[Magdalen] More prayers, PLEASE!

[Jim Guthrie]

 >Geez, it never rains but it pours! There is *something* wrong with the 
septic system at my house in Tennessee and for the second time since 
 >Christmas it's backed up into the washing machine. We've had to call 
the septic tank company again. this place is nothing but a money pit

It sounds like it needs to be dug out and replaced. Servicing the septic 
tank should make it good for at least a year or two, and some of the 
companies that do the service actually offer a guarantee of a year or more.

Old Septic tank/Cesspool systems can be a real pain.

When we lived in Lynbrook, the bottom of the tank was often below the 
water level (only about 8 feet below the bottom of the basement!) and 
sometimes after a heavy series of rains, the backyard would be flooded. 
I seem to recall some sort of device on the line that prevented backflow 
into the house, but we moved away when i was 10, so don't  know any 
details. I know some neighbors didn't have that and so their basements 
would be flooded. They installed a city sewer system the year after we 
moved, which solved everyone's problems with high water.

I have vague memories of discovering flowing water in the back yard as a 
toddler, and building dams and streams before my horrified mother yanked 
me out of the mud and into a bathtub for a good scrubbing, interrupted 
by her calling the cesspool service company.

My parents' marriage was bookended by overflowing septic systems -- the 
Cesspool overflowed while they were in the church getting married, and 
one cousin who stayed at the house to supervise the caterer set-up for 
the reception noticed and called the cesspool company-- and their truck 
was parked out front when the wedding party returned-- but they were 
close to being finished.

Forty-eight years later, while living in Smithtown, the cesspool 
overflowed while we were in the church for my Dad's memorial service.

Twilight Zone music, anyone?

Cheers,
Jim .