How to make a sewer sump with your own hands. Video: homemade concrete structure for a private home How to increase the service life of a septic tank

Sewage is an important component of the benefits of civilization that every person wants to have, regardless of place of residence and distance from the city. Until the last few decades, most households were content with a conventional cesspool. Not the best optimal solution, which requires regular spending of money on the services of a vacuum cleaner. In addition, the cesspool poisons nearby groundwater and is a source of unpleasant odors. Now it is being replaced with a septic tank, which provides a high degree of sewage treatment. Such structures produced in a factory are expensive and can greatly empty your wallet. But there is an alternative -. And here you will learn how to make it.

Why do you need a septic tank?

Important! Instead of a filter field or drainage well water that has passed through a three-chamber septic tank can be sent to a separate tank. Due to its high degree of purification, it is suitable for watering gardens, washing cars and other household needs (but not for drinking and cooking).

Having chosen the design of the septic tank, you need to decide what materials you will use to create it. The table below will help with this.

You may be interested in information about what it should be like.

Comparison of septic tanks Bars-Aero and Bars-Topas

Table. Classification of septic tanks made by hand, according to materials.

When constructing a sewer system on a summer cottage or country house, many people have to think about how to make a septic tank on their own. A container or a set of containers that are designed for the flow and purification process of sewage water coming from a building is called a septic tank.

Setting up a septic tank on your own country plot is quite simple; all you need to do is put in a little effort and use certain recommendations from experts.

Of course, making a septic tank yourself is much cheaper compared to any of the ready-made solutions, which are offered by companies producing these installations.

The owner of a holiday home, without any problems, can build on his own a sealed storage tank designed for pumping out wastewater, or create one where household wastewater will be fully purified and further absorbed by the soil.

The essence of the work

In the past, a septic tank meant any storage sealed container, which was intended to accumulate wastewater and then pump it out using sewage disposal equipment. Nowadays, a septic tank is a system that allows some of the sewage water to be purified and absorbed into the soil without causing any damage to the environment.

The essence of the operation of such an installation is as follows: a container or group of containers is created where wastewater will flow from the house. After this, some of the insoluble accumulations will settle to the bottom and undergo a fermentation process, gradually liquefying in the water. Further, the settled clarified water enters the aeration field, where it is filtered through the soil and, with the help of soil bacteria, undergoes anaerobic destruction.

The end result of this two-stage treatment is that wastewater can be treated to remove 95% of all household pollution. This is one of the simplest designs treatment system- making such a septic tank yourself will not be difficult and will not require high costs funds. But here it should be taken into account that the first step is to correctly calculate the parameters of the future installation and, most importantly, its performance, and it directly depends on the size of the septic tank.

Septic tank volume

So, how to make a septic tank yourself? Performing a calculation overall dimensions For a septic tank, both self-made and factory-made, you need to take into account the average number of wastewater that will be generated during the life of one person for 3 days.

In order to correctly calculate the width, depth, volume and other dimensions of the septic tank, you need to use the following data: the life activity of any person during the day includes about 200 liters of wastewater. This indicator includes drains from the bathroom, kitchen, rough drains from the bathroom, etc. This turns out to be approximately 200 liters.

When calculating the size, you need to multiply the average daily number of drains per person by 3. You get required quantity wastewater for 3 days (3×200=600 l). This is exactly the volume that a septic tank should have if the sewage system is used by 1 person. If there are 2 people, then you need to multiply 600 by 2, etc. According to experts, evaluate required amount drainage can also be done according to the readings of the water meter.

Thus, if you know the required one, it is not difficult to calculate its parameters: depth, width and height are calculated using a simple formula.

Schematic diagram

Before you start self-production septic tank, you need to first sketch out its diagram. A primitive design diagram for a septic tank is presented, which will allow you, with some amendments, to make such a product on your own and equip the sewerage system on your suburban area in the most optimal way.

The principal includes:

• septic chamber - can be made of a Eurocube, concrete rings, or be a dug pit, the bottom and walls of which are finished with a concrete mixture;
• aeration field - for post-treatment of wastewater.

It should be noted that the installation can be constructed not only from 2, but also from 3 chambers. According to experts, a three-chamber septic tank is a more effective solution for filtering wastewater.

Homemade septic tanks can be made from various building materials. The most important thing is that this installation meets all existing safety requirements, is durable and effectively copes with the functions assigned to it. For the manufacture of a septic tank, materials such as brick, concrete rings, Eurocubes and other containers can be used.

