Cesspool from a barrel: a step-by-step master class on arrangement
Living in a private house requires the presence of an autonomous sewer system.It consists of internal wiring, external piping and a storage tank (or VOC). For residents of holiday villages or houses of temporary (seasonal) residence, a cesspool remains relevant as the best way to collect and partially recycle waste.
We will tell independent home craftsmen how to construct a cesspool from a barrel. This is an extremely simple option that requires a minimum of funds in construction. Taking into account our recommendations, you can easily install an autonomous sewer system with a cesspool.
The content of the article:
How is a cesspool different from a septic tank?
Previously, the word “septic tank” was unknown, and the role of the only possible place for collecting waste was played by a cesspool.
Structurally, all cesspools were similar, the difference concerned the presence or absence of any container. Often, an ordinary hole was dug in the ground, and a wooden birdhouse was built above it. Such outdoor toilets can still be found in old holiday villages.
A pit without a sealed container is an environmental threat to a garden plot. If home owners are interested in clean soil and water, they must place a reservoir in the cesspool pit.
Previously, it was made of boards or bricks, now - from concrete rings or monolithic concrete. Barrels, metal or plastic, specially designed for sewage systems are also often used.
Even a large sealed tank made of modified plastic is just a storage tank that fills quickly and requires regular pumping. It is for this reason that cesspools are absolutely not suitable for family cottages.
To make the sewer system more efficient, instead of a cesspool, a septic tank is installed, which not only collects wastewater, but partially purifies it. Pumping out solid sediment from a septic tank is done much less frequently than from a pit.
The most advanced method for collecting and processing sewage waste is the installation biological treatment stations. Thanks to the special design and operating principle, the block, consisting of several sections, purifies liquid up to 98%.
After such thorough filtration, the water goes into a reservoir, into the ground or into a storage well for household needs.
Benefits of raking out a barrel
If, for financial or other reasons, you cannot install a septic tank (a more efficient treatment facility), you will have to install a cesspool.
You should immediately abandon the option that does not involve installing a container. Sewage that has not undergone the decomposition process and immediately enters the ground and groundwater contains dangerous microorganisms. Over time, they can pollute fertile soil, well water, and cultivated plants in the garden.
Therefore, before installing a cesspool, you need to decide on the type of tank, that is, choose one of the following options:
- brick well;
- concrete ring well;
- rubber tire pit;
- monolithic concrete tank;
- plastic container or metal barrel.
The cheapest, but least reliable, is considered to be a well made from old car tires. It requires high-quality waterproofing and is not suitable for bulk sewer drains. A brick structure is too labor-intensive and also requires careful sealing.
Chambers made of monolithic concrete are durable and easy to maintain, but require knowledge of pouring technology and skillful execution. Concrete rings are popular, but their installation requires construction equipment and additional labor.
A barrel cesspool is easy to install, easy to maintain and has a long service life. Modern sewer tanks made of plastic with stiffening ribs and a neck for maintenance are especially good.
For temporary needs, a metal container additionally treated with an anti-corrosion agent is also suitable, but it will last no more than 4-5 years.
Choosing a barrel for a sump device
In order for a cesspool to serve for a long time, not require repairs and have maximum functionality, when constructing it it is necessary to take into account two factors: material of manufacture and volume. Let's take a closer look at each.
Types of containers by material
Reservoirs are selected based on two main requirements for the material: strength and tightness. Metal and plastic barrels correspond to these qualities. Let's consider their advantages and disadvantages.
Both types are perfect for any type of soil. These are sealed containers without a filter bottom, so it makes no difference what is under the barrel - high-throughput sand or waterproof clay.
The type of soil will become important if you decide to build a more complex structure of 2 or 3 barrels, the last of which will act as an absorption well.
For a sealed reservoir, it also does not matter where the aquifers are located. Correct adherence to the technology for installing a cesspool guarantees safety for high groundwater.There is only one way for waste that gets into the storage tank - into the tank of the sewer truck.
Thus, metal and plastic barrels are united by their tightness. When it comes to durability, plastic products win. Modern types of plastic intended for sewage tanks can last up to 50 years, easily resist the effects of household chemicals, and do not corrode.
The only disadvantage of plastic is freezing at very low temperatures if the tank is close to the surface. The problem is solved by additional insulation.
Disadvantages of metal barrels:
- heavy weight, causing difficulties with transportation and installation;
- inability to resist corrosion that can break the seal;
- the need for additional processing on both sides;
- high cost of new products.
We can conclude that the best option in terms of price/quality ratio is a plastic container specially made for sewage systems.
