Two tips for relocating an underground septic tank

If you'll be relocating a septic tank soon, these tips should ensure that nothing goes awry when you carry out this arduous task.

Make sure that the new hole that you make with the excavator is a bit larger than it needs to be.

Before you start moving the tank, you will need to dig a hole in the area that it is going to be moved to with your excavator. Prior to beginning the digging work, you will need to measure the ground where the hole will be made and ensure that it is large enough for the tank to be lowered into. You may then want to lay some masking tape around the measured patch of ground so you can see where you should be digging when you get into your heavy construction equipment.

When taking these measurements, it is best to overestimate the size that the hole needs to be. The reason for this is as follows; if the hole that you make with the excavator is only barely large enough to allow the tank to be lowered into it by a crane, and is ever so slightly narrower at its base, the tank might get stuck when it's halfway in.

This could make this task immeasurably more complicated. If for example, you then try to make this hole larger with your excavator, whilst the tank is still stuck, in order to create enough space for it to be lowered in, the bucket of this equipment could hit the tank and cause it to crack, in which case the tank would simply have to be pulled out and replaced. Given this, you must make the hole a bit larger than you think it needs to be.

Ensure that your hired crane is suitable for this type of lifting project

Because it would be dangerous, slow and impractical for you and your co-workers to manually lift the septic tank, you will have to get in touch with a business that provides crane hire services and rent a crane from them. However, it is essential not to pick one at random, as not all cranes will be suitable for lifting a septic tank.

For example, you must check how much your septic tank weighs after emptying it (you should not try to lift the tank when it's full of waste, as if it is accidentally dropped and cracks open, the waste could go flying in all directions) and then ensure that the crane you rent is capable of lifting an object that weighs that much. If you don't, this heavy construction equipment might malfunction and the tank could fall and break during the lifting operation.

Additionally, it would be best to rent a crane that has a completely enclosed cab. The reason for this is as follows; if the driver of the crane accidentally releases the tank when lifting it, and it smashes into pieces when it lands, shards of the tank (which may still have residual waste on them) could fly through any openings in the crane's cab and cut the driver. The sharpness of the broken pieces, coupled with the toxic waste residue on them, could leave the driver with a very deep and infected wound.