With independent construction and very important nuance is to maintain certain distances between the created septic tank, the filtration field and other objects. The movement of groundwater should also be taken into account if there is a well or borehole on your site.

Allowed close to the main building - 5 m is enough provided the container is completely sealed. For the arrangement of aeration fields, the requirements are more stringent:

• at least 30 m from open reservoirs;
• no closer than 50 m from the source of your water supply;
• with a maximum distance from the house to avoid destruction of its foundation due to exposure high humidity soil.

Basically, in suburban areas, septic tanks are located so that there are minimal costs for laying the pipeline and at the same time the risk of violating sanitary and hygienic standards during their operation is reduced.

Manufacturing from concrete rings

Septic tanks, for the manufacture of which concrete rings are used, in most cases are built with a depth of no more than 4 m; this will require 4-5 concrete rings standard sizes, whose height is slightly less than a meter, and the diameter is from 0.7 m to 2 m. These dimensions should be taken into account when calculating the volume of the required structure. One such ring has a mass of 600 kg or more, so this is also taken into account initial stage construction, since their installation will require special equipment. Of course, you can do everything yourself, especially if the rings are already on the site.

So, for making sewer installation from concrete rings you will need the following tools:

• shovel;
• welding machine;
• container for preparing cement mortar;
• putty knife.

Materials:

• concrete rings;
• fittings;
• electrodes (3 mm);
• cement mortar;
• waterproofing material.

You need to decide right away whether you will make 2 containers or whether your installation will consist of 1 well and an aeration field.

High-quality concrete rings can be rolled from one place to another without fear. Doing this yourself is very problematic, so you will need an assistant. The concrete ring is placed on its end at the location of the future location of the septic tank, after which they begin to dig a pit directly inside the ring. As you deepen, the ring will gradually lower. It should be noted that all excavation work must be carried out with extreme caution and under the supervision of another person.

After the upper end of the concrete ring is at ground level, install another ring on it and continue to dig the pit. In order to prevent the rings from moving, they need to be connected to one another using reinforcement by welding it welding machine from the inside of the rings.

Subsequently, all joining seams are sealed cement mortar and perform waterproofing special material. The bottom of the constructed septic tank is cemented and covered with a waterproofing layer.

A self-made septic tank using concrete rings can be used as a storage tank, or you can build a water outlet to the filtration field.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing process is much simpler than constructing it from reinforced concrete rings. On modern market building materials can be done without special effort purchase a cubic container, which was previously used as a container for transportation and storage various kinds liquids.

The Eurocube is a large sealed container that is perfect for use in. To do this you just need to do ventilation holes for installation of ventilation of the treatment system, as well as for installation of overflows between septic tanks. After this, the containers are connected together with reinforcement, and the entire structure is mounted in a pre-dug pit.

When used from Eurocubes, it must be periodically maintained (cleaning off accumulated sediment). This procedure easily done on your own. Complete purification of sewer water will only occur if you make an additional discharge of clarified wastewater to the filtration field. You should know that septic tanks made from Eurocubes have a long service life and only positive reviews.

Nuances of work

Most often, building a septic tank on your own comes down to performing a complex of earthworks: digging a pit, trench, etc. When performing these works, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the soil, because for the further operation of the septic tank, it plays a significant role in the efficiency of sewage water purification.

For example, a septic tank in conditions where groundwater is at high level It is used only as a storage tank. In this case, the filtering field will be ineffective. You can create an additional backfill of soil, which will be used as a filter layer, but it should be taken into account that such backfill will be effective if the septic tank is built in clay. But there are also some nuances here: you will have to additionally build an intermediate storage well and install the pump.

This backfill is made from a mixture of gravel and sand. The height of the layer ranges from 0.5 to 1 m; drainage pipes are laid inside the layer. A small layer of soil is laid on top of the field. The resulting slide can be used not only as a filtration field, but also as part of landscape design your site. For example, trees and flowers can be planted on its surface. This option is considered the most optimal if it is necessary to create a septic tank in a swamp.

The construction of aeration fields is not difficult. The post-treatment field is a horizontal trench filled with the same sand and gravel. Water for cleaning is supplied to the trench through perforated pipes laid in it. When laying these pipes, a slope must be created to ensure the movement of water by gravity. In addition, perforated pipes must be located at least a meter away from the groundwater level.

If you have a desire to make a septic tank yourself, then the first step is to carefully study the construction and sanitary standards, which relate to their structures. Only if all these requirements are strictly met will you create an effective and safe septic tank on your site for treating sewage water.

