L & M Excavating

Information may not be reliable

Since 1987 we have set the Benchmark for Quality and Innovation in the field of On-Site Sewage Disposal in Southwestern Indiana. Our Goal is to continue to lead the way and Offer only the
highest quality in Design, Installation and Service for your Septic System.

We are a FULL SERVICE Excavation Company
SPECIALIZING in Septic Systems.

* Residential & Commercial
Purdue has a cool site with a lot of PDF docs explaining a good bit on septic systems

There is no problem too large or too small, we can fix them ALL!
We pride ourselves in being able to install septic systems where other installers can't.
When they have all walked away and said there is nothing they can do,
Then it's time to give us a call,,, 853-5007
We work in Warrick, Vanderburgh, Spencer, Posey, Gibson,
Pike, Dubois and Perry Counties in Indiana

Presby Systems or Enviro-Systems
OK seems there is a LOT of talk about these systems in Southern IN these days. These are NOT a miracle cure system they are just another type of system available in Indiana on an EXPERIMENTAL basis.
What bothers me the most on these systems is the way they are being sold/installed,,,
just remember this,,,
A smaller system (takes less space) is JUST THAT,,, a SMALLER SYSTEM !!!
If there is one thing EVERYONE should know about septic systems it is,,,
SMALLER IS IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM BETTER !!
Your best bet is the LARGEST system you can fit on your lot and put the smallest amount of waste water through the thing.
We are a Certified installer for these systems but have yet to come across a site we feel it is best for. The only way I could see using one is when a Mound is needed and it is downhill from the home you can save some money by not needing a pump. In a true mound system you ALWAYS need a pump. I'm still not sure I would make this choice though if it were my system.
Overall nothing has impressed me about these systems to date but if you want to stick one in I'm game,, we'll see what happens together.
If you are tight on space and worried about a system working/lasting then install an RGF between the Septic Tank and Field Bed, this should reduce your BOD to less than 10 mg/l
(click BOD for Wikipedia). Here is a PDF on BOD from Purdue

***** HEADS UP ON SOIL TESTS/REPORTS *****
A soil test is REQUIRED in Indiana for any Septic System Absorption field (field bed) repair or installation.
Vanderburgh County Health Dept. will do soil tests for Vanderburgh County installations only but
PLEASE UNDERSTAND these tests are NOT State certified nor recognized or accepted by the
Indiana State Dept. of Health (ISDH) if they have to do plan review for your installation.

This one is located in Newburgh
David Ralston was a soil scientist for Amax Coal for over 19 years and is one of the most regarded soil scientists in Indiana
We are lucky to have him in our area.
Soil Tech Inc. 858-7003 Click above to email

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(bunch of gravel in a pit with swamp plants in it that live off your sewage)
These systems are Supposed to be supervised by ISDH (the county can not approve these on their own) if they are not supervised by ISDH you could be held accountable for replacing it at your expense so keep this in mind.
That being said,, a 3 bedroom home will need about 20' x 30' wetland area for proper sizing. With our 46" annual rainfall this adds about 17,000 gallons of water to your field bed each year. This happens simply by the rain falling into the Wetland and then being funneled into the field bed. Keep in mind that same rain fell all over your field bed too. Not good math in my book.
17,000 gallons,, WOW that is a LOT of water, how much water do you use in a month? Probably less than 7000 gallons. The best part is our wet season is when the plants are pretty much dormant so no evapotranspiration takes place. Evapotranspiration is water evaporating from the plants which pretty much stops @ 70 degrees. Only about 16 inches of rain falls in the months of June through October and October is a already a slow month for rain to evaporate. This means the other 30 inches of rain happens over winter and early spring, not good months for evaporation either.
In 2006 we had OVER 70 INCHES of rain WOW!! 26,000 gallons of rain water into the field bed,,, bet that helped.
I am NOT a fan of Constructed Wetlands and can NOT recommend anyone install one
(unless you put a glass roof over it, then it would be GREAT)
Nobody can FORCE you to install this system, if you feel you are being pressured just read below.

YOU DO HAVE RIGHTS !
If you feel the County is trying to Bulldoze you into something that isn't right or
force a particular contractor on you
(some local counties are known for this)
then ask what your options are by writing the
Supervisor of The Residential On-Site Sewage Program for Indiana by clicking below.
Alan Dunn ISDH (the answer man)
Just remember it is YOUR home and YOUR money, you DO have rights!
Don't let Petty Politics Boss you around.

available for new Septic Systems
There is usually only one way to do something right and a million ways to screw it up,,
We do it right the FIRST TIME !
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