How to close a cesspool in a private house. Cesspool in a private house - methods of performing work, diagram

Living in a city apartment is good because no problems usually arise with the discharge of wastewater. In this regard, private houses lag behind, since they do not have a central drainage system, and the only way to ensure comfortable living is to install a cesspool into which waste products are dumped.

Without a cesspool, wastewater discharged into nearby areas will quickly pollute the soil and can harm not only nature, but also people.

Classification of cesspools

There are several design options for a cesspool, so it’s worth understanding them first.

  1. A simple pit is a structure without a bottom in which liquid is absorbed by the earth. This option is the most popular, because pumping in this case is carried out quite rarely. But with increased water consumption (over 1 m³ per day), the earthen “filter” simply will not cope. Moreover, it is environmentally unsafe, especially if toilet waste is discharged into it. Of course, you can fill it up from time to time, but this will reduce the usable volume, and the characteristic sewer smell will still be present.

  2. The sealed pit requires periodic cleaning, but is absolutely safe for the environment. Arranging a sealed structure is much more complicated than the one described above, and the costs are higher, but the numerous advantages completely justify it all.

  3. - a modern analogue of a cesspool. Its bottom is lined with gravel, stones or broken bricks, which allows for mechanical purification of water (read: the soil is not polluted). Moreover, filling the pit occurs quite slowly.

Now let's find out how to make a cesspool correctly.

Construction of a brick cesspool

Before you begin construction, determine a suitable location and calculate the required dimensions of the structure.

Stage one. Selecting a location

The construction of a cesspool on a suburban area is regulated by SNiP. The location of the pit, as well as the distance to certain buildings, are clearly regulated by sanitary standards. When planning, these requirements must be taken into account.

  1. The distance between the pit and the fence must exceed 1 m.
  2. The distance to the premises in which people are planned to live must be at least 12 m.
  3. If you plan to create a simple hole, that is, without a bottom, then the distance from it to the nearest well or borehole should exceed 30 m.

Based on these requirements, select the optimal location, and then begin calculating the dimensions.

Stage two. Dimensions

There are a number of parameters that need to be taken into account when calculating the dimensions of the future structure.

  1. First of all, the dimensions depend on the type of rocks that occur in a particular area. And if the soil consists predominantly of moisture-permeable rock (for example, marl), then the volume of the structure should be 40% of the waste that is produced during the month. And if these are rocks that do not permeate moisture well (for example, clay), then the volume should be equal to the monthly norm + a small reserve.
  2. This also includes the number of permanent residents of the house. On average, one person produces 180 liters of wastewater per day. And if the family consists of, say, 3 people, then the monthly volume of wastewater will be 12 m³.
  3. According to SNiP, the distance to the surface must be at least 1 m. If this condition is not met, uncleanliness may go beyond the structure, and unpleasant odors will certainly appear.
  4. The depth should be a maximum of 3 m. This is the optimal depth, because sooner or later you will have to resort to using vacuum cleaners for cleaning. And if the pit is sealed, then such cleaning will need to be carried out several times a month.

Stage three. Preparing the necessary equipment

The work will require:

  • bayonet and shovel shovels;
  • trowel, container for mixing cement mortar;
  • roulette;
  • cord with small wooden pegs;
  • building level;
  • ladder.

Stage four. Digging a pit

You can handle the construction of a cesspool on your own, without resorting to the help of a construction team with special equipment. This will allow you to save a lot. But remember: you will have to manually remove about 20 m³ of soil.

On a note! If possible, the hole should be dug at the stage of digging a pit for the foundation of the house. After this, only a small part of the work will remain.

Mark the perimeter of the future structure. Often the width of the pit is 1 m and the depth is 1.5 m. The length depends on the volume of wastewater. You can distribute the fertile layer of soil around the site, the rest will have to be removed. Leave only 1.5 m³ to fill the floor.

Digging the pit is almost complete

At the same stage, you should dig a trench into which the sewer pipe will be laid.

Stage five. Base

If you are planning to build a sealed sewage pit, then place a “cushion” of sand 15 cm thick at the bottom of the pit. Lay a layer of concrete of the same thickness on top of the sand, then pierce the solution with a sharp object to remove air bubbles. Then all that remains is to lay a 4-centimeter cement-sand screed on top of the concrete.

You might be interested in information about what it looks like

Wait until the base is completely dry, then lay a sewer pipe to remove sewage.

Prices for concrete rings

concrete rings

Stage six. Wall masonry

Let’s say right away that you don’t have to try too hard on the quality of the masonry, since no one will see it anyway. Do it in ¼ or ½ brick, in a checkerboard pattern, use cement-sand mortar. Plaster the masonry on both sides with the same solution - this will extend the basic service life of the structure. Bandage the corners.

