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Sand Pit Pumping - Looking for ways to minimize the cost
- Thread starter SteveT
- Start date
soapy
Senior Member
Depending on state regulations you could do a few things. In California if the pit dirt is dry you can dump it in the dumpster. With a handi-clam you could scoop out a few buckets full each day and drop them in the dumpster when dry. might save a few bucks but would be back breaking work.
Jason Studer
Member
Stop the sand before it goes in the pits, cut a short and narrow trench infront of each pit, put a grate over it and clean it out when needed, daily or when ever it gets half full or so.
Here in Minnesota we can dump sand or mud in the dumpster if it is not taken out off the pits. What is the difference? How does it become hazardous waste once it hits the pit?
Here in Minnesota we can dump sand or mud in the dumpster if it is not taken out off the pits. What is the difference? How does it become hazardous waste once it hits the pit?
raisetheprice
Member
If you really stop and think about it...it's 99% topsoil, you could haul it to a drying area, then sell it as top soil once it drys out. Have you ever seen how green the grass is that grows out of this 'hazardous material'?
MEP001
Well-known member
Per the EPA, you can let the pit mud dry on a non-permeable surface with any run-off allowed to go to a sewer drain, and once it's dry you can dispose of it in your dumpster or landfill. I used to shovel the mud onto the bay floor and let it dry overnight and wheel it to the dumpster the next day, but the smell was too bad.
We had one pit filling up twice as fast as the rest, so I covered the whole grate with steel, with only a 4" hole cut in the center. Whenever there's a heavy mess I place a pail over the hole and rinse everything onto the steel, then move the pail and allow the water to drain. After about 5 minutes I can pick up almost all the mud quickly and easily with a shovel, which I put straight into the dumpster.
We had one pit filling up twice as fast as the rest, so I covered the whole grate with steel, with only a 4" hole cut in the center. Whenever there's a heavy mess I place a pail over the hole and rinse everything onto the steel, then move the pail and allow the water to drain. After about 5 minutes I can pick up almost all the mud quickly and easily with a shovel, which I put straight into the dumpster.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
I am thinking that I will just dig them out by hand. It won't be a real fun job, but it will be better than handing $1500 over to a company to pump them out.
Do local rent-all companies carry anything that could possibly be used to make cleaning them out a little easier and cost effective?
Do local rent-all companies carry anything that could possibly be used to make cleaning them out a little easier and cost effective?
MEP001
Well-known member
We pay $3,500 to get ours cleaned once a year.Bubbles Galore said:
There are slurry pumps that can handle the mud, plus someone mentioned using a post hole digger to stir the mud and make it more easily pumped. You could build some sort of frame to support the auger while you pump the mud into something.Bubbles Galore said:
Bubbles Galore
Active member
How many pits do you have to clean out? I have eight that get cleaned out and that is plenty. I would have to come up with something that could hold the contents of the pit for transport. Good ideas though.
My front end loader rig has now paid for itself and still looks brand new. Some of you probably remember seeing it several years ago. I still use it for other things and maintain a new trailer park with it as well. It was paid for totally from the savings on pit and road cleaning. We have made one small change--we clean the pits all at once and put the dirt in a large dump trailer. The hauler charges us $50 to haul it all away at one time. 4 X 6 pits are cleaned 3 or 4 times a year. Still drinking coffee and smiling.