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Every owner of a private home is faced with the problem of arranging a sewer system. There is no escape from this. Still, I want to live with comfort and public amenities even outside the city. You can, of course, turn to specialized companies that will take on the task of constructing a sewer system. However, you will have to fork out for this. In addition, highly professional services certainly won’t come cheap.

However, you can find an option that does not require excessive spending. We are talking about the construction of a sewerage system in own plot on one's own. What will it take? Perhaps only your diligence, strength and suitable building materials.

Septic tank is the best choice

All these requirements are met by a septic tank. This is a type of sewerage device in which wastewater is collected in a reservoir, and if there are several chambers, it can be thoroughly cleaned. Cleaning in septic tanks usually follows the principle of aerobic processes. That is, wastewater becomes cleaner thanks to bacteria, which, in fact, “feed” on waste and organic compounds. What is important is that the water obtained as a result can be used, for example, for watering crops.

How to make a septic tank from tires

1. It is necessary to dig a well. Keep in mind that its diameter must be equal to the diameter of the tire plus 20 cm.
2. The depth should not be less than one and a half meters. But we’ll talk about depth in more detail below. It is worth saying that digging a relatively narrow well is inconvenient (read also: ""). Use the necessary tools. A bayonet shovel will help loosen and dig the ground. But it’s better to lift sections of soil with a shovel. But at the same time, experts advise, for convenience, to bend it at an angle of 70-80 degrees relative to the handle. As a result, lifting the soil to the surface from the hole will be much more convenient and convenient. By the way, if you have tires large diameter, then you can do without such “tricks” with shovels. After all, then digging a hole will not be difficult.
3. Next, you need to take a garden drill and drill a drainage channel in the center of the bottom of the resulting well. Through it, filtered wastewater will go into the ground. At what depth such a channel needs to be made depends on the properties of the soil in your area. If it is hard and clayey, then you need to dig a drainage channel deeper. If the soil is soft, then a small hole in the ground with a drill is sufficient.
4. Now insert the pipe into the drainage channel. It's better to use plastic. After all, metal ones will quickly become unusable due to corrosion. The pipe should rise about a meter above the bottom of the well. Seal its upper hole with mesh. Otherwise, large particles will get inside the pipe, which means a blockage will quickly form. By the way, along the length of the entire pipe you need to make small holes for the passage of water. Thus, the drainage channel is ready!
5. Fill the bottom of the well with crushed stone and gravel. And only then you need to start laying the tires. However, before doing this, be sure to cut off the rubber, protruding part of the rim of each tire so that the water drains and does not stagnate in these parts of the tires.
6. Make a hole in the top tire for a sewer pipe through which wastewater will flow into the well.
7. Having carefully laid the tires, be sure to make sure that the top one rises slightly above the surface of the ground.
8. Fill the gap between the walls of the resulting well and the walls of the pit with simple crushed stone.
9. There was still a line for the lid. It can be made from plastic. It will be more reliable and durable. Finally, fill the well with soil.

Correct location of the septic tank in a private house

1. Distance to source drinking water(wells, boreholes) must be at least 20 meters.
2. The distance to a residential building is at least 3 meters.
3. Also, you should not place the septic tank too close to the fence and property line. Retreat about three meters (more details: " ").
4. If the pipeline from the house to the sewer tank is too long, then be sure to install inspection wells every 12-15 meters. In case of blockages, they will help to quickly identify the problem area and carry out necessary actions on cleaning.
5. If your site is uneven and hilly, then in places where there is a difference in elevation you need to build a drop well, which will help dampen the speed of wastewater.
6. The sewer pipe to the well must go downhill. Approximately 2cm for every meter of length.

Depth and volume of the septic tank

If they are too close to the surface, then it is necessary to build a sealed septic tank. Another aspect is the depth of soil freezing. The depth of the well must be greater than this value.

Now, how to calculate the volume? Experts advise multiplying the number of people living in the house by 200 liters, this is a value that shows how much waste water flows per person per day. Keep in mind that the larger the volume of the septic tank, the less often it will have to be emptied. However, if you have a small family and little house, then a septic tank of huge volume will simply stand idle. This will have a bad effect on its condition and service life. Read also: "".

Purchased or homemade septic tank

But only septic tanks with water overflow from chamber to chamber can demonstrate a high degree of wastewater treatment. Therefore, if you do not know how to properly make a septic tank with an overflow, use the purchase of a ready-made model. By the way, industrial septic tanks will last much longer than homemade ones. Their maintenance and possible repairs are quite affordable for any owner of a country house.

