Small pool over septic tank?

[John Gilmer]

I don't see a problem. You pool will load the soil over the tank with 200# per square foot. No big deal. Nothing like having, say, a dump truck drive over the ground.

[ShutterMan]

We have one of these 'Easy Set' 12' x 38" round swimming pools that you blow up the ring and fill with water. It seems the only really level place in our yard is over the septic tank. I don't know how much weight is safe to put over the tank. Any thoughts?

A picture of the pool can be found here:

Im thinking it shouldnt be too bad with the weight being dispersed across the surface, but I have some doubts.

[Brian V]

Your talking almost 11 tons of weight for that pool, no way should it go over a septic tank!

12' round pool at 36" depth: 12x12x3x5.9=2548.8 gallons 8.34lbs per gallon 2548.8x8.34=21256.992lbs

Pool volume:

[bambam]

Water weighs just under 8.4 pounds per gallon.

Walmart says your pool holds just under18 hundred gallons of water when it is 80 percent full.

That is 15 thousand pounds.

The diameter of your pool is 12 feet, making the surface area 113.1 s.f. approx.

The weight of the pool is approx. 132.6 pounds per s.f. or just under

1 pound per square inch.

What weight will your septic tank bear?

Ken

[Oren]

I would not do this, but check the local code. In my area you cannot even drive or even park on a septic/leech field.

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

[Chuck (in SC)]

I wouldn't do it.. over the tank OR the field..all in all... I think it's a shitty idea.. pun intended.. Chuck (in SC)

[sonofabitchsky]

Ug. Walmart.

[Harry K]

I'll leave the weight consideration for others.

Have you considered what you will have to do when you get the tank pumped?

Harry K

[ShutterMan]

Its a temporary setup of course.. but i may go ahead and move it based on the recommendations above. Certainly I dont want to take a chance. As for the weight, it is alot, but you can easily place your arm up underneath the pool without issue, even filled, so it does disperse the weight. But no point in chancing it, so Ill move it. Thanks for the input.

[Meat Plow]

When in doubt.............

[Eigenvector]

Since you're on septic, you might consider where exactly all that water will go when it comes time to drain it. As a general consideration I don't put any water near or around my tank, drain field, or any locations upstream. But I live in the PNW, watering the lawn is rarely required.

[John Gilmer]

Good point.

"Around here" new installations have interceptors above the actual drain field. The interceptors take water dumped above the drain field and take it below the drain field. But usually the drain field isn't immediately adjacent to the tank. In any case, he can run his pool draining hose to below his septic field.

Remember the 70s book, "The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Field?"