Having finished with the masonry, insulate the walls with bitumen mastic.

Stage seven. Overlap

To install the ceiling, follow these steps:

Step 1. First, dig in about 20cm of soil on each side to provide additional support for the deck slab.

Step 2. Build the formwork. It is advisable to use corrugated sheeting for this so that the ceiling is as rigid as possible. Also make formwork around the hatch and the hole for the ventilation pipe.

Step 3. Lay the reinforcing rods, maintaining a distance of approximately 10-15 cm. Bandage the intersecting rods using steel wire.

Step 4. Fill the ceiling with concrete mortar and level it.

Spread the concrete so that it completely fills the reinforcing mesh. Fill the solution to the desired thickness and wait until it hardens. This often takes a minimum of 28 days.

On a note! On top of the ceiling, you can lay a layer of waterproofing material - for example, roofing felt or PE film.

Stage eight. Backfill

As soon as the concrete gains strength, begin filling the cesspool. It is advisable to use clay soil for this in order to create additional protection for groundwater from runoff. You can lay thermal insulation material (for example, sheet polystyrene foam) on the ceiling, and fill the soil on top. At the end, install the ventilation pipe.

On a note! It is advisable to construct a double hatch - this will prevent the spread of unpleasant odors, especially in the warm season. Install the first cover at ground level, the second at the level of the ceiling slab. You can fill the space between the covers with slag or expanded clay.

made of concrete rings

There is another option - it costs more, but the finished design will look more organic. Brick pits are often rectangular or square, but the use of reinforced concrete rings allows you to achieve a perfectly round shape. This will prevent excessive load on the walls and, as a result, their destruction. The only drawback of this option is that the work may require special equipment, because concrete cylinders weigh a lot.

Stage one. Selection of rings

Today, concrete rings are produced in several modifications, differing from each other in diameter (it varies between 70-250 cm). For a cesspool, products with a diameter of 1 m and the same height are most suitable. For an average house you will need five rings, the total usable volume of which will be 5 m³. If according to calculations the volume should be large, then take other reinforced concrete rings or buy products with a larger diameter.

Dimensions (inner diameter × outer diameter × height), mmvolume, m3Weight, kg
700×800×2900,05 130
700×840×5900,10 250
700×840×8900,15 380
1000×1160×2900,08 200
1000×1160×5900,160 400
1000×1160×8900,24 600
1500×1680×2900,13 290
1500×1680×5900,27 660
1500×1680×8900,40 1000
2000×2200×5900,39 980
2000×2200×8900,59 1480

Such rings are classified according to design features into two large groups:

  • flat;
  • with a lock.

In the first case, the edges of the products are ordinary, flat, and in the second, they are equipped with tongue-and-groove locking joints. Locking rings are very convenient because they not only provide ease of installation, but also reliably seal the entire pit.

On a note! In the manufacture of reinforced concrete rings, a minimum of “five hundredth” cement and a metal reinforcing frame are used. There are also products with a lid and a bottom, which greatly facilitates construction.

Stage two. Construction

Step 1. First, dig a pit. It is important that its dimensions are approximately 40 cm larger than the diameter of the rings. The depth of the hole should exceed the total height of all rings by about 25-30 cm.

Step 2. Level and compact the bottom of the hole, then fill it with a 2-centimeter layer of coarse sand. Pour water over the sand and compact it. This way you will create a kind of “cushion” on which further installation will be carried out.

Step 3. Further events will develop according to one of two possible scenarios:

  • The ring with the bottom is installed first;
  • regular rings are installed.

In the first case, you will get rid of the labor-intensive procedure of pouring the base; This is the simplest option, so it is recommended to use it. But if for one reason or another it was not possible to purchase a ring with a bottom, then you will have to fill the bottom with concrete.

To do this, lay reinforcing rods in the form of a lattice at the bottom of the pit, and then tie them together with steel wire.

On a note! Raise the reinforcing mesh above the surface so that it (the mesh) is entirely in the body of the concrete base. Use pieces of bricks for this.

Then start preparing the solution. To do this, mix cement, water, sand and crushed stone in a ratio of 1:0.5:2:3. Use at least “four hundred” cement, and if the grade is lower, then reduce the volume of fillers. You can use a concrete mixer for mixing, or you can do the work manually using a shovel. But remember: the solution must be prepared in such a volume that the bottom of the hole is filled in one go, without subsequent mixing.

