it was apparently real moist.

Just consider it exercise and it’s for free ... Otherwise, if money is no object, just call the plumber... :-)

[raybbr]

Also, we have had a lot of water lately. Is it a low spot? Could be it’s not draining and the soil is too soft to hold the roots.

[Responsibility2nd]

All advice appreciated! :)

__________________________________

Now you ought to know better than that.

[RaceBannon]

thats almost exactly it, the last grubs we had came out like a circle, like an arc, not a patch!

HMMM, it’s been two years, is there a cycle of life here??

[RaceBannon]

hey, those who know me, know I give Lazamataz a run for his money in the crazy department!

[OldDeckHand]

I'm going with lawn fungus, brown patch in particular. You had an exceptionally wet winter in CT, which can lead to brown patch.

I'm not sure the a broken sewage pipe would cause a brown out.

[mnehring]

I don’t know about how the cycle is, I just know we had an issue with June bugs this year. The couple of patches we lost are starting to come back pretty strong now.

[RaceBannon]

yes, and that is why I doubted it mostly! :)

[SJSAMPLE]

Taste is the only real way to be sure.

[digger48]

Well, the best way I know how to do it and pretty cheap, too ... is to get your shovel out “dig it up” in that spot.

Beat me to it! If you get down 18"-24" and the soil is or isn't significantly moister, you'll have an answer.

Besides, if it was a small sewage leak , it'd make the grass greener, not kill it off. If it were a large sewage leak, you'd know it.

[cripplecreek]

But don’t step in it. That would be nasty.

[rednek]

Call the gas company now. Yhe photo looks like a potential natural gas leak. Don’t take any chances, they will now and for free!!!!!red

[cripplecreek]

My grass is a jungle over my drainfield. I mow it twice as often as I mow the rest of the yard.

[rednek]

woops - not your photo. call the gas company anyway. 1st sign of a gas leak is dead vegetation......red

[RaceBannon]

no gas in the area

but the grubs thing, what we had 2 years ago was like a central spot of dead, with a wagon wheel arc of dead, not a large patch

however, I am off to the yard people tomorrow, treat it as grubs anyways since that is what was diagnosed last time, they may be back

I guess the birds feeding should have been my first warnig it was bugs of some kind!

[Revelation 911]

were in rochester ny (cold) and they were done in early may

[vigilante2]

Do you have a dog? It can also be caused from too much fertilizer there or rain water puddling there. Grubs, tree roots.

[manonCANAL]

UFO LANDING MAYBE

[digger48]

[Red_Devil 232]

It does sound a lot like grubs (June Bug). Their grub stage is three years long and they are down there eating the roots of the grass all that time. Grab the brown grass and if you can pull the grass out of the ground in the form of a brown sod you just may have grubs.

[AFreeBird]

Oh come on... No one is THAT crazy....

[SJSAMPLE]

Sounds like the old Cheech and Chong skit.

“Smells like dog chit.
Feels like dog chit.
Ooooohhhhhh. Taste like dog chit.

Good thing you no step in it.”

[SampleMan]

Lot’s of birds and a round brown spot. You’ve got bugs. Probably cinch bugs.

[willk]

Sewage effluent will usually always have a strong odor. Usually the ground will be spongy with overgrown vegetation before sewage in a leachline starts surfacing.

[rsobin]

Taste.

[2111USMC]

I hope you have better luck with the “blue mulch/seed” stuff than I have. I’ve never been able to get that stuff to take hold.

Sounds like grubs.

[Cyber Liberty]

I knew from the instant I saw this in “Latest Posts” that this would be the kind of thread that makes FR fun.

[puppypusher]

Hi!Race.When you say sewage line do you mean a leach field to a septic system or a line to the public sewer system?

If its to a septic system you'll soon have a very soggy lawn just above the septic system and the smell will be unbelievable.

That should occurr as well with the line to the public sewer service though you may have a back-flow from the main line onto your property.

Either way its one hell of an expense.

[Dem Guard]

ROFLMAO!

[agere_contra]

Taste is the only real way to be sure.

Nuke the site from orbit. That's the only way to be sure.

[Ramius]

I would suggest that if it were a broken sewer line or septic system, there would be no doubt about it whatsoever. That’s not the sort of thing that happens and you have to wonder what’s going on. It’s pretty clear.

My guess is first some kind of insect problem, or maybe something toxic was spilt on the ground?

[1776 Reborn]

Plant a wheeping willow or two. Those trees will suck the tank dry. lol

[LibLieSlayer]

Erma Bombeck’s book. Great title.

LLS

[John W]

Typical sewage line break-

[count-your-change]

And have all those roots as a freebie!

[crazyhorse691]

Unless your mom dumps her meth lab waste and a couple of pounds of salt daily down her toilet I doubt that you have a sewer line break...those are usually identified by soggy ground, actual soil settlement, growth hot spot, and smell(dogs will come from miles to frolic there). It is possible that it is a bug infestation of a hot spot, so, you would do best to dig a slit trench down several feet to check the soil for foul odor and soggy soil...the easier the digging as you go down increases the chances of an actual line break. Or you can pay several hundreds of $$$ to have a camera inserted through the nearest washout. And those are as only as reliable as the operator.

[1776 Reborn]

Yeah, weeping willows might be good at sucking up oil too.
:-)