Sewerage is one of the first systems that are designed when building a new house. When selecting a suitable design, several factors are taken into account:

1. Cost of the system.
2. Difficult to maintain.
3. Service life.
4. Efficiency.

To decide what to choose, it is worth considering in the light of the listed criteria the three most common sewer systems for a country house: a self-made sewage pit, a treatment (finished) container installed in the ground, and an autonomous septic tank.

Making a sewage pit is a common and popular solution to the sewage problem. During construction, concrete rings are buried in the ground or a well is made of brick. The water goes into the ground, and the sewage settles in the pit and is subsequently pumped out by a sewer truck. The calculation of the pit is made taking into account the fact that 1.5 m³ is required for each resident of the house. What characteristics distinguish this design?

1. Cost price. You can make a sewage pit from any available means. They use old tires, rubble bricks left over from a destroyed building, or concrete rings. The work is carried out independently or with the involvement of builders, which also affects the cost of the structure.
2. Difficult to maintain. The sewer well works on the principle of a natural septic tank. Sewage, falling into the pit, is divided into liquid and solid residue. The liquid goes into the ground, where it is further purified. Accumulated solids must be removed. The frequency of wastewater treatment depends on the volume of the pit, every 6-8 months.
3. Service life. A sewer pit will last 30-40 years.
4. Efficiency. The waste pit performs only one function: to preserve solid fractions of sewage. In areas where the depth of groundwater is insignificant or where reservoirs are located nearby, the use of open wells (with the possibility of discharging liquid parts of wastewater into the ground) is prohibited. There are requirements related to the distance of the sewer pit from residential premises and land used for planting.

Choosing an open-type sewer pit for a country house is far from the best solution, due to the need to regularly call a sewer truck, competent calculations at the planning stage and certain design difficulties. Restrictions in force may prohibit the use of this type of wastewater treatment facility.

Installation of a finished storage tank in the ground

Sewerage for a country house can be made from a ready-made container installed in the ground next to the house. This solution is especially popular among owners of summer cottages, as well as owners of houses in whose area the installation of open-type treatment facilities is prohibited. Design features are:

Advice! A ready-made storage tank should be chosen for a country house located in an area where it is prohibited to dump household waste into the ground.

Installation of a septic tank

When deciding which sewerage system is better, one should not lose sight of modern solutions to the issue. The consumer is offered ready-made treatment facilities, completely autonomous stations - septic tanks. Passing through several filtration cycles, the wastewater is completely cleared of contaminants and breaks down into process water and biologically active sludge.

Septic tanks are universal and suitable for any building. A dacha, a residential building, a cottage - regardless of the purpose and number of residents - can be connected to treatment facilities. Features of septic tanks are:

1. Cost price. Consumers are offered budget and expensive septic tanks. It is better to choose energy-dependent stations with complete wastewater treatment. In terms of price, septic tanks will cost more than making a pit yourself or purchasing a ready-made storage tank.
2. Difficult to maintain. Installation and repair work will require the use of specially trained personnel. You can maintain the station and fix minor breakdowns yourself.
3. Lifetime. If you follow the manufacturer's recommendations, the septic tank will work for at least 25-30 years.
4. Efficiency. It is this factor that is often decisive regarding which sewer system to choose. Septic tanks are superior to any other type of sewer system in terms of efficiency. There is no unpleasant odor at all. Process water obtained during wastewater treatment is used for watering the area, washing cars and paths. Silt, a good mineral fertilizer.

Septic tanks require initial material investments, but in the future they fully pay for themselves due to the simplicity and efficiency of operation and full compliance with sanitary standards.

Should you choose a self-made sewer or a septic tank?

Despite the apparent obviousness of the solution, choosing between a self-made sewer pit, a storage tank and a septic tank is quite difficult. You will need to take into account the material side, maintenance costs and other factors. Practice shows that the comfort of use and living in a building largely depends on how to choose a sewer system.

The septic tank is easy to maintain and fully complies with sanitary and hygienic standards. It can be installed in areas with shallow groundwater, near reservoirs, in resort and protected areas. Material costs are fully justified and will pay off over time. Ready-made treatment facilities are optimally suited for domestic and industrial facilities for various purposes.

Not only an important, but also a mandatory component of a comfortable stay is a trouble-free sewer system for a country house that does not require labor-intensive maintenance - what to choose as a structure for drains depends on many factors. The principle “the most expensive is the best” has long lost its relevance. The amount of investment must be justified by the extent to which the chosen model meets the requirements. The latter, in turn, are determined by operating conditions. Thus, before purchasing a ready-made model of a waste disposal unit or starting construction with your own hands, you should carefully calculate both the parameters of the sewer system, choose its type and develop a communications scheme.