Pour concrete and spread it over the entire surface. Poke it with a sharp object to remove air bubbles.

Stage three. Installation of rings

You cannot lower the rings into the hole by hand, because they weigh quite a lot. To do this you will need a truck crane. Each ring has four fastening elements made in the form of ears (the products are lifted using them). To make such ears, a wire rod is used, the diameter of which is at least 0.6 cm.

On a note! The rings should be lifted simultaneously by all the ears, and the cables should be evenly tensioned. The entire procedure must be performed carefully and slowly.

Once the first ring is down, level it and level it using a level. After that you can omit the rest. Seal the joints between the rings with cement-based sealant, and treat all walls of the structure - external and internal - with bitumen mastic.

Finally, the lid is installed. When the truck crane lifts and places the cover in place, seal the joints between it and the last cylinder. After this, fill in the voids between the walls of the structure and the walls of the pit.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this. Of course, you will have to carry out labor-intensive excavation work and pay for the rental of special equipment, but good sewerage in a private house is simply necessary, so all costs are completely justified.

Video - How to make a cesspool with your own hands

Reinforced concrete rings or bricks – what to choose?

Each of the options is quite simple to implement, but both concrete rings and brickwork have their own advantages.

  1. The strength and practicality of a cesspool made of reinforced concrete rings is noticeably higher.
  2. A brick pit less often needs sewage cleaning.
  3. The rings can withstand a greater load than brickwork, even if it is made “in a chessboard style.”

As a result, we note that the construction of a cesspool on a site requires substantial investment, at least if we are talking about a really good design, for the manufacture of which high-quality materials are used. You should not skimp on materials that will come into contact with moisture (do not use cinder blocks or sand-lime bricks in construction), because everyone knows that the miser pays more than once. Act carefully, ask friends and acquaintances for help if necessary, do not rush - and the sewage pit will serve you for many years.

Table. Water consumption for a private home. Selecting the volume of the cesspool

Water consumers: individual or block residential buildingsSpecific average daily (per year) domestic and drinking water consumption in populated areas per inhabitant, l/day
with running water and sewerage without baths120
with water supply and sewerage without baths, with gas supply150
with water supply, sewerage and bathtubs with water heaters running on solid fuel180
with running water, sewerage and bathroom with gas or electric boilers190
with water supply, sewerage, with high-speed gas heaters (columns) and several baths250

Good luck with your work!

Construction of a storage septic tank made of concrete rings

Depending on the amount of water drained, you can choose the appropriate option:

  • a pit without a bottom (drain) is a suitable option for draining a bathhouse;
  • sealed cesspool - for a large amount of waste;
  • septic tank - for partial cleaning and drainage of wastewater.

Which is better - a sealed or drained cesspool?

If the daily amount of drained water does not exceed one cubic meter, you can use a drainage pit. This is convenient, for example, when organizing a drain in a bathhouse. It is enough to dig a pit with a volume of 3 m³, lay a cushion of 30 cm of sand and 50 cm of stones on the bottom, strengthen its walls with brick, concrete or even tires and close the hole.

If much more water is drained, it does not have time to seep through and be cleaned. Then you can make a completely sealed cesspool. Ready-made containers are sold that can be buried immediately.

The only drawback of such a pit is the monthly pumping of waste.

Septic tank - the best cesspool

If the amount of drainage exceeds one and a half cubic meters per day, but it is expensive to order monthly pumping of the pit, the best solution is to make a septic tank in a private house. It filters waste quite well, polluting the environment much less than a conventional pit latrine. Ready-made systems are sold that just need to be buried on the site, or you can do it completely yourself.

Advantages and disadvantages of a homemade septic tank

A do-it-yourself septic tank has a number of advantages over ready-made solutions:

The final cost is significantly lower;
+ does not require a large area to organize a filtration field;
+ you can organize one septic tank for two houses;
+ depending on the type of wastewater, pumping is required every few years;
+ complete cleaning can be done once every ten years.

But such a septic tank also has disadvantages:

– significant labor costs – it is problematic to cope with the installation of a septic tank alone;
– time – pouring cement into the formwork and hardening it takes about a month;
– additional equipment – ​​to simplify the process you will need a concrete mixer or drill with a mixer.

Choosing a location on the site

The requirements for a septic tank are the same as for a cesspool - no closer than 15 meters from the well and 30 m from the reservoir. At the same time, do not forget about your neighbors - the distance to their well should also not be less. But it can be placed almost close to the house - 3 m from the foundation for a one-story building, and 5 m for a two-story building. In addition, this is how the issue of insulating the drain pipe is resolved - the greater the distance to the hole, the deeper the trench will have to be dug and the pipe insulated.