Dachas and country houses They have long ceased to be housing with amenities “in the yard.” New technologies and materials allow short term build a complete sewage system that will ensure the removal of wastewater from the kitchen, toilet, bathroom or bathhouse. Most often, it is not possible to connect the drainage line to a centralized network, so the problem of removing sewage from the site has to be solved independently, using the services of a sewage truck or discharging wastewater into the ground. Of course, in the latter case, you can build a simple drainage pit from scrap materials and thereby avoid financial costs, if not for one nuance: direct discharge of sewage into the ground can lead to contamination of groundwater in your and neighboring areas.

In order for “both the wolves to be fed and the sheep to be safe,” it is worth spending a small amount and building a septic tank that will clean the wastewater and make it safe. And so that the costs of its production and operation do not lead to depletion family budget, we recommend doing the construction yourself.

Septic tank - device, how it works

A carefully made septic tank will absolutely not interfere with the site, even if installed in a visible place

The issue of disposal of domestic wastewater suburban areas can be solved in two ways. The first consists of the accumulation and subsequent removal of sewage using sewage disposal machines, and the second covers a whole range of processes for their filtration, absorption and disinfection.

Septic tank accumulative type requires regular pumping

Using a sealed container to collect wastewater is a good option when the water in a country house or dacha appears on weekends and the amount of water used is small. If you plan to regularly use the bathroom, toilet and household appliances, then the volume of water increases so much that the drainage pit will have to be pumped out weekly. To avoid this inconvenience, filtration-type cesspools are constructed in which liquid from the sewer is absorbed into the soil. There, with the help of bacteria, it is processed into water and safe organic substances. In fact, a septic tank is just such a structure, however, its improved design allows wastewater to be disinfected before it is discharged into the ground.

Depending on the design, septic tanks can be divided into several types:

1. Single-chamber septic tank of small volume. It is a container with an overflow pipe and is used in small households with water consumption of no more than 1 cubic meter. m per day. Despite the simple design, the efficiency of sewage treatment leaves much to be desired.
2. Small two-chamber septic tank. Consists of two containers connected by an overflow system. Simplicity and efficiency similar design makes it the most popular for making it yourself.
3. Multi-chamber structures. Thanks to the presence of several chambers, wastewater treatment occurs within long period time. This allows you to obtain output water that can be safely discharged into natural reservoirs or used for household needs. Despite the high degree of purification, multi-chamber systems are rare in private households due to their complexity and high cost.

In order to understand how a septic tank works, let's consider the most popular two-chamber design.

Design and principle of operation of a two-chamber septic tank

After the sewage enters the first chamber of the treatment plant, it is gravitationally separated into liquid and solids. At the same time, the processing of organic waste by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria begins, which develop in the absence or excess of oxygen. At the same time, not only liquid waste, but also fecal matter is processed into water and harmless organic matter. By the way, the work of microorganisms makes it possible to significantly reduce the volume of the solid fraction, leaving only a small sediment in the form of sludge.

At the top of the first chamber there is an overflow channel, through which the purified liquid enters the second chamber, where it is further purified. Below the level of the inlet channel in the second tank there is an outlet pipe, from which purified liquid is taken for watering the garden or discharged into the ground. In the latter case, filtration fields or wells are installed to increase the area of ​​contact of purified water with the ground.

Advantages and disadvantages of septic tanks

The question of which is better, a cesspool or a septic tank, is best considered from the point of view of efficiency, as well as the cost of manufacture and maintenance. It is important to remember the safety of the structure.

Note that in most respects it is the septic tank that wins, which stands out for the following advantages:

• high degree of purification of domestic wastewater - the water leaving the device can be used for household purposes;
• absence of unpleasant odor in the area;
• hermetic design reduces the risk of sewage entering groundwater and makes the structure safe for the environment;
• there is no need for regular pumping - removal of sludge residue can be carried out once every few years.

The disadvantages of septic tanks include:

• more complex design;
• increase in construction costs;
• strict requirements for the use of household detergents. Conventional chemistry is destructive to microorganisms, so you will have to use special compounds;
• decrease in bacterial activity when the temperature decreases - at 4°C and below, the waste processing process stops.

Despite some nuances, the use of a septic tank allows you to preserve nature and the health of others, and this is a plus that cannot be erased by any difficulties or financial expenses.

Design and preparatory activities

The apparent simplicity of the septic tank design is very deceptive - in order for the constructed structure to be safe and productive, it is necessary to make small calculations and carefully select a location.

