The problem of draining sewer water from your own or country building, as well as the principle, is solved by constructing a cesspool or septic tank.
Since these structures have a significant impact on the environment and the health of residents of the area, all issues related to their location and construction procedure are clearly regulated by regulations.
The main regulatory act regulating all issues in the field of construction and use of treatment facilities is the law of the Russian Federation “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population,” dated 1999 under registration number 52-FZ.
The owner of the housing construction is primarily interested in the exact implementation of this law, since in case of deviation from the norms contained in the document, he may jeopardize not only his own health, but also the health of the rest of his family members.
Moreover, compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation is mandatory for all citizens living on its territory, and in case of their violation, not only administrative measures within the framework of the law are applied.
Obtaining permission to develop
Septic tanks and cesspools are devices that pose a direct threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, it is prohibited to install them uncontrollably. When starting the construction of these structures, it is necessary to prepare a project and approve it with the SES, having received the appropriate permit.
Useful information! A permit is issued only when the project fully complies with current building and sanitary standards. One of the most important points is the location of the treatment plant within your site.
However, it is necessary to realize that the acquired permit does not at all give the owner of the building privileges during the construction of a septic tank or cesspool, because in the future the control services have every right to control the building for compliance with its design documentation.
Regulatory acts defining the procedure for arranging treatment facilities
In addition to what is specified in the article of the Law of the Russian Federation, it is also necessary to comply with other regulations, which include the following sanitary standards (SanPiN) and construction rules (SNiP):
- SNiP 2.04.03-85, which is the main document regulating the construction of external sewers and structures.
- SNiP 2.04.04-84, and in addition, SNiP 2.04.01.-85, which regulate the construction of internal and external water supply systems if the building is supplied from wells and boreholes.
- SanPiN 2.1.5.980-90, which contains requirements for protective measures aimed at maintaining the purity of surface waters.
- SanPiN 2.2.1/2.1.1.1200-03 in the part that defines the requirements for the arrangement of sanitary protection zones at environmentally hazardous facilities.
Distance between the septic tank and the water intake point
The main condition for the correct placement of septic tanks and cesspools within the boundaries of a land plot is the distance from such objects to sources of water use (wells, wells).
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This requirement is based on the urgent need to prevent contaminated wastewater from entering aquifers. Otherwise, this is fraught with the threat of diseases. This condition is important not only for cesspools, but also for septic tanks (despite their tightness). For this reason, the distance between the water intake point and the treatment plant should be as large as possible.
In accordance with the regulations listed above, the distance between the point of water intake and the location of any treatment plant depends on the presence of filter soils between the layer provided for filtering wastewater that has undergone treatment and the aquifer.
In this case, if there is a connection between these layers, then the mandatory distance between the point of water intake and the nearest treatment facility must be at least TWENTY meters. The presence of filter zones is studied using special geological surveys.
It is necessary to be aware that the higher the filtering properties of the soil on your site, the further the septic tank should be located from the water intake point. The best filtering properties are inherent in sandy, sandy loam and loamy soils. If there are such soils on your land plot, the specified distance should be at least 50-80 meters.
When installing a septic tank or cesspool, you should adhere to general construction standards for their placement in relation to water pipes. In particular, the gap between the treatment building and the pipes through which drinking water is supplied to the house must be at least 50 - 80 meters.
In addition to the distance between the water intake point and treatment buildings, the natural slope of the land plot should also be taken into account. In particular, the water intake site must be earlier than the construction site of the treatment plant.
Distance between treatment building and apartment building
When selecting a location zone for a treatment facility, one should take into account the conditions that affect the placement of this structure relative to a residential building.
The septic tank or cesspool must be located at a distance exceeding 5 meters from the base of the house. This is due to compliance with construction and sanitary standards, and in addition, it provides for the case when a breakthrough of wastewater into the ground may occur.
In addition to the distance between the water intake point and the treatment plant, it is also necessary to take into account the natural slope of the area. In particular, the water intake point should be located above the place where the treatment plant is installed.
Distance from the treatment facility to the fence
The current principles for the placement of septic tanks and cesspools take into account the range of interests of both the owners of the land plot and the interests of neighbors. When choosing the location of the septic tank you should remember:
- The minimum distance between the septic tank and the roadway with heavy traffic should not be less than five meters.
- To avoid problems with neighbors, the distance to the fence from the cesspool should be at least 2 meters.
- When choosing the location of a septic tank or cesspool, you should remember about underground communications and networks.