It is imperative to take into account the direction of groundwater and flood waters - they should not go from the septic tank to the house or well. At the same time, it is also undesirable to install a septic tank in the lower part of the site - melt and runoff water will flood it. To protect the septic tank from flooding or raise it above the groundwater level, you don’t have to bury it completely in the ground, insulating the above-ground part to prevent freezing.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a septic tank pit

After choosing a place for the septic tank, work on its organization begins. It is necessary to calculate the required volume of the main chamber and the overall dimensions of the pit. So, for four people you will need a main chamber of at least 150x150 cm, and for five or six – 200x200 cm. In this case, the depth should be at least 2.5 m, but not deeper than 3 m. This is done for the convenience of future pumping. The second, or drainage, chamber cannot be less than a third of the main one.

If there is a shower in the house and its daily use, the size of the chambers should be increased by another 50%. It is also better to leave a small reserve, since filling the working chamber should not exceed 2/3 of the total volume per day. In addition, the drainage in the working chamber should settle a little, and not immediately flow into the drainage chamber. The optimal volume of a septic tank is the daily amount of drained water multiplied by 3.

  1. After determining the size of the chambers, markings are made and a pit is dug. The top fertile layer is removed - it can be used to cover the septic tank and create a bed.
  2. The trench for the drain pipe is dug at the same time as the pit. The slope of the pipe is 3 degrees per meter. To prevent the masses from stagnating, the pipe must be laid without straight or sharp angles.
  3. It is advisable to get to sandy or sandy loam soil. A sand and gravel cushion is made on clay soil. First, 30 cm of sand is poured and compacted, and then the same amount of crushed stone of a 5 cm fraction is poured. Thus, for a septic tank 2.5 m deep, you will have to dig a pit 3.1 m deep.
  4. All other formwork is done on top of the cushion. The formwork along the walls is one-sided - the other side is the ground.
  5. A drain pipe with a diameter of 100 mm is inserted into the formwork at a height of at least 80 cm from the bottom. If it is located above the freezing point of the soil, the pipe must be insulated.
  6. A tee is inserted into the wall formwork between the chambers, through which the settled water will be drained into the drainage chamber. It should be 20 cm below the drain pipe.
  7. You can mix concrete either manually in a trough with a hoe or with a concrete mixer. To give the mixture elasticity and frost resistance, you can add a tablespoon of regular washing powder to each bucket of water.
  8. Concrete mixed with crushed stone and stones of different sizes is poured into the formwork, and the mixture itself is bayoneted, removing air bubbles. The pipe and tee are poured so that after removing the formwork there is a monolithic wall around them.
  9. Once the concrete has hardened, the top floor can be made. It is most convenient to use corrugated sheets for formwork. It is laid so that it extends halfway onto the walls of the septic tank - so that when pouring, the roof and walls merge into a monolith.
  10. A technical hatch with a diameter of 1 m is made, around which formwork is installed. You need to make two holes above the chambers and insert pipes. In the main chamber there is a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a reverse slope for pumping out sludge, which does not reach the bottom by 20 cm. A vacuum release hole is made at the end of such a pipe. A ventilation pipe with a diameter of 50 mm is inserted into the second.
  11. A minimum thickness of 15 cm is poured, with the obligatory addition of stone and bayoneting. After hardening, the septic tank is covered with waterproofing and can be completely covered with earth, leaving only a technical hatch. To prevent the septic tank from freezing through this hatch in winter, it is covered with foam plastic and covered with another lid.

The improved DIY cesspool is ready to go. After some time, the bottom of the main chamber silts up, bacteria develop there, increasing the filtration capabilities of the pillow, and in the second chamber the final purification of the drain water occurs.

How to make a simple cesspool is explained step by step in the video:

Why is it that in dachas where there is no centralized sewage system, they often use the most primitive type of toilet - with a bucket? Not at all out of a desire to get as much compost as possible over the summer, but because of basic ignorance of how to properly arrange a cesspool. Many simply do not want to deal with calling a sewer man, believing that they will incur the wrath of the management of the dacha cooperative. In fact, such a truck is no more than a truck crane, dump truck or concrete mixer, which are allowed to enter gardening areas: otherwise you won’t be able to build a house. And with a properly planned cesspool, you won’t often have to call sewage disposal equipment. With these arguments, it is easy to solve once and for all the organizational problem of building a cesspool.