Choosing a location on the site. Sanitary standards

Diagram indicating the requirements for the location of the septic tank on the site

When choosing a place to install a septic tank, they are guided by the norms of sanitary and epidemiological legislation and SNiP acts:

• local sewerage structures are allowed to be installed at a distance of at least 5 m from the foundation of a residential building and 1 m from utility and domestic buildings located on the site;
• distance from wells and boreholes is determined depending on the composition of the soil and can range from 20 m for clay soils to 50 m for sandy soil;
• Installing a septic tank directly near roads and site boundaries is prohibited. It is required to maintain a distance of at least 1 m from the fence and 5 m from the road;

In addition, we must not forget that from time to time you will still have to use a suction pump, so it is necessary to think about how the sewage disposal truck will approach the sewage facilities.

A household fecal pump with a grinder will allow you to do without the services of a vacuum cleaner

You can do without the services of a sewer truck if you pump out the sludge using a fecal pump purchased for this purpose, and use the sludge from the septic tank as fertilizer for the garden.

Selection and calculation of material. Required volume

To install septic tank chambers, you can use both ready-made tanks and containers built by yourself:

Quantity calculation required material depends on the volume of the septic tank, so the main calculated value is the daily amount of wastewater discharged. There is no need to accurately determine this parameter; it is enough to assume water consumption of 150–200 liters for each family member permanently residing in the house. This will be enough to use the bathroom, toilet, washing and dishwasher. To determine the volume of the septic tank's receiving chamber, the resulting value is multiplied by three. For example, if five people permanently live in a house equipped with all amenities, then you will need a tank designed for 3 cubic meters. m of liquid waste (5 people × 200 liters × 3 = 3000 liters).

The second chamber is calculated based on the size of the receiving tank. If its volume is taken to be equal to 2/3 of the total size of the septic tank, then the dimensions of the post-treatment chamber provide the remaining third of the structure’s volume. If we take the example discussed above, the working volume of the structure will be 4.5 cubic meters. m, of which 1.5 cubic meters. m are allocated for the second tank.

Photo gallery: drawings of future structures

When designing a septic tank, you can use drawings and diagrams of working structures.

Scheme of a two-chamber septic tank Drawing of a two-chamber septic tank Drawing of a two-chamber septic tank

Calculations of external dimensions are carried out using well-known geometric formulas to determine the volume of a cylindrical structure and a rectangular container.

It should be understood that in most regions the septic tank will not freeze in winter due to warm wastewater coming from the house, soil temperature and the work of microorganisms. However, the structure will still have to be deepened. The gap between the cover and the upper level of wastewater is taken equal to the amount of soil freezing in winter. It is at this depth a drain pipe

enters the septic tank. Therefore, we must rely on the fact that the calculated working volume will be below this point. In addition, at a higher temperature, bacteria will more actively process sewage, helping to increase the productivity of the septic tank.

Diagram explaining the need to deepen the septic tank chambers

Which form is better The question of which septic tank is better - round or rectangular - can be considered incorrect, since the shape does not at all affect the performance and degree of purification. However, the configuration of the structure has great value

when choosing materials. Everyone knows that round buildings are the most optimal in terms of spending the necessary funds. The septic tank was no exception. If it is made of brick, then choosing a cylindrical shape will reduce consumption by 10 - 15%. In addition, round walls perfectly resist mechanical loads from the ground. If you choose a monolithic two-chamber structure, then it is better to make it square or rectangular. Firstly, reinforced walls will resist bending forces, and secondly, this is necessary for purely practical reasons related to the manufacture of formwork for pouring concrete. The cost of septic tanks from various materials

. To eliminate the impact of devaluation, prices are given in yuan. e By the way, we recommend making the concrete structure yourself. If we consider the cost of a septic tank, it will not be much higher than its inexpensive brick counterparts (see table). As for the durability and strength of the structure, there can be no question of any comparison, therefore even a more labor-intensive technology will justify itself many times over. How to build a rectangular two-chamber septic tank from reinforced concrete

, we'll tell you in detail.

Required tools and materials

• To build a concrete treatment plant you will need:
• crushed stone, sand and cement for making concrete;
• steel rods or fittings with a diameter of at least 10 mm;
• metal corners, pipes or channels for the construction of floors;
• boards, timber and slats for formwork;
• film for waterproofing;
• containers for bulk materials and concrete;
• Bulgarian;
• manual rammer;
• wood saw;
• welding machine or wire for making an armored belt;
• hammer;
• building level;
• roulette.

If it is necessary to insulate the septic tank, this list should be supplemented with the heat insulator used, for example, expanded clay chips.