Calculation of cesspool volume
The size of the barrel depends on the volume of wastewater, and its quantity, in turn, on the number of people living in the house and the availability of water consumption points. If a married couple periodically comes to the dacha and does not use a washing machine or a bathroom, the amount of waste will be much less than for a family of 4-5 people constantly living in the house.
The easiest way to calculate the volume of a container is to use the following formula:
Suppose there are 3 people living in a house, each of whom produces 100 liters (on average) of sewage waste daily. According to the agreement, the vacuum cleaners come once a month (30 days). We get 3 x 100 x 30 = 9000 l. Therefore, a fairly large tank with a volume of 9 m³ will be required.
If you decide to use small containers, you will need several of them, but for ease of pumping and installation it is better to purchase one large tank.
Drawing up a project and choosing a scheme
To protect yourself from errors in cesspool installation for a dacha or a small country house, it is better to draw up a small plan and draw a diagram indicating the dimensions of the barrel, pit, trenches, pipes.
The list of necessary materials and tools must include:
- plastic barrel (Eurocube, tank);
- pipes and fittings for assembling communications;
- tools for excavating soil (shovel with buckets, winch, wheelbarrow);
- backfill for arranging the bottom of the pit (pebbles, gravel, crushed stone, sand).
To determine the length of the pipeline, you need to measure the distance from the building (bathhouse, garage, guest house) to the intended installation location of the barrel.
The dimensions of the pit must correspond to the size of the tank, but do not forget to leave 0.3 m on each side for backfill. It may be necessary to level the bottom of the hole and strengthen it with concrete pouring or a pre-prepared concrete slab.
There are several options for constructing a cesspool from used containers (or barrels). The simplest one is to install a single tank at a distance of 5-7 m from the house (closer is not recommended due to sanitary standards). If there are several barrels, they are connected with an overflow pipe and an oblong-shaped pit is dug.
A large number of pipe joints and sections of pipeline junctions with barrels increases the risk of sewerage getting into the ground, so it is necessary to consider an effective way to seal the joints.
Step-by-step installation instructions
Purchasing a sealed, factory-made plastic container equipped with a hatch and connection devices makes it possible to skip one rather labor-intensive step - waterproofing the structure.
This means that the installation process will go much faster, and additional funds for the purchase of bitumen mastic or other sealing agent will not be required.
The cycle of work for constructing a cesspool from a used metal barrel includes a number of standard stages:
When constructing a septic tank from a barrel with a sealed bottom and walls, there will be no point in constructing a soil filter. The steps in these cases are reduced: a large sealed container is simply installed in the pit and the vacuum cleaners are periodically called.
Construction of pits and trenches
Excavation of soil and arrangement of a hole of the desired shape is the most difficult and lengthy stage. If the soil is clayey, you will have to spend a lot of effort; if it is sandy, the walls may collapse, which should be temporarily secured with a kind of formwork. The earth raised up does not need to be transported far from the pit, since part of it will be needed when backfilling.
To dig a large hole, it is better to hire a team of workers with a mini-excavator. The use of bulky equipment is a threat to country lawns and plantings.
When installed on loose subsidence and heaving rocks, the bottom of the pit is reinforced to give the structure greater stability. You can use a concrete slab as the base, or you can make a cement screed with a thick drainage layer.
If a screed is not required, the bottom is covered with a layer of crushed stone (gravel, broken brick, pebbles), and on top of it - the same layer of coarse sand. An important requirement for the foundation structure is compaction and leveling.
If flood waters have been observed in the area of private sewer construction or, according to drilling organizations, groundwater lies close to the surface, a barrel or group of plastic containers should be anchored. Those. the structure should be attached with a polymer cable to the metal loops embedded in the concrete slab so that in case of possible watering the container does not “float up”.
Along with the pit, trenches for sewer lines are also prepared. The shorter they are, the more functional the system. The pipes do not run along the surface, but are laid at a depth of at least half a meter so that they do not freeze when the temperature drops below zero. Accordingly, the depth of the trenches should be 20 - 30 cm below the soil freezing level.
Installing a barrel in a pit
If the pit is prepared correctly, installation of the tank does not take much time. The plastic container is carefully lifted and transferred to the bottom of the pit so that it is exactly in the center.
The barrel must be turned so that the inlet pipe for connecting the pipe is opposite it and coincides with the end of the pipe in height.
If there are several barrels, they are placed in a sequential order and connected with pipe sections, carefully sealing the joints. Even when using fittings that are suitable in size, you should use a high-quality sealant and treat the junctions of the pipes with the container.
