What is a septic tank? In simple terms, this is an improved cesspool, although this is not entirely true. A refined drainage pit made of concrete rings, old tires, bricks, without a bottom, with a pillow of sand and gravel for filtering is still not a septic tank, although many call it that. Important: a septic tank for a summer house or a country house with this or a similar design does not meet sanitary requirements and is not approved for use. Unfortunately, a natural filtration system is not enough, and there is always a danger of effluents entering groundwater or nearby bodies of water. If you approach the issue more strictly, the septic tank is part of an autonomous sewer system. Autonomous sewage is an expensive pleasure, so sometimes they make a septic tank with their own hands. This saves up to 50% of total costs.
Classification of septic tanks
- Sealed container: the wastewater is simply poured into it, and then pumped out and taken out using a cesspool machine. The advantages of such a system are simplicity and affordability. Disadvantages - suitable only for a country house, which is visited from time to time.
- Single two-chamber septic tank. Principle of operation: solid waste settles in one chamber, which ensures wastewater treatment by 60-65%, from the second chamber, wastewater is discharged into a filter well.
- Septic tank with multi-stage cleaning system. Solid waste can be decomposed both naturally and with the help of special biological products.
Tanks for drains can be both underground and ground. The latter are used if groundwater lies close to the surface.
How to make a septic tank with your own hands
It is possible to build a septic tank both from concrete rings, and even from old tires, but this design needs good waterproofing. Some people prefer to cast concrete rings in the pit themselves, layer by layer. Such a septic tank will cost inexpensively, but construction will drag on for a long time, so it is best to purchase a ready-made container - plastic or iron. Both of these options have a number of drawbacks: the iron in the earth will rust, and the light plastic barrel will gradually “float” to the surface.
However, we recommend that you still purchase a plastic container in order to build a septic tank with your own hands: the polymers do not rot and do not decompose, which means that the barrel will last a very long time. The cost of a plastic container is from 30 thousand rubles. Below are the steps for installing an autonomous sewer system with a single-chamber septic tank.
Construction stages
- Excavation. You need to dig a hole with smooth edges. The distance to the house is at least 4-5 meters, to economic buildings - at least 1 meter. However, digging far from buildings is also not worth it - you will have to build up sewer pipes, which will lead to higher construction costs.
- Leveling the bottom of the pit: a layer of sand or concrete screed.
- Capacity setting.
- Production of a protective layer against deformation: lay the walls of the pit with brick or pour concrete.
- Pipeline laying. The main condition: it must pass with a slight slope, below the level of freezing of the soil or be insulated.
- The connection of the pipeline to the septic tank.
- The end of earthwork.
These are the main stages that need to be followed in order to build a septic tank with your own hands. Partially treated effluents should be sent for soil post-treatment, either to artificially created filtration fields or a filter well.