There is another obstacle to the construction of a basic sewerage system - the fear of violating sanitary standards, which will lead to contamination of the area with putrefactive bacteria. In everyday life, people are afraid of getting a source of stench near their summer home, so they prefer to install a “green house” away from their home. But with the modest size of the dacha plots, the toilet may end up right under the neighbors’ windows. In a private house, the garden plot is larger in area, and the owner has more freedom of action. However, even here there may be a fear of building “such a complex” structure incorrectly, which will lead to disastrous consequences. However, for a sewer system such as a cesspool in a private house, the scheme is quite simple. And it depends to a large extent on the nature of the soil.

What mistakes happen when building cesspools?

A cesspool is a source of unpleasant odor, which appears as a result of the accumulation of sewage, and is also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. It is necessary to correctly calculate the location of the well, as well as carry out its maintenance in a timely manner.

Indeed, mistakes when arranging a cesspool can lead to undesirable consequences, among which “amber” on the site is the least evil. It’s easy to deal with: the pit needs to be closed. It is this step that will allow it to be done even close to the house, but at such a distance as to ensure access for a sewage truck. At the same time, you need to build a real sewer system in the house, like in a city apartment. And to prevent bad odors from spreading from plumbing fixtures, do not forget about water seals. This is the second most common mistake when installing a sewer system in private homes: the owners understand perfectly well that the toilet must have such a valve - it is built into the design of the device - but they forget that the drainage holes of the bathtub, sink, sink and shower go into the same cesspool, and they don’t make siphons.

In a private house or country house, where the sewer system is installed by the owner himself, there is a temptation to install drain holes on the floor of the bathrooms in order to protect yourself from a hypothetical flood associated with faulty faucets or pipes. But such a hole must also contain an overflow that provides a water seal. It is necessary to ensure that the water in it does not stagnate and at the same time does not dry out. Then foreign odors will not appear.

Another mistake is the incorrect choice of depth for laying the drain pipe. You first need to find out what the level of soil freezing is, and then just plan the location of the sewer pipe at the exit from the building. Under no circumstances should the drain freeze if the house is used, even temporarily, during the winter.

Important! Do not forget that the sewer beds should not be strictly horizontal, but have a slope of at least two to three degrees per meter, otherwise there will be no natural outflow of water from the house into the cesspool.

It is important not to make a mistake with the size of the cesspool, so as not to constantly be afraid that it is about to overflow. In this case, it is advisable to calculate the volume not for the entire structure, but for that part of it that is located below the drain pipe. This volume is calculated based on the needs of the family.

You cannot build a cesspool diagram by copying it from another site, because both the soil and the soil may be different. When building a structure, you need to use the data of your site:

  • geodetic;
  • soil science;
  • soil samples;
  • depth of aquifers.

Why is a closed cesspool an incomplete cycle treatment facility?

A cesspool is a kind of septic tank that processes incoming water, but does not provide complete purification.

A closed cesspool is not just a settling tank for liquid waste: it processes the contents by anaerobic bacteria, with the exception, perhaps, of the layer that is in direct contact with the air. Anaerobic bacteria are known to perform the initial stage of converting wastewater into cleaner water. After fermentation with their participation, the water does not lose, but changes its smell - to a marshy one. The water does not become clear from this purification: the turbidity remains at this stage. Also, solid particles of mechanical suspension can settle in the pit, and if there is a desire to separate them to produce compost, then you can build a chamber with an overflow from the sump into the septic tank. Naturally, such a septic tank provides far from complete water purification, and they are also subject to disposal by a sewage disposal machine. The design of such a cesspool will be much more complicated, since it is, in fact, the simplest.

Let's return to soil research. If you find that the groundwater in your area is deep, you can turn the cesspool into a filtration well. This scheme is called a cesspool without a bottom. You can indirectly determine whether the water lies deep by this criterion: if most neighbors have dug wells rather than boreholes, it means that shallow aquifers have been found on their property. If everyone uses wells exclusively, then you need to ask how deep they are. But for a final decision, it is necessary to verify this with the help of hydrological studies. If it is not possible to carry them out, then it is better to choose a sealed cesspool scheme, since it is universal.

Cesspool in a private house. Scheme without bottom

Such a pit actually has a bottom, but it is not airtight. With this scheme, nature itself is given the opportunity to purify wastewater, much like what happens with rainwater in nature. It must be remembered that the contents of sewage drains are often a more aggressive environment than rainwater. They may contain not only soap, but also more caustic detergents, and the soil must completely process them before they reach the aquifer. To do this, it is necessary that it be at a depth of more than 2.5 meters. The nature of the soil also matters: it should be sandy loam or sandy type.

The figure shows a diagram of a cesspool without a bottom; this design assumes that there is no concrete base at the bottom of the pit, and filtration occurs naturally using natural soil.

