When purchasing a country house or a summer cottage, take an interest in whether there is a central sewage system in that area, if not, then for complete comfort you will have to build a cesspool (drain well). This is not difficult, you can handle it yourself, but you will need to understand the technical nuances of this process, as well as comply with all sanitary standards when choosing a place to collect household waste.
Types of Drain Wells
In order for the cesspool to be properly built with our own hands, we will understand the types of these structures. It can be of two types: with and without bottom. The advantage of a sealed pit is that dirty water and feces do not leak out of it into the soil, which means that it does not clog the environment and is safe for human health.
Optimal volume calculation
- Up to 150 liters of effluent per person per day.
- When using household appliances, the volume of wastewater will increase to about 500 liters.
- If the family consists of 4 people, then the daily volume of effluents will be about 800 liters.
- The cubature of the cesspool should be 3 times higher than the daily measure of wastewater. In this example, it will be about 2.4 m, and the depth should be no more than 3 m, since the hose of the sewer machine is the same length, and if the cesspool is deeper, it will not be completely and effectively cleaned.
- In the event that the daily flow rate does not exceed one cubic meter, you can build a well without a bottom. But in order for bacteria in the soil to clean the waste, the cesspool should be dug with its own hands so as to be approximately one meter higher than the groundwater level.
Location
In the norms of SNiP, the distance between objects on the site is determined:
- from the cesspool to the house should be at least 5 meters, and to the fence - at least 1 m;
- in the event that the soil is clay, from the drain well to the source of water should be more than 20 m, if the area on loam is 30 m, and if on sandy soil, then at least 50 m.
Construction
Note that the cesspool with your own hands can be assembled from various materials: brick, concrete, polymer tanks, tires, barrels, wood and concrete rings. Consider the simplest way to build it:
- after determining the optimal volume and choosing a location, it is necessary to carry out earthwork (dig a pit independently or using special equipment);
- the cesspool of concrete rings is assembled quite simply - the bottom is laid on a concrete pillow, the rings are placed on top (standard height is 0.9 m, diameter is from 0.7 to 2.0 m, and the quantity depends on the volume of the drain well, optimal is 3 pieces), then the cover with a hole for the hatch;
- after such a well is installed (its upper level should be above the ground surface), it must be covered with bitumen from the inside;
- we connect the cesspool with the drain pipe so that during the movement of the soil the pipe does not break - we put a sealant (made of fabric) at the place of their connection;
- in order for the cesspool to be constructed in accordance with sanitary standards, it is necessary to install ventilation, since methane is released during the decomposition of waste, and in case of its high concentration an explosion can occur, therefore, an exhaust hood is necessary.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s quite easy to independently construct a drain well from concrete rings. But in order for the cesspool, the layout and design of which are described in this article, to last a long time, it is necessary to understand the nuances of construction.