When I decided to sell my house, I hired Cole's to inspect my septic system so I could get thigs fixed so it could pass inspection. They said my septic tanks were fine but the water level in the distribution boxes was too high. They said that the crumbling D-boxes were letting ground water enter the leach fields.
They recommended I replace all 5 D-boxes and get the lines hydro-jetted. I paid them $5000 for that work but noticed that the water level was still too high. They came back out and recommended I get a TerraLift process for another $1600.
While I was waiting for them to do that, the buyer hired an inspector, and he found that the tanks were crumbling, and the leach field was too old (48 years) and unable to absorb enough water. Since the septic system failed inspection, the buyer is making me replace the entire system.
I researched the TerraLift process that Cole's recommended and found a lot of bad press on it. It's banned in many townships because it could allow sewer water to enter the water table. Other articles said that it's, at best, a temporary solution. Cole's is the only septic service company I could find that offers this service. Every other company I called said it's a waste of money (and potentially illegal).
So, Cole's inspection didn't catch the fact that the tanks were in bad shape, and had me pay $5000 for work that didn't bring the system up to spec. They also recommended a questionable service to fix the problem. read more