“Entrusting” the soil with filtration is short-sighted, so the bottom needs to be covered with a cushion of fine crushed stone and sand. No more than a cubic meter of liquid should pass through such a “sieve” per day. It is always better to reinforce this permeable bottom with geotextiles. It will prevent the sand from moving, seeping between larger soil particles. If the filter is made of backfill of different fractions, it is better to layer them with water-permeable geomaterials.

Not only the shallow occurrence of groundwater, but also the large volume of discharges from the house, as well as the clayey nature of the soil, speaks against the construction of such a structure. In this situation, you should build a sealed pit. As for the walls and top, these structures can be the same for pits with different types of bottom, so you can move on to studying a sealed structure.

Scheme of a sealed cesspool

If it is impossible to use a ready-made one, since a significant size of the pit is needed, you can build it yourself. To do this, you need to calculate the volume of drains (below the pipe!) and calculate the diameter of the structure. The volume is calculated based on half a cubic meter per person. But this is only the minimum, so you need to make a reserve due to the following situations:

  • there may be guests in the house;
  • it is impossible to ensure a timely call for a vacuum cleaner;
  • a pipe breaks, which further loads the sewer system;
  • it is planned to connect new appliances that require drainage: a washing machine or dishwasher, shower, etc.

This is why reserve volume is desirable. Once it is known, you need to choose the material for the walls. It can be brick or concrete - in the form of well rings. But whatever the material, the elements must be connected with a waterproof solution in order to avoid the penetration of the contents of the pit into the ground and soil, as well as the penetration of melt water into the pit, which would significantly reduce its resource. The bottom of such a pit is best made of concrete, for which you can use a specialized reinforced concrete product - the bottom of the well. It has the same diameter as well rings, but it can also be used as a bottom for a brick structure.

A sealed cesspool is a structure, usually presented in the form of a container made of concrete structures (bottom, rings, top, hatch)

For reliable waterproofing of the structure, you can use special geomembranes, which are used in the construction of building plinths. This material is easily butt-joined, but this does not mean that it does not need to be welded. The sheets connected not only by overlapping, but also by welding will provide excellent insulation from moisture from the outside. The inside of the container can be covered with waterproof cement, which was also used in the seams between rings or bricks.

How to make the top of a closed cesspool

Open cesspools carry a potential danger - the possibility of falling through, so you need to make the top of a closed pit strong, and not make do with lightweight covers. This also applies to the hatch through which cleaning will be carried out. The upper part of the structure is ideally a reinforced concrete slab. The industry produces such an element for well rings. It has a hole for a standard sewer hatch, which it is advisable to install, but only choose its modification from durable plastic. Such a lid will be easy to open, but at the same time it will not fall through, even if children play on it. Plastic covers are available in versions with a lock, which guarantees safety for children: they will never open this hatch.

If the upper part is built from a concrete slab and the hatch is made independently, then it is necessary to ensure that the lid fits tightly and is so heavy that only an adult can open it.

It is desirable that the top slab be covered with soil and soil, while the hatch itself protrudes outward. If the house is used during the snowy period, then it is necessary to provide a small height of the hatch above ground level to make it easier to find and dig out in the snow.

The image shows a diagram of creating a cesspool: preparing the pit - reinforcement - construction for formwork - erecting walls and laying pipes, creating the upper part and ventilation outlet.

To go down into the pit and clean it after pumping out sewage, the hatch must be made so that an adult can crawl into it.

How to calculate a place for a cesspool?

You can also determine the location for the structure next to the house, because it is hermetically sealed at the top. In this case, the length of the sewer pipes will be minimal. But you need to be as far away from water wells – yours and your neighbors’ – as possible. The structure should not be located near bodies of water. If the soil is clayey, then you need to retreat 20 meters from all named water sources. When it is sandy or sandy loam, it is better to retreat 50 meters, because such soil has the property of osmosis, that is, like a wick, it draws liquids into itself. For loamy soils, the distance can be reduced to 30 m.

The bottom of the pit should not be lower than 1 m to groundwater. It is better to make the area of ​​this tank larger than to deepen it too much, risking either contamination from a hole without a bottom, or the floating of a sealed container. There is always some amount of air in it, so in melted underground water it will work like a float. If there is no concrete ring of the calculated diameter, the pit can be made square or rectangular by placing a slab of waterproof reinforced concrete at the base.

Diagram of the correct location of the cesspool on the site, calculation of distance from water sources and residential premises.

