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Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

Do You Know What This Is?

I was in Stockbridge, MA last weekend and took a picture of this structure.....I'm a city kid...grew upon asphalt...can anyone help me identify what this outdoor cement structure might be?
Thanks in advance!

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Val Arie

9 Years Ago

Looks like a septic tank...can't tell for sure because I don't know how big it is. That would be my first guess. Second guess a seepage tank of some sort...used for water retention.

 

Edward Fielding

9 Years Ago

I agree. The holes let the liquids seep into the leach field.

 

Gene Gregory

9 Years Ago

An apartment building for birds of course !

 

Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

Thanks, guys....it was about 5 feet tall and at least a 12 foot diameter. I figured it had something to do with water. It was at Kripalu, which is a giant facility that can house probably 1,000 guests...it wasn't near the buildings themselves but out in a very green field. And yes, Gene, it housed lots of bird nests and spider webs....which is why i didn't inspect further.

EDIT: I just looked at some seepage tank images and they only have one or two holes....maybe this one had a lot because the underground mechanism is so big? Could just one tank handle a facility that big? I didn't see any others around.
At first I thought maybe some kind of composter?
Seriously, I know NOTHING about this kind of stuff....I didn't even see a real horse until I was 22! lol

 

Val Arie

9 Years Ago

They make different kinds to install for different reasons...This is probably used for the gray water...If it was sitting out in a field I would think that the leach field and something is failing. Probably see some digging going on there next.
Often times for a large facility there are any number of underground tanks...this would be a tank towards the end of the diversion process. If you walked around in the field you probably would have seen standing or soggy ground at some point....If only one tank was there...probably all they are replacing...or they could just be adding one on at the end. But no one tank that size is only a small part of the system...others wise they would have a very smelly hot mess!

 

Robert Frank Gabriel

9 Years Ago

I know what it is. It's a picture you took. that was easy.

 

Val Arie

9 Years Ago

Civil engineering is part of my background including water and septic...it always amazed me how many people have no idea what happens after they flush! Until it doesn't work or they smell bad stuff...it was never a thought. Where septic and wells are so common as it is here... it always amazed me to find that so few knew how it really works...or that they assumed because they had a well the water was good...or safe.

 

Jeffrey Canha

9 Years Ago

It's called a leaching tank. If you have one for your septic now and sell you house it needs to be replaced because it doesn't meet new Title VI Code. It's part of a 2 tank system. The 1st tank gets everything ( number 1 and number 2) the bigger parts of number 2 stay in the first tank and the remaining liquids get displaced into the tank shown to leach out into the
soil. See, I know my $h!+ .

 

Luke Moore

9 Years Ago

Welcome to Massachusetts Marlene... Western, Mass can be a beautiful place :) I have spent some time up in the Florida, MA/ North Adams, MA / Route 2 area doing some camping and Jeep trails. Some wonderful vistas for sure.

I agree with Val's post that object is probably a piece of a septic tank system or some sort of water retention or filtering thingee.

 

Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

You guys are great! Thanks so much!!
Now go check out my portfolio to see how I played this!

 

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