Construction and installation of a country septic tank from monolithic concrete with your own hands

It is better to dig a pit for a septic tank by asking for help from relatives and friends

1. After determining the size of the structure and choosing a location, they begin to dig a pit. The size of the pit is chosen depending on what formwork will be used. If board panels are planned to be installed on both sides, then the pit is made 40–50 cm wider than the size of the tank, taking into account the thickness of its walls. In the case when concrete will be poured between the formwork and the ground, the pit is dug along external dimensions septic tank If hired people will be used for this, calculate the cost of their work. Be sure to take into account that the soil will have to be removed from the site, and this will entail additional costs for its loading.
   

   Perhaps the total cost of all excavation work will approach the cost of operating an excavator. At the same time, he will cope with the work tens of times faster. You should not remove all the soil from the site. Be sure to leave some of it for backfill

2. septic tank
3. Compact the bottom of the hole and fill it with a layer of sand 10–15 cm thick. After this, the sand is spilled with water to compact it. Install formwork around the perimeter of the structure. If a one-sided board fencing is used, then the walls of the pit are covered plastic film

   . This will prevent them from falling off while pouring the walls and base of the septic tank.

4. Waterproofing pit walls Place the pieces on the bottom wooden slats
5. at least 5 cm thick. They will be needed as spacers for the reinforcement belt, which will be located inside the concrete base.

   Build an armored belt from a metal rod or reinforcement. To do this, longitudinal elements are laid on the slats, and transverse elements are attached to them by welding or tying with wire. The size of the cells of the resulting lattice should be no more than 20–25 cm.

6. Fill the base of the septic tank with concrete and compact it with a bayonet or tamper. The thickness of the bottom must be at least 15 cm. To prepare a mortar from grade 400 cement, you can use the following proportion: 1 part cement is mixed with 2 parts sand and 3 parts crushed stone. When using M-500 cement, the amount of bulk materials is increased by 15 - 20%.

   Pouring the base of a septic tank with concrete

7. After concrete base finally set, they begin to construct the formwork for the walls and partitions of the septic tank. Reinforcement is also installed inside the formwork to strengthen the structure of the structure.
   

   If there are not enough boards to construct the formwork for the entire height, then you can use a low sliding structure, which is poured with concrete, and after it sets, it is moved upward.

8. At the level of overflow channels and entry-exit points sewer pipes Windows are made by installing large-diameter pipe sections into the formwork or constructing wooden frames.

   Construction of wall formwork and internal partitions

9. After the septic tank chambers reach the required height, construction of the ceiling begins. To do this, support elements made of steel corners or profile pipes. It is important to ensure sufficient strength, since concrete has significant weight.
10. When installing formwork and reinforcement, take care of the openings for hatches.

    Installation of floor support elements

11. Fill the septic tank lid with concrete and cover the structure with plastic film.

    Before pouring the ceiling, be sure to install a ventilation pipe

12. After the ceiling has dried, a sewer line is inserted into the receiving window of the first chamber, and the exit of the structure is connected to drainage structures.
13. The septic tank is filled with soil, constantly compacting and leveling it. It is important that the soil level above the septic tank is slightly higher than the level of the entire site. This will prevent the treatment plant from flooding during heavy rains or floods.

Arrangement of filtration structures

In order to drain purified water into the ground, use drainage systems various types. The most common structures are filtration fields and drainage wells.

Filtration field design

The first are a system of pipelines placed in the ground and connected to the outlet pipe of the septic tank. Thanks to the installation at an angle, the movement of purified waste through the pipes is ensured, and their absorption is made possible thanks to a system of holes and a drainage layer in which the entire structure is placed.

The latter are a special case cesspool without a bottom and can be constructed from perforated concrete rings, staggered bricks, or old car tires. To ensure the absorption capacity of the bottom filtration well covered with a thick layer of crushed stone. It must be said that, unlike a cesspool, the performance of a structure connected to a septic tank practically does not decrease over time. This is due to the absence of solid particles and suspensions that can clog drainage holes and pores.

When using a septic tank, it is necessary to radically reconsider the approach to the use of sewerage. From the day the system is put into operation, it is prohibited to use chemical detergents and pour any aggressive substances into the toilet or sink. It must be remembered that wastewater treatment is now carried out by living beings - bacteria and other microorganisms. Of course, this does not mean that for washing and cleaning you will now have to use ash and simple laundry soap, like our ancestors. When using household detergents marked “Bio” or “Eco”, nothing will threaten the fragile ecosystem of the septic tank, and you will get good results when cleaning and washing.

