I got good at guessing when it was time for the septic tank to be pumped out. The situation being what it was, for the next year I usually kept the cover of the tank exposed. Fortunately, the washing machine had a dedicated dry well. Don’t know what that is? Look it up! Without the dry well, the tank would have needed pumping far more frequently.
About a year after failing the percolation test, just as the town inspector had promised, lines were being spray painted on the street for the sewer line extension. By that time, we were actively looking for a house in another town.
We weren’t having any luck finding something in our price range. Then, during lunch one day at work, a friend and colleague came up to the cafeteria table, and instead of joining us, he said, “Come on, there’s a house I want you to see.” His neighbors across the street were putting their house on the market. It was perfect for what my wife and I wanted and needed. I made sure that weekend’s open house was canceled.
Now I need to backtrack to a post from a few years ago.