Help Me Understand Septic Problem

[Have tractor did travel]

Fuddyduddy - Around here (Virginia) that pipe is called Orangeburg Pipe - named for the city in SC where it was made

Jigs N fixtures - To my knowledge, "Shark Bite" is good for CPVC (Chlorinated poly vinyl chloride), but not for PVC. CPVC is required for hot water lines - not likely used for an outside water system, as is the case here. PVC is white. CPVC is off white - bisque, or ivory.

 

[seville009]

Could be wrong but it looks to me like a repair has already been attempted. The pipe on the top part of the picture apears to be one of the expandable couplings linked above. Based on the amount of glue on the outside of the joint I would say the last person who "repaired" it still had a leak after fixing and tried to cover it with glue to fix. PVC glue doesn't really work like that so it didn't last. If you dig more on the side of the top part of the picture and see what is there.

You should see the modifications that I did to my pool/pool heater pvc piping a few years back…….looks like blue pipe with a little bit of white here and there…….

 

[Travelover]

Could be wrong but it looks to me like a repair has already been attempted. The pipe on the top part of the picture apears to be one of the expandable couplings linked above. Based on the amount of glue on the outside of the joint I would say the last person who "repaired" it still had a leak after fixing and tried to cover it with glue to fix. PVC glue doesn't really work like that so it didn't last. If you dig more on the side of the top part of the picture and see what is there.

As it turns out, you were exactly right. I dug back a little farther and found a sliding coupler repair. The actual leak was at a regular coupling that was only inserted about 1/4 inch.
In the end I cut everything out, installed a new length of Schedule 40 pipe and a sliding coupler.

As a side note, I read a neat trick - take a standard coupler and use a Dremel tool to cut out the stop in the center so it slides completely over the pipe. Then cut the new pipes so they just butt and glue the coupler over the center of the butt joint.