You need to step back at least a meter from the fence, and from the road - just like from reservoirs. Any road has modified soil underneath. It can be compacted, replaced with a sand and crushed stone cushion, therefore, how it will behave in the vicinity of a cesspool is not known in advance.

Little tricks from the experts

If you have determined a place for a cesspool that is equidistant from all sources of water, roads, and reservoirs, then it is not a fact that you will be able to lay the pipe at the desired slope and at the same time manage to place it completely below the freezing depth of the soil. There is a way out of this situation: you need to insulate the pipe so that the water in it does not freeze. It is better to do insulation along the entire length of the pipe before it enters the container, so as not to get a “cold bridge”.

Plumber,

Ravil Rakhmatullin.

If you are building a cesspool without a bottom, then it is better to stock up on material and take the time to make it from two overflow wells. The first of them will be sealed, the second – filtration. This will produce fertile sludge that can be disposed of separately, and the risk of groundwater contamination will be much lower. It is important that the pipe between these containers must also be inclined, if they are not located next to each other, since in this case gravity flow must be ensured.

Builder,

Leonid Knyazhinov.

There is no need to copy the location of sewer facilities even from your nearest neighbor. The condition of the soil and ground, even in adjacent areas, may be different. Your neighbor has everything clean, solid soil, but you have a whole underground river or stream running through it. You also need to pay special attention to areas on slopes, because there it may happen that on one side the hole will be below the soil freezing level, and on the other - above, and if an entry is made into it from this side, it is better to insulate it.

Sergey Dlinnov.

When a sewer pipe passes through walls - in the foundation and cesspool, it is better to lay sleeves from pipes of larger diameter, and then pass the main drain pipe into them. Then even small tectonic movements will not be scary for you.

Builder,

Boris Burdyukevich

How to draw a diagram of a cesspool?

To summarize, we outline all the parameters that must be taken into account in the cesspool diagram:

Its design;
depth of groundwater;
soil and soil composition;
soil freezing depth;
site topology;
location of all sources of drinking water, roads and reservoirs;

The choice of materials is also important - plastic, brick, concrete. Creating a diagram, and based on it - drawings of a future building, is not a difficult task. And if you have construction skills, then building such a structure yourself is quite possible. If you take into account all the details, then no one will suffer from your well or septic tank: neither you nor your neighbors. If you choose a closed type of cesspool, it will be the safest and cheapest sewage system to install for a country house.

Unfortunately, not everywhere there is a centralized sewerage system and people are forced to install outdoor toilets on their property.

In the warm season, going outside is not difficult, but in the cold season, you don’t want to go out into the cold again.

And that’s why many people think about equipment in the drainage pit area. Let's consider the topic of a drainage pit in a private house in this article.

To ensure the installation of a drainage pit, it is better to hire professional workers, but you can equip it yourself.

Volume calculation

Equipping a drainage pit is considered a cheap and simple way to provide private homes with water.

To calculate the required volume of the drainage pit, you need to multiply the number of people who will live in the house by 1.2 m3. Let's give an example: if there are five people in your family, then the volume of the drainage pit will be at least two and a half meters cubed.

Types and purpose

Drain pits come in different types:

  1. Fecal. A pit, the name of which speaks for itself, that is, this pit is designed to drain water from a toilet or toilet, which is located on the site.
  2. Sewage. It is intended for, that is, drainage from baths, showers, and washbasins.
  3. Combined. The pit is designed to drain both fecal matter and household water.

In rural areas, it is better to equip two pits: a fecal pit and a waste pit.

How to equip a drainage pit in a private house

Determining the dimensions

Depth

First, find out the groundwater level in your area. You can check the level yourself, or you can check it using a well if you have one nearby.

If groundwater is at a depth of 6-8 meters, then a pit for draining waste must be made at a level of 2-2.5 meters.

Length Width

If groundwater is close to the surface, a plastic container should not be placed underground. In this case, a sealed concrete well is made and a plastic container is placed in it, but this method will be more expensive.

In order for a plastic pit to work well for a long time, the hole under it must be dug so that there is a distance of 30 cm from the walls to the container.

The container is installed strictly horizontally. It is important that the tank has a ventilation pipe, otherwise there will be a danger of the tank exploding, since organic waste releases methane gas when decomposed.

A drainage pit has its positive and negative qualities, but its presence takes country life and life in a private house to another level. For this reason, people are increasingly making cesspools of various designs on their plots.

We wish you good luck in your endeavors!

As residents of a modern city, we are accustomed to its conveniences: central heating, and we want life in a house or country house to be just as comfortable. A properly constructed cesspool in a private house will help you create much-needed conditions far from civilization.

