Using an estimation of the types and amounts of effluent to be handled, our analysis of site conditions and, depending upon the type of establishment whether residential, commercial or industrial, StoneHill can recommend a suitable location and type of system for the septic field. StoneHill will conduct percolation and deep hole testing for sizing and type of system determinations. Based upon the findings and types and amounts of effluent expected, StoneHill will select the optimum system type to be designed; aconventional in-ground system; a raised system or a pressurized mound. StoneHill will prepare system design and installation drawings for submission to state and local regulatory agencies. StoneHill will coordinate with state and local authorities to obtain permits and inspections or waivers as required. In addition, StoneHill will also examine failed systems to determine the reason for failure and will present options for effective recovery or replacement of the failed system. StoneHill can also complete the Title 5 Evaluation required in Massachusetts for real estate transfers and the Waterfront Site Septic Evaluation, for the pending sale of waterfront property, as required by NH state law.

Septic Design and Installation

INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMS WAREHOUSE OPERATION
Client: Industrial Warehouse with Light Manufacturing

Due to the placement of the original disposal system in a low lying, marshy area where the shallow groundwater table prevented aerobic bacteria from surviving, the original disposal system suffered a total failure. Failure of the septic system was hampering on-going industrial operations. This project included the redesign and direction of the construction of a new on-site wastewater disposal system for the facility which included 40 employees and approximately 750 gallons of sewage per day. Following the completion of percolation tests, a pressurized, raised sand mound system was identified as the most cost-effective approach with the smallest footprint. The raised mound system was paired with a 2,500-gallon dual-compartment septic tank to settle solids and a pre-treatment grease trap to capture fats discharged from facility floor drains. The system control box controls a dual-alternating pair of effluent pumps which spray the clarified effluent through a crushed stone bed and two feet of sand mound prior to the effluent reaching the ground. Post installation monitoring indicated the system was operating as intended, with the reliability of dual pumps, the system eliminated the potential need to end operations due to a septic back up resulting from a pump failure.

WATERFRONT RESIDENTIAL HOME
Client: Homeowner

Following the detection of sewage discharge to a salt water tidal creek with an adjacent lobster pound, officials traced the impact to a non-conforming disposal system. The waterfront home is located on a small, steeply sloping property with shallow bedrock. To further complicate site conditions, a buried water line and street drainage pipe crossed the small property. To design a septic system that functions properly, a gravity-fed disposal system was designed, avoiding the use of a pump on the hillside site. A properly sized concrete septic ledge tank and an advanced septic field were installed close behind the home to eliminate discharge of untreated effluent to the tidal creek. The septic field consists of durable permeable plastic filter chambers placed on sand, which provides excellent aeration treatment of the effluent due to the large effective area of vertical treatment surfaces as effluent travels down inside the chambers. As a result, the disposal system for the two bedroom house only required a 12 by 16 foot area. In addition, the system was designed around the buried water supply pipe and the street drainage pipe which were encased in concrete to prevent short-circuiting.

LAKEFRONT SEPTIC REPLACEMENT
Client: Homeowner

The septic system failed at a year round 5-bedroom lakefront home due, to its placement in clay, its proximity to the water table and since the system was initially constructed for a 2-bedroom summer cabin. Additions and remodeling of the former summer cabin resulted in the growth of the home without corresponding upgrades of the septic system. To complicate matters, a paved parking area was installed over the absorption field preventing oxygen from reaching the field. Due to setback restrictions, the replacement system could only be located in the front yard which was half the size required for a new conventional system. As a solution, StoneHill designed and installed a raised bed system with long-lasting plastic filter chambers which have twice the treatment capacity of a conventional system. This allowed the homeowner to install a working septic system that does not pollute the lake or detract from the appearance of the home.

Runoff and Drainage Designs

StoneHill has extensive experience providing surface water runoff and drainage design services for new projects and as part of design solutions to unique site problems. StoneHill will provide site examinations to determine runoff paths and calculate runoff amounts and flow rates using the USDA TR-55 runoff prediction method, complete topographic laser surveys for topographic map development, and determine specifications for settling basins, drainage ditch/pipe sizing and location and type of surface treatments as required to meet the individual project goals. StoneHill will prepare Site Plans showing topography with locations of all elements of drainage system, swales, retention basins, overflow weirs, and drainage pipes for submittal to local and state regulatory agencies. After securing the appropriate permits and approvals, StoneHillwill direct the implementation of the surface water runoff or drainage solutions.

BASEMENT FLOODING
Client: Homeowner

StoneHill was contacted by the insurance company for a homeowner who had installed a small deck and patio behind their hillside home. The downhill neighbor claimed that his damp basement was caused by the increased rain runoff created by the impermeable patio and sued for damages. StoneHill calculated the increased runoff taking into account the total permeable areas, impermeable areas, slopes, soil types, infiltration rates, and typical rainfall patterns for New England. Using the simulation, StoneHill was able to show that the increased runoff created by the impermeable areas was negligible compared to the volume of runoff created by pre-construction conditions. The insurance company was able to settle the lawsuit at a minimal cost.

MEDICAL OFFICE ENTRANCE
Client: Private Practice Doctor

StoneHill was retained by a doctor whose patients couldn’t enter his office building due to flooding in the entryway even during light rain or snow. The office entry way was located at the low end of a parking lot with a slight grade. This resulted in the collection of rain or snow melt from over an acre of parking lot to pool at the office entrance. Many of the patients are elderly and have mobility problems making a 4-inch puddle or ice in the winter impossible to traverse. The doctor’s solution of a sump pump and garden hoses looked unsightly, required constant attention and were unable to remove the large volumes of water that collected. The solution was to intercept the runoff before it pooled at the entryway. Based upon runoff calculations during an average rain event, the intercept system would need to divert over 50,000-gallons of runoff. An 8-inch diversion pipe was selected to intercept the runoff, carry the water 75 feet by gravity, and discharge to two underground bottomless tanks located on the hill below the office.

600 State Street, Suite 2
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Telephone: 603-433-1935
Toll Free: 1-800-639-4503
Fax: 603-433-1942
info@stonehillenvironmental.com

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