Connection and backfilling
Along with the installation of the barrel, pipes are laid.Sewage will move by gravity, without the use of technical devices, so it is important to ensure a sufficient slope - approximately 1.5-2 cm per meter of pipe.
To connect communications to the barrel, modern sewage tanks are equipped with a special pipe. If it is missing, you need to cut a hole yourself according to the diameter of the supply pipe.
When all connections have been made, you can begin backfilling. To stabilize the tank inside the pit, dry cement is added to the soil. After setting, it forms a strong protective ring, which serves as a protective barrier against ground movements.
Backfilling is carried out in layers, pouring 0.2-0.3 m of sand-cement mixture and tamping each layer. There is no need to compact the soil above the sewer pipe tightly.
If the communications are long and have branches/connections, it is better to make technical wells at the intersections and turns of the pipes. In case of blockages, they will help you quickly find the cause.
The finishing touch is decorating the neck with a hatch. The easiest way is to create a small flower bed. However, do not forget about the regular pumping of accumulated waste by sewer trucks, that is, the construction of a convenient access road.
Nuances of constructing a pit without a bottom
A cesspool with a filter bottom is a type of conventional cesspool. However, it is used exclusively for collecting and processing gray waste - water contaminated during cleaning, hygiene procedures, and cooking. It cannot be considered accumulative, because part of the sewage flows into the ground.
A gravel-sand bed is used as a filter. Filter power in a pit with a filter bottom should be at least 1 m. Backfilling is done so that at the base there is a sand layer 30 - 40 cm thick, which is quite enough to clean gray waste from fine suspended matter.
Above are layers of gravel or crushed stone: first the fine fraction, then the coarse one. They retain large contaminants and clarify the water. In this way, multi-stage purification of wastewater is carried out, which is disposed of in the ground, where it is further processed under natural conditions.
To prevent sewer fluid from mixing with groundwater, a pit without a bottom is installed only where the level is low enough.
To create a cesspool without a bottom in sandy loam soils, characterized by extremely low filtration properties, the lower part of the walls of plastic barrels is perforated. This increases the absorption area to speed up the recycling process. True, solid sediment will gradually clog the holes, so barrels with holes will have to be cleaned no less often than simple storage tanks.
A homemade waste collection and partial treatment point requires regular maintenance using biologically active agents, which are described in the article we recommend.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Tips for those interested in properly arranging a cesspool.
Video #1. Theoretical preparation for the construction of a cesspool:
Video #2.Equipment for plastic barrels:
Video #3. Installation and insulation of overall tank:
Installation of a ready-made factory model is within the capabilities of the owner of a summer house or country house, even if he has never worked on sewerage installations before. However, before starting work, we recommend that you study the standards for installing a cesspool and enlist the support of a professional with an engineering education.
Write about how you built a cesspool on your own summer cottage. Tell us about the nuances of operating an independent sewerage treatment point. Please leave comments and photos on the topic in the block located under the text of the article.
I live in a private house, built literally less than half a kilometer from a residential area with high-rise buildings. But we were not provided with sewerage, only cold water. Our cesspool is almost the same. A certain wide container of medium depth is buried in the ground. I didn’t like this drainage option; I often have to call sewer trucks to scoop up wastewater, although only wastewater from the kitchen sink is discharged into the cesspool. I found a solution: a regular drainage ditch runs next to the pit, I cut a hole at the top of the container and brought the pipe into the ditch. Another disadvantage is that we have severe frosts, -30 is not that uncommon, and waste water sometimes freezes even with good insulation.
When water was supplied to my parents’ house in the village, they dug a cesspool for drainage and placed a plastic barrel. But they didn’t calculate the volume of the barrel; they took less than what was used. Because of this, they come to pump it out 2 times a month.I’m thinking, is it worth changing the barrel to a larger volume or is it better to install a septic tank? Or don’t bother and do it as before: just leave the hole and cover it with a hatch?
Good afternoon, Alexander. A septic tank, of course, will be the most optimal solution. With an increase in volume, the cesspool will also require calling the sewer trucks with the only difference - not twice a month, but once a month.
A cesspool without a bottom has a number of nuances that will need to be taken into account:
1. Distance from the foundation of the house.
2. Availability of groundwater.
3. Indicator of soil water absorption, otherwise you will have to periodically call a pumping machine.
You yourself will poison the useful space around you, which you cannot help but use. Not to mention the possible leakage of wastewater into a well or borehole. The minimum distance to which must be at least 30 meters.
Unlike these two options, a deep cleaning septic tank will allow the treated wastewater to be discharged directly into the ditch. It will initially require large investments, but in the future everything will pay off.