- The distance between treatment buildings and the base of a house or any other structure must be at least 1 meter. Fulfilling this condition makes it possible to prevent the foundation of the house from being washed away in emergency cases.
In accordance with the requirements of SanPiN 42-128-4690-88, near houses where there is no special sewage system, it is allowed to install cesspools, which must be waterproof. A grate and a lid must be installed over such a pit.
Many people know what rules govern the construction of such a necessary structure as a cesspool on a private plot: sanitary norms and rules (SanPiN), as well as building norms and rules (SNiP) that determine what sewerage, water supply networks, water protection, etc. are. , and their requirements must be strictly followed. However, not everyone has information about these requirements. The most important of them are given in our article.
Choosing a cesspool location
Using SanPiN 42-128-4690-88 and SNiP 30-02-97, you should first determine the most suitable location of the cesspool on the territory of your summer cottage:
- The storage pit for domestic wastewater in a private house should be located in the area immediately adjacent to it.
- The cesspool should be located no closer than 10 meters from the central water pipeline and no less than 20 meters from the drinking water well in order to avoid accidental contamination in the event of an emergency leakage of the sanitary treatment facility.
- The distance of the cesspool from the house on the site and from houses and structures located on neighboring sites should also be at least 10-12 meters. A closer location of the cesspool to structures can lead to flooding and destruction of the foundation of a building or outbuildings in the event of an emergency.
- The distance to the drainage pit from the fence bordering the area must be at least 1 meter.
- The depth of the pit is selected depending on the depth of groundwater, and should not exceed 3 meters.
Options for constructing a cesspool
There are two ways to install a sewer system in a small country cottage or garden plot:
- use regular ;
- create an engineered wastewater storage system.
Features of cesspools without a bottom
The simplest option provided for by SNiP is a cesspool without a bottom. Such structures are allowed to be used when the daily volume of wastewater discharged from the house is no more than 1 cubic meter. According to SanPiN, cesspools without a bottom must be equipped below the drinking water intake level in order to avoid contamination of the water in the well with sewage.
When constructing a cesspool, a number of different parameters must be taken into account. Thus, there are requirements for the relative location of such a pit and a drinking well, depending on the type and properties of the soil on site, where the drainage pit is located - SNiP imposes the following rules:
- If the site is dominated by clay soil, the distance should be at least 20 m.
- In the case of loamy soil - 30 m.
- Sandy and sandy loam soils require the mutual location of the well and cesspool no closer than 50 m from each other.
In the case where more than 1 cubic meter of wastewater is generated daily in a household, you should abandon the option of a cesspool without a bottom and consider the possibility of constructing a cesspool made of concrete, brick or metal on the site. An excellent option would be to use.
Features of sealed cesspools
Sealed cesspools have their own characteristics:
- Design features. The bottom of the pit should have a significant slope towards the technological hatch intended for its cleaning.
- Choosing a location. As we already know, the distance of the cesspool from the building and from the fence of the site is 10 meters and 1 meter, respectively.
- Periodic cleaning. A sealed cesspool is cleaned by specialists using.
Pro tip: Do not build a hole deeper than 3 meters. Otherwise, its emptying will not be effective enough due to the limited length of the hose of the special machine, and all the sludge that forms over time at the bottom of the pit will remain at the bottom.
- Ensuring free access of special vehicles to the tank for cleaning.
- Possibility of methane formation during operation of the storage tank.
Pro tip: To prevent the accumulation of explosive gas in a sealed container, be sure to equip it with ventilation. Construction standards for a cesspool provide for the installation of a ventilation pipe with a diameter of 10 cm and a height of more than 60 cm above the ground surface.
Communications and cesspools
It would not be superfluous to bring main parameters of the relative position of water and gas pipes and a sealed waste storage facility on the site:
- The distance from the storage pit to pipes made of asbestos cement or reinforced concrete is at least 5 m.
- The distance to cast iron pipes with a diameter not exceeding 200 mm is at least 1.5 m.
- To cast iron pipes with a diameter of more than 200 mm - 3 m.
- The minimum distance to gas pipes is 5 m.
The basic requirements for communications located in the local area, as well as the requirements for cesspools, are prescribed in construction and sanitary standards and regulations. Therefore, in order to avoid possible accidents on water and gas pipelines, you should strictly comply with them by installing a wastewater storage facility on your site.
