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New Year’s Greetings

- Thursday, December 29, 2022

New Year’s Greetings

We hope calendar year 2022 was memorable for all the right reasons and leaves you with only life-long heart-warming memories. As the dawn of the new year approaches, we extend our best wishes for the same throughout 2023. It is truly a privilege to serve you and to be uplifted by you. From all of us here at Morse Engineering & Construction we thank you and wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!


Steps for Getting a New Septic System

- Friday, December 23, 2022
Morse Engineering and Construction

Improper septic disposal on your property affects not only you and your family but also the community at large. As such, municipalities have set regulations and guidelines for how to safely and responsibly install a septic system. A septic system design company can help you to understand and adhere to these rules while devising the most efficient strategy for handling your septic waste. Before you get started, here’s a guide at some of the steps you’ll need to take.

What Are the Necessary Steps for Installing a Septic System?

1. Understand Regulations

Regulations on septic systems vary across states, so check with local authorities on current laws and rules that may apply. The state environmental agency and health department will have the necessary information on their websites or at their offices. Do a quick search to identify the governing agency, then go from there.

2. Know the Required Permits

Like most construction projects, installing a septic system requires permits. Again, the necessary paperwork differs from one place to another. Before the local agency issues the permits and gives you the green light, they have to ensure first that your chosen site is suitable for construction. Most septic system installers are familiar with the permitting process, and they can handle everything for a fee.

3. Conduct Site Evaluation

The local agency will test the soil to determine the most efficient system for it. Some soil conditions are inefficient at filtering wastewater or have high water tables, increasing the risk of contamination. In such scenarios, an aerobic septic system works better than an anaerobic one.

4. Design the System

After the site assessment, septic system design companyit’s time to bring in a septic system design company. They will draft a wastewater treatment system that meets your needs while accounting for any limitations and restrictions in the design. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to septic systems because of marked differences in property layouts.

5. Obtain Approval

Plans for your septic system have to be approved by the local agency first before actual work begins. It must meet the set standards and regulations; otherwise, your septic system design company will have to go back to the drawing board. Once the system is considered safe and won’t contaminate water sources, installation can commence.

For more information, contact Morse Engineering and Construction.

Source: connect2local


An Appreciative Happy Holidays Wish from All of Us

- Friday, December 16, 2022
Happy Holidays

The holidays have arrived. As we write this, we continue to do our very best to meet and exceed your expectations. Simultaneously, our hearts are filled with Holiday joy, too many to itemize fully. One of our greatest joys is our appreciation of you. Please know how much we value and are personally rewarded by our relationship.

For warming our hearts and for thinking of us when our business can meet your needs, everyone here at Morse Engineering & Construction Industries offers our thanks and heartfelt greetings for a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and joyful wishes for your every holiday celebration.


The Septic Design Process

- Friday, December 09, 2022
Morse Engineering and Construction - The Septic Design Process

Septic systems can be installed on most properties, fitted to new construction, or built into an existing structure’s plumbing system. However, there’s more to septic design than simply identifying the best location for the tank and drainage field. Before the system is installed, here’s what to expect from your design consultation with an experienced engineering firm.

Preliminary Tests & Design Work

Before beginning the septic design process, the property’s soil needs to be examined through a percolation (perc) test. This test determines how quickly water is absorbed into the soil and allows the engineer to recommend the proper septic tank system for the site. They’ll map out the best location, tank size, type, and drain field arrangement for the property.

Once the appropriate design is determined, the consultant will help you file the paperwork with the city or county so construction can begin. Without the proper permits in place, the septic system cannot be installed. Also, moving forward without the right documentation in place could result in hefty fines. Once the engineering firm secures the permits, they’ll help you find the right septic installation company to ensure everything is completed up to current building codes and regulations.

Why Septic Design Is Important

Without undergoing the design process with an experienced engineering firm, there’s a chance that the septic system won’t work properly for the property. This means waste water won’t be treated efficiently and could lead to sewage backup in the home’s plumbing. Whether the site is a new construction project or you’re looking to sell a property with an old tank in place, you’ll need to update it before the property can go on the market. By hiring a professional engineering firm to handle the septic design, you’ll guarantee that the system meets current building codes and can pass any city or county inspections.