A self-made cesspool for a toilet will perfectly cope with its sanitary function, and will not require huge funds for its installation.

The ancient predecessor of such a pit was dug in the ground, the walls of which were covered with clay and reinforced with boards. Such a cesspool for a toilet will fully satisfy the needs of summer residents who come to the site two days a week in the summer. But her device can prohibit SES.

The simplest design of a cesspool

If the owner of a private house has a certain number of old tires, they can be used for this purpose. You just need to lay them in a dug pit, fastening them with bolts. On the side of the top tire you just need to cut a hole to connect the sewer pipe. Then the pit around the pit is filled with earth and covered with a slab with a hole and a hatch for pumping.


All cesspools can be divided into three types:

Pits without a bottom (absorbing)

Due to the lack of a bottom, liquid waste, after filtering through a layer of sand and gravel, goes into the ground. This option is the most economical, and besides, the construction of such a pit can be carried out by a completely inexperienced performer. Absorption pits are chosen for country houses when there is no need to remove large amounts of waste. With significant volumes, wastewater enters and pollutes the soil.


Sealed storage systems

These are closed containers made of, plastic or. Such a pit will eliminate problems associated with unpleasant odors and soil contamination, but will force the owners to call a sewer truck several times a month to pump out accumulations. The simplest solution is to install a store-bought plastic container. It does not need to be sealed, but you need to fill the bottom of the pit with cement and strengthen the walls. Such a plastic pit can be installed regardless of the groundwater level.

Septic tanks

They are the best type of pits that perform mechanical wastewater treatment. There are single-chamber and multi-chamber.

A single-chamber well is a well, the bottom of which is lined with crushed stone and broken bricks. Water, seeping into the ground after purification, is purified in the soil with the help of bacteria, and the ground is less polluted.

Multi-chamber is a system of several cameras. In the first, collection and rough cleaning take place, while in others, special bacteria process contaminant inclusions. The water can then be used for technical purposes. Making such a septic tank is not easy.


So, you can again resort to the worn one. For its installation, a cushion of crushed stone with sand and a small screed are sufficient.

  • A concrete pipe with a diameter half the size of the tires is inserted vertically into the pit. Its top should be 10 cm below the height of the well.
  • The bottom of the pipe is filled with concrete to form a concrete cylinder. Holes are made at the top for infiltration and for installing drain pipes that provide overflow.
  • The drain pipe is inserted into this concrete container, and the entry points are sealed.

Making an absorption pit

Residents of small country houses most often make this option with their own hands. The walls are laid out from gas silicate blocks, but it is better to build them from concrete rings.

Sealed design device

The principle of arrangement is similar, but there is no need to make holes for drainage infiltration and the bottom is completely concreted and reinforced. It is recommended to seal the walls.

Brickwork will take much longer, while a concrete screed is also made at the bottom, and the walls can be laid in a circle or in the form of a square. The concrete platform needs to stand for a week before starting masonry.


Ready-made cesspool kits

The construction of such a pit occurs extremely quickly.

  • We dig a pit according to the standard scheme.
  • We make a cushion at the bottom from concrete and gravel. We give it a week to get stronger, lightly sprinkling it with water. We order a kit with delivery by car with a manipulator. An additional jumper can be made inside to separate the contaminated runoff from the purified water.

Pumping and cleaning of cesspools

Regardless of the type of cesspool, you will have to clean it out at some point. You can do this yourself using a fecal pump, but it’s easier and more effective to call a sewer truck.

Pumping out a cesspool with a sewer truck or a fecal pump will not completely solve the cleaning problem, since the sediment remains at the bottom. To solve this problem, use special means for cesspools.


In summer, biological products consisting of living microorganisms that accelerate the decomposition of organic matter are effective and environmentally friendly. The bacteria minimize waste and eliminate unpleasant odors. They begin to work two hours after entering the water, and within four hours they eliminate the unpleasant odor.

But these biological products function only during the warm period. In winter you need to use chemicals. The best choice is nitrate oxidizers, which are safe for humans and plants.

Sanitary standards

To ensure that the use of a cesspool does not cause problems, during its installation you must comply with SanPin standards:

  • The distance to the well should be 30 m.
  • The distance between the storage tank and the residential building should be 5-7 m.
  • When choosing a sealed drive, the distance may be shorter.
  • It is prohibited to use absorbent storage tanks if the daily volume of waste is more than 1 cubic meter. m.
  • For timely pumping of waste, it is necessary to organize the access of a sewage truck. The pit should have a depth of no more than 3 m.
  • The lid should cover the cesspool tightly and be additionally insulated.

Video about arranging a cesspool with your own hands

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