If a person lives in a house, it must have a sewer system, since waste products still need to be removed somehow. And it’s hard to disagree with this, isn’t it? Modern industry offers many solutions: from multi-section septic tanks to neat dry closets. But an ordinary cesspool in a private house is still relevant and in demand.
But, before you start building a cesspool on your site, you will have to weigh the pros and cons. After all, an incorrectly chosen location, and the design of the cesspool itself, subsequently threatens to result in many problems. The most common of them is the appearance of an unpleasant odor. We will tell you how to avoid this problem.
In the article we collected and summarized information about the types and design features of cesspools. In addition, here you can find useful tips and recommendations on how to choose and build a sewer system on your site. The material is accompanied by thematic photos and videos.
A cesspool is perhaps the oldest and simplest type of sewage system. It is a depression in the ground in which wastewater is accumulated and partially processed.
Any wastewater contains a certain amount of bacteria that absorb and transform these accumulations. Part of the filtered wastewater passes into the underlying soils.
Everything that has not been processed and has not gone into the underlying layers should be periodically removed from the cesspool so that the container does not overfill.
Image gallery
Most individual developers solve the problem of draining wastewater from the house by installing a cesspool - essentially a sealed container that receives wastewater. It is very important to know the rules and regulations so that when building a cesspool you do not violate them. In our article we will introduce and consider in detail the following issue: cesspool sanitary standards.
Let's start with the fact that the Federal Law of March 30, 1999 N 52-FZ “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population” regulates sanitary norms and rules for all citizens, but if these rules are not followed, then the owner of the home is liable in accordance with Article 57 of the same law.
Therefore, it is so important to know all sanitary standards for a cesspool and strictly follow them.
When starting planning, be sure to study the Sanitary Rules for the Maintenance of Residential Territories No. 4690-88, which were approved on August 5, 1988 by A.I. Kondrusev, Deputy Minister of Health of the USSR, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the USSR (abbreviated SanPiN 42-128-4690-88).
In accordance with the above document, paragraph 3.9: standard cesspools, it is strictly prohibited to use containers with filtration without a bottom when the daily discharge of wastewater is more than 1 cubic meter. meters.
If 2-4 people will permanently live in your house, and you plan to use water heating devices and household appliances, then the cesspool should be equipped with a bottom.
Regarding the most frequently asked question, what is the minimum distance from a residential building to a cesspool? It is impossible to answer it unequivocally.
Thus, in accordance with the standards, a cesspool must be built at least 15 meters from a residential building, since toxic gases are released during biological processing of waste. Including the most explosive and odorless gases - methane and sulfuric gas (it has a pronounced smell of rotten eggs). Contamination of soil and groundwater is no less dangerous.
However, you can obtain permission from the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision authorities to locate a cesspool closer to the house. To do this, you need to coordinate all issues with the Vodokanal Department and Rospotrebnadzor.
Construction of a small cesspool
Let us consider in more detail the requirements for a cesspool, the productivity of which is minimal - no more than 1 cubic meter is supplied per day. meters of waste.
Such pits are usually installed in houses where people do not live permanently, and where there are no water heating or other household appliances (boilers, washing machines and dishwashers). That is, there is a washbasin and a shower in the house; there are no other sources of drainage.
According to sanitary standards (provided that it is sealed) it can be carried out 5 meters from the summer kitchen or residential building.
If the productivity of a sealed septic tank is 8 cubic meters. meters per day, then it must be placed from the summer kitchen and residential building at a distance of at least 8 meters.
The requirements for water intake when installing a small sealed septic tank are as follows:
- If the productivity is up to 3 cubic meters. meters per day, then water pipes for water supply with household and drinking water should be placed to groundwater along its flow down from the cesspool at a distance of 40 to 50 meters.
- It should also be taken into account that the distance from the cesspool to the water pipes to the groundwater along their upward flow should be 25 m.
- If the cesspool is built along an axis perpendicular to the flow of groundwater, then the distance should be 25-30 m.
- The distance from wells and artesian wells to cesspools and other sources of pollution must be at least 20 m.
It is preferable to choose a place to build a cesspool from groundwater downstream. The ideal placement of water intake structures is their location from groundwater upstream.
What to do if in practice it is not possible to comply with the above requirements for cesspools?
In this case, experts recommend installing wells, boreholes or drainages on the site for several houses that are located nearby along the street. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a retreat from the red line of 2.5 m or even all 5 m, arranging a special platform (its size must be at least 2.5x3 m), having a slope of up to 5% and a hard surface.
Basic standards SanPiN 42-128-4690-88
The document sets out the standards for cesspools.