For more information, contact Morse Engineering and Construction.

Source: connect2local


Buying a Lakefront Home with a Septic System

- Friday, December 02, 2022
Morse Engineering and Construction - Septic System

It can be a very frustrating and costly mistake not to understand all the requirements of waste disposal at your new lakefront home…especially in Massachusetts.

A. Town Sewerage

To avoid some of the problems involved with on-site septic waste disposal systems, many lakefront homeowners take advantage of connecting their homes to the municipal sewer system. Connecting to the sewer system can reduce the potential for environmental contamination and health hazards caused by old septic systems and cesspools, and offer a cost-effective alternative to systems that require pump-outs and often need expensive repairs.

To connect to town sewerage, homeowners obtain quotes for private contractors to connect their property to the sewer line/stub in the street. The work also entails a proper abandonment of the old waste system according to relevant specifications.

If the property you are looking at has town sewerage, it could be important to research town records to see that the work was completed with proper adherence to laws and regulations.

In addition, it is important to ask if there are any outstanding betterment fees and what party is responsible for paying those fees at Closing. Most of the time, this is the Seller’s responsibility. However, it can be a negotiating tool.

A sewer betterment assessment is a fee assessed by municipalities to properties that have been “bettered” by the construction of a public sewer. The value of those properties are said to have been improved and therefore, are “bettered”.

What about Septic Systems?

The purpose of a septic system is to retain solid waste in the tank and to dispose of effluent waste water into the ground without contaminating the environment.

In simplest terms, a septic system consists of a holding tank which retains solid waste and grease from household waste water, and an absorption system or “leach field” which disposes of liquid wastewater or “effluent” which leaves the septic tank for absorption below ground into soils at the property.

Typical Septic System

Properly designed and installed on-site septic systems are very functional and sanitary. Private septic systems serve more homes in the US and many other countries than any other waste disposal method. However, components can be costly and do not have an indefinite life. Therefore, there are some questions that you will want to ask.

First, the best information you can obtain is a copy of the as-built septic plan. This is usually recorded with the Town Board of Health. This plan tells you exactly where the septic system is located.

You’d probably want to know how often the septic system has been pumped and whether it has a current Title 5 Inspection.

With conventional septic systems, it is always a good idea to conserve water whenever possible. You’ll want to choose commercial drain cleaners carefully, as many may be harmful to the groundwater and to your leach field. When septic systems are not pumped routinely, the leach field may become clogged. Bleach, drain cleaners, chemicals and paints may harm beneficial microorganisms essential to the systems operation. And, as a general rule, garbage disposals cannot be used with septic systems.

Septic systems that are designed, installed, and operated properly will treat wastewater as well as any municipal sewage system. In fact, some septic systems do a much better job! The tanks will require pumping every 3 to 5 years.

Cesspools

A cesspool combines the septic treatment tank and absorption system into a single component. In its most basic and traditional form a cesspool is a hole in the ground lined with stone or concrete block to form a masonry-lined pit into which sewage is discharged. Solids (sewage from the building) remain in the pit, effluent is absorbed into soil below and at the sides of the cesspool. Cesspools as a means to dispose of sewage have been around since the late 1400’s at the beginning of the Renaissance. Cesspools require pumping every 1 to 2 years at a cost of approximately $200 to $300.

The concern with cesspools is that they may overload the capacity of the soil to remove bacteria, viruses, and phosphorous, and to nitrify ammonia and organic nitrogen compounds. Some communities will fail cesspools automatically via Title 5 regulations. Some accept them if they are functioning properly and meet other criteria. It is important to understand what you are buying.

Tight Tanks

Tight tanks are similar to septic tanks, except that they have no outlet and must be pumped out at regular intervals…usually monthly. Title 5 strongly discourages the use of tight tanks, but they are allowed in situations where an existing system has failed and there is no other feasible alternative. Tight tanks are not allowed for new construction or increases in design flow.

When purchasing a home with a tight tank, you’ll want to request copies of maintenance invoices for the last year. Then, determine the usage of your family and how that will impact those costs. Normally, tight tanks are sized from 1500 to 2500 gallons. Each pumping can cost from $175 to $250 (assuming frequency discounts).

For more information, contact Morse Engineering and Construction.

Source: lakefrontliving.com