Using detergents free from aggressive chemicals will allow the septic tank to work at full capacity

Inorganic waste and garbage should not be poured down the drain - there is a trash can for this. Getting into the drive wastewater treatment plant, they will collect at the bottom and interfere with it normal operation, and when pumping out sludge, the hoses of the fecal pump may become clogged.

To improve the performance of the septic tank, special bioactivators are periodically added to the receiving chamber, which include several varieties of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. When choosing biological products, you must pay attention to their purpose, since such compositions are produced both for normal conditions operation, and for cleaning heavily contaminated walls of septic tanks, drains with an increased fat content, etc. By the way, the compositions must be used exactly as indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, otherwise the bacteria may die.

The use of bioactivators improves the performance of the septic tank

From time to time you will have to check the level of sediment. The fact is that their accumulation leads to a decrease in the useful volume and a decrease in the productivity of the septic tank, so periodically the sludge will need to be pumped out or removed using a sludge pump, fecal pump or a long pole with a scoop device. Of course, mechanized pumping methods will be preferable.

Making your home comfortable is the task of every owner. One of the conditions for comfortable living is an efficiently working system local sewer. If previously cesspools were mainly built to collect wastewater, today such a solution is not acceptable. Therefore, most homeowners decide to build a septic tank - an installation in which wastewater not only accumulates, but is also purified. Let's consider how to make a septic tank in a private house, without resorting to the help of professionals.

Why is it recommended to build an overflow septic tank to install a local sewer system? The fact is that this installation, unlike a simple cesspool, is capable of not only accumulating, but also purifying wastewater, ensuring water drainage. Therefore, the owners of such installations use the services of vacuum cleaners much less often; as a rule, it is recommended to clean the chambers from sediment once a year.

It is quite possible to build a septic tank yourself. Moreover, the homeowner has the opportunity to choose which septic tank to build on his site. But before you start construction, you need to find out how to properly build a septic tank so that the constructed installation works efficiently and is environmentally friendly.

The principle of operation of a septic tank without pumping

The principle of operation of a septic tank is quite simple. When processing wastewater, two treatment methods are used - mechanical (settling) and biological (anaerobic fermentation and aerobic purification on filtration fields).

Water purified from impurities is filtered into the ground. If the septic tank is built in clay soil which does not absorb water well, then it is necessary to drain the water differently by constructing ring drainage around the treatment plant.

Primary requirements

Before you make a septic tank with your own hands, it is important to remember the basic principles of its effective operation:

• Multi-stage. The efficiency of the settling process is ensured by the fact that the wastewater goes through several stages of purification. To do this, the installation is divided into 2-3 chambers. In each chamber, a settling process occurs, and in the first compartment large inclusions are deposited, and in subsequent chambers the smallest contaminants precipitate. It is this kind of organization of advocacy that allows you to achieve better results;

• Tightness. This condition for the construction of a septic tank ensures environmental safety installations. The tightness of the settling tanks eliminates the possibility of leakage dirty water into the ground, therefore there is no threat of soil and ground water contamination. In addition, the tightness of the chambers eliminates the possibility of soil water penetrating inside, which could lead to flooding;

Advice! When building a septic tank, you need to take care not only of the tightness of the chambers themselves, but also of the connections between the body and the pipes. Silicone-based sealant or elastic rubber seals are widely used to seal joints.

• Volume. The quality of wastewater treatment directly depends on how long the contaminated liquids remain in the chambers. In order for the wastewater to settle well, it must remain in the septic tank for at least three days. Consequently, the volume of the treatment plant chambers must be large enough to accommodate the wastewater generated within three days;
• Thermal insulation. To carry out biological cleaning processes, it is necessary that the installation is sufficiently warm. Therefore, if the septic tank is installed on insufficient depth, then it is necessary to carry out work on insulating the body of the treatment plant;
• Ventilation. During the fermentation process, organic matter decomposes into simple components, including methane and other gases. To remove gaseous decomposition products, it is necessary to equip the septic tank with a ventilation pipe.

Selecting a construction site and assessing local conditions

It is extremely important to choose the right location for the septic tank. In addition, conditions such as soil structure and groundwater levels will need to be taken into account. When choosing an installation location, you will need to comply with the requirements of SanPiN and SNiP. Among these requirements:

• The septic tank should be located as far as possible from the water intake site. The minimum permissible distance is 30 meters;
• The septic tank must be no less than 5 meters away from the house;
• It is not allowed to build a treatment plant close to a fence with neighbor's plot, you must retreat from it at least a meter;
• It is advisable to choose a construction site so that equipment can approach the site. Equipment will be required during the construction process (for preparing the pit, installing heavy parts, etc.). In addition, the passage of equipment is necessary to periodically pump out sediment from the chambers.