Namely:
- In households that do not have a central one, it is allowed to arrange yard garbage dumps. They must have a cesspool (necessarily waterproof, i.e. sealed). The above-ground part of the cesspool must be equipped with a lid and a special grid in which space is reserved for solid fractions. In order for the cesspool to be conveniently cleaned, the front wall of the latrine must be opened or removed. A cesspool can be common to several yard latrines.
- From residential buildings, public and children's institutions, children's and sports grounds, yard restrooms are required to be located at a distance of 20 m or more (but not more than 100 m). If the household is private, then it is allowed to reduce the distance from cesspools to residential buildings and other buildings (summer kitchens) to 8-10 meters. In the event of conflict situations arising between neighbors and resolving controversial issues regarding the arrangement of a cesspool, representatives of the public and commissions of local administrative councils make a decision on where to place yard latrines. The general rule for everyone, which remains unchanged, is that from the capture of springs and wells to the cesspool, the distance must be at least 50 meters.
- A yard latrine must be equipped with a cesspool and an above-ground part, which is erected as a single structure from tightly fitted building materials, including bricks, boards, blocks, etc. A prerequisite is that the cesspool must be sealed and waterproof. Its volume is calculated by competent organizations, taking into account the number of residents - users of the cesspool. The depth of the cesspool can be up to 3 m; when arranging it, the groundwater level is taken into account. It is strictly prohibited to fill a cesspool with sewage up to 35 cm from the ground surface.
- The cesspool (as it fills) must be cleaned at least once every six months.
- Outdoor latrines must be kept clean. They must be cleaned every day. Once a week, the restroom area should be washed with special disinfectant solutions using hot water. The above-ground part of yard latrines should not be accessible to insects and rodents.
- To disinfect yard latrines and cesspools, the following solutions must be used: 10% bleach, 3-5% sodium hypochloride, 10% naphthalizole, 5% creolin, 10% sodium metasilicate. To disinfect yard latrines and cesspools, it is strictly forbidden to use dry bleach.
Basic requirements for communications when installing cesspools
When arranging a cesspool in a private house, it is necessary to take into account some requirements in relation to water supply and other communications. If these requirements are neglected, emergency situations are possible, sometimes even resulting in human casualties.
Attention! When setting up a sealed cesspool or septic tank privately, you need to know the parameters of the distance from the cesspool to the centralized sewerage system and water supply for domestic and drinking water.
Let us recall these basic requirements:
- If the water supply system is built from asbestos-cement or reinforced concrete pipes, then the distance to the cesspool should be 5 m.
- If the water supply system is built from cast iron pipes with a diameter of up to 200 mm, then a distance of 1.5 m to the cesspool is sufficient.
- If the water supply system is built from cast iron pipes with a diameter greater than 200 mm, then the distance to the cesspool can be at least 3 m.
- It is not recommended to build a cesspool to gas pipes at a distance closer than 5 meters. If you place the cesspool closer to the gas pipes, this is fraught with serious consequences, including: you can damage the gas pipe during the construction of the cesspool; During use and operation of the cesspool, soil subsidence is possible, as a result of which the gas pipe is also damaged. Therefore, when arranging a cesspool, you need to take into account how the gas pipe is laid (above-ground or underground), and also take into account the type of soil.
The distance from the cesspool to the border of the site may vary, but not less than 1.5 meters.
If the surface on your site is flat and the groundwater lies deep enough, then there will be no problems with installing a cesspool. It is a little more difficult to equip a cesspool on an area that has a slope.
If you place a cesspool from groundwater downstream, then there is a threat of wastewater getting into groundwater and, accordingly, into wells and artesian wells (if any).
In our article, we analyzed the requirements of Sanpin cesspools, we hope that when arranging a cesspool on your site, you will take everything into account and not violate them.
A cesspool is a chamber for receiving sewage (pit). This is an underground element of a non-sewered latrine. Removal of its contents occurs using a sewage disposal machine, and the device must comply with the requirements of sanitary standards, which establish not only the distance from the cesspool to the house, but also regulate its permissible position relative to other buildings on its own and neighboring plots.
Standard distances when planning sites
Mainly, with the help of cesspools, sewerage is installed in small settlements and country houses. Accordingly, the planning of sites is carried out in accordance with the requirements (updated version) and sanitary standards adopted back in 1988, but valid in 2019.
On average, the size of the plot is taken to be 0.06 hectares (the well-known 6 acres). On such a piece of land a residential building can be built, a greenhouse, an outdoor shower or kitchen, a bathhouse, a garage and other outbuildings can be installed.
Favorite 6 acres
What distances should be kept?
Objects | Distances between them |
![]() Distance from a residential building to the red line of streets and driveways |
Distances are measured from the protruding parts of the building (foundation protrusion, bay window, porch, canopy). |
![]() Garage connection |
The garage can be adjacent to the house, or to the street or driveway. |
![]() Distances from the house and buildings to the neighbor’s fence |
There are standards that must be observed when developing a site relative to the border with a neighboring plot:
|
![]() Distance from the drainage pit to buildings and other objects |
The location of the cesspool is of great importance, since it is an object of sanitary importance:
The cesspool from your neighbors to your buildings should also not be located closer than yours. |
Note: The distance between the well and the cesspool mentioned in the table is taken into account even when there is an outhouse with a non-sump pit on the site (local composting).
House drainage pit
Additional settling tanks (septic tanks) can be attached to the pit, with the help of which liquid waste is discharged to a low point in the relief. If there is a toilet with a cesspool, the collection and further disposal of household wastewater (shower, bathhouse, kitchen) can be carried out separately by installing a filter trench. It should be located one meter (minimum) from the neighboring plot, or throw them into a street ditch.
Distance from the drainage trench to the border of the neighboring plot
In general, when arranging autonomous drainage systems, it is necessary to observe the main commandment: the disposal of solid waste and wastewater must be organized so as not to pollute either the territory itself or its underground aquifer.
At what distance should the cesspool be located from the house?
The distance of yard latrines from capital objects is regulated if these are apartment buildings (although now there are almost no such buildings), schools, kindergartens and playgrounds. Standards are maintained at a minimum of 20 m and a maximum of 100 m.
There are still toilets like this in some places.
Outdoor toilet
If this is a portable toilet, then they try to place it at the back of the house - in the backyard. But it is almost always impossible to make a cesspool for it, since fences often make it possible for a sewage disposal truck to get close to the pumping hatch.
Basically, “conveniences” in private houses are always located in the backyard
- If this is a country “establishment”, the hole under it, due to seasonal use, fills very slowly - and if it does, it is buried, and the toilet is moved to another place. Even with permanent residence, mainly in rural areas, such latrines are built according to this principle.
- The pit itself can have different shapes, and can also be combined with a compost pit. In this case it has an inclined concrete bottom and three sections: a toilet seat is installed above the first, and compost is formed in the last, where the solid contents roll down. After a year or two, it turns into fertilizer for the garden.
Construction of a three-chamber cellar with a compost sector
- This toilet option is better suited for areas with abundant plantings - provided that their owners do not disdain the work associated with removing compost with its specific odors. A large area allows you to significantly remove the toilet from the house, although in winter this is not very convenient.
- A powder closet is much more hygienic. It was invented by the Koreans, and the prefix “powder” literally means “to powder.” In this case, after each visit to the toilet, feces are not washed off with water as in the toilet, but are sprinkled with sand, earth, ash or sawdust.
You can sprinkle with crushed peat
- A prerequisite for such a toilet is a tight-fitting lid, which will prevent the ubiquitous flies from entering the pit. The powder blocks access to oxygen and slows down the oxidation process, so there are absolutely no odors in the toilet. With this approach, it can be combined with a summer shower.
- Accordingly, the powder closet can be located in close proximity to the house. The main thing is not to forget about regular use of powder. And even better, from time to time, treat with microbiological preparations, which, thanks to living bacteria, very quickly neutralize waste.
One of the drugs that will accelerate the formation of compost
Note: The toilet is very hygienic and does not require pumping. However, the distances between it and the well or water supply trench, and, of course, the neighboring area adjacent to your home, still need to be maintained.
Inconsistency threatens conflicts with neighbors and penalties from sanitary and epidemiological authorities, to which they can complain. How much you have to pay depends on the specific “corpus delicti.”
House cesspool
If the toilet itself is located in the house, then the pit, of course, must be a cesspool, since it is impossible to move it to another place. There are two design options:
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Such a container can not only be poured from concrete, built from wall rings or laid out of brick, but also purchased in a factory-made version (made of thermoplastic).
A remote cesspool is usually located 3-5 meters from the base of the house, which usually allows even a small area. And maintaining a greater distance is not profitable, since then it would be necessary to lengthen the pipeline route through which the wastewater enters the tank, which will increase the cost of an autonomous sewage system.