Advice! This requirement is justified by the fact that with a close location of the treatment plant, erosion and premature destruction of the foundation is possible.

The construction of a septic tank involves not only the construction of sedimentation tanks, but also the construction of filtration fields, which are necessary for the post-treatment of wastewater and filtration of purified water into the ground. When constructing such fields, it is very important to correctly assess the structure of the soil, as well as the level at which groundwater flows.

When the groundwater level is high or when building on clay, it is necessary to organize water drainage using alternative methods, since the construction of a septic tank requires standard scheme impossible under such conditions.

Advice! Under alternative scrapings during the construction of a septic tank in difficult conditions This means the installation of ground filtration cassettes, the use of biofilters, the construction of filtration fields by partial replacement on an area of ​​clay soil, etc.

In some cases, it is necessary to organize forced drainage of water. This option has to be resorted to if drainage by gravity is not possible. Forced drainage of water is carried out using drain pump, drainage is possible into a drainage ditch or filter well.

Pit preparation

Let's figure out how to make a septic tank with your own hands. Whatever option for building a septic tank is chosen, work always begins with preparing the pit. This work can be done in several ways:

• Dig the pit by hand yourself. This is the cheapest solution, but you will have to spend a lot of time and effort on earthworks;
• Dig a pit by hiring a team of diggers. In this case, digging a pit will not be cheap, and the time gain will be small;
• Dig a pit by renting an excavator with a driver. If you choose this option, the pit will be ready quickly, the cost of renting equipment is comparable to the cost of working for a team of excavators. However, it is not always possible to use technology, for example, due to lack of access;

• The size of the pit must be larger than the body so that there is free access to the walls of the installation during operation;
• The bottom of the pit is carefully leveled. Then you need to add sand and soil at the bottom. The height of this shock-absorbing layer is 20-30 cm;
• To install some types of septic tanks, it is necessary to lay a reinforced concrete slab on a sand bed.

Advice! If you need to make a septic tank yourself on an area with high rising soil waters, then at the stage of constructing the pit it is necessary to build a ring drainage to ensure the drainage of rising water from the installation body.

Construction options

There are several options for constructing an overflow treatment plant. Let's look at what you can use to build a treatment plant and how to make a septic tank correctly.

Monolithic

This is the most durable and durable option. Construction begins with filling the bottom. To reinforce concrete, metal rods or a ready-made mesh of metal wire are used.

After the bottom has dried, they begin to construct formwork for pouring walls and internal partitions. Case thickness monolithic septic tank should be at least 20 cm. At the same time, you need to remember the need to install embedded parts at the pipe laying sites:

• The inlet pipe should be located 5-10 cm above the level to which the septic tank will be filled;
• The overflow pipe connecting the first and second chambers is located slightly lower - at the filling level of the first chamber;
• Overflows are made with a slight slope and are made from pipes with a diameter of 150 mm;
• The top of the septic tank must be covered with a floor slab, in which holes are provided for installation ventilation pipe and hatches for pumping sediment out of the chambers.

From well rings

What can you use to build an overflow septic tank as quickly as possible? It is convenient to assemble chambers from ready-made reinforced concrete products - well rings. To build such a septic tank, the use of lifting equipment is mandatory:

• The chambers are constructed by stacking rings on top of each other;
• To give the septic tank strength, the rings are fastened together with staples;

• It is important to seal the joints of the rings well. To do this, the joints are covered with cement mortar and then treated with waterproofing mastics;
• The top of the wells is covered with a slab with a hole for installing a hatch.

From Eurocubes

It is convenient to build a treatment plant from plastic containers - Eurocubes. These containers can be purchased relatively inexpensively. For construction, a tie-in is made into plastic case pipes For greater strength, it is recommended to weld the metal lattice frame of the Eurocubes together.

To protect lightweight plastic the septic tank is prevented from floating, the containers are secured with bandage belts to the embedded parts reinforced concrete slab, laid at the bottom of the pit. When constructing any of the listed septic tank options, the drainage of water from the treatment plant is organized so that the liquid enters the tertiary treatment plant.

But the installation option for post-treatment is selected depending on the geological conditions at the site. This could be a filter well, areas with a drainage layer, or an additional biofilter. Discharging water from a septic tank without post-treatment is strictly prohibited.

So, before making a treatment plant, it is necessary to correctly determine the volume of its chambers, remember the basic requirements for placing a septic tank on the site, correctly assess the characteristics of the soil and select a construction site.