Before deciding which sewer system to choose for a country house, you need to find out what capabilities different types of structures have and what conditions are necessary for their trouble-free and trouble-free operation.

Storage device

This type of recycler has the simplest design, which means that the purchase of materials (or a finished container) and installation will cost less than with any other option. Local sewerage for a country house of this type has a number of disadvantages.

Cesspool or fill up quite quickly, since such systems do not provide for purification and disposal of purified water. To clean the sewer, you will need to call a sewer truck, and this is a paid service. However, even this type of sewage system may not only be in demand, but also optimally suitable. If a country house is visited periodically and only in the warm season, and the number of people gathering on the site on summer weekends is not large, then the installed container will not be filled too intensively, and the vacuum cleaners will not have to be called often.

A storage tank for sewerage in a country house is only suitable for periodic residence and for a small number of people

Note: It is also possible to install a cesspool without a bottom if the volume of waste per day does not exceed 1 cubic meter. It will have to be pumped out less often, but the environmental friendliness of such a structure leaves much to be desired.

Septic tank

Local sewerage for a country house with a septic tank is one of the most popular options. This popularity is explained, among other things, by the variety of possibilities. You can build a waste disposal unit yourself or purchase a ready-made one, select the number of chambers and the degree of purification.

From the point of view of the need to clean tanks, a septic tank is a compromise between a storage tank that does virtually no waste processing and an expensive and practically waste-free local treatment plant (VSTP). In septic tanks, solid inclusions decompose and settle to form a liquid that can be drained through the filter layer into the ground. Thus, filling the tanks occurs much more slowly. The use of special equipment to empty sewer tanks will be required quite rarely, if at the design stage you do not make mistakes when calculating the required volume of the structure.

It’s more complicated, and you’ll need to spend money to install it. Purchasing a ready-made factory model will cost more, but will significantly save time. Self-construction, on the contrary, means saving money when you need to spend time and effort. An additional advantage of installing a septic tank with your own hands is the ability to create a design in exact accordance with the needs and taking into account the layout of the site. The volume and geometric parameters of sewerage tanks in this case are not limited by the model range in the same way as the shape of the tanks.

Local treatment plants

If you are planning to permanently live in a cottage, and you need a sewer system for a country house, what to choose is decided taking into account the intensive use of the system. You won’t be able to build a VOC with your own hands, but the cost of such structures is quite high. However, once you invest in the purchase (many companies offer free installation upon purchase, and this should be taken into account when considering offers), you will receive maximum comfort.

Local wastewater treatment plant – complex volatile device, the balanced design of which makes it possible to achieve almost complete purification of sewage effluents. After processing the contents of the sewer, we obtain water suitable for irrigation (purification of up to 98% of impurities) and fertile, environmentally friendly sludge - a free and effective fertilizer.

Materials for production

Since the question of which sewer system is best for a country house is, in most cases, decided taking into account the cost of the project, special attention should be paid to considering the properties and qualities of the materials that are used to build waste disposal systems with your own hands. Each of the sewerage options has its own advantages and disadvantages, however, their significance and degree of influence on the choice depends on individual conditions.

• Car tires, used - a budget option, which is more often used for the construction of cesspools in dachas. It will be difficult to build a more substantial structure for a fairly intensively used sewage system from such material.
  
• Concrete mortar used for poured construction into formwork, which makes it possible to obtain reliable and durable structures that, after appropriate processing, become waterproof. Advantages of the material: ease of transportation, possibility of construction without the use of lifting equipment. The disadvantage of poured structures is the length of construction time. The walls of septic tanks made of concrete mortar are poured gradually, at a time to a height of no more than 50-70 cm after the previous layer has gained strength.
• They have the same performance characteristics as products obtained by the poured method, but they can significantly save time during construction. Finished blocks are installed on top of each other. After that, all that remains is to seal the seams and cover the external and internal surfaces of the tank with a waterproof compound. The disadvantage of the material is the large weight of the blocks, which requires spending money on renting lifting equipment for transportation and installation.
• Brickwork- a compromise option. The construction of such tanks also takes time, but in this case there is no need to wait for time to gain strength. The disadvantage is the need to spend money on purchasing bricks, although recycled bricks can be used to build a septic tank after dismantling old structures or leftovers after building a house.
• Plastic containers or Eurocubes convenient, but require special attention during installation. So, to prevent floating during a flood, they are fixed on a concrete base, and the existing metal outer frame is sometimes reinforced by filling it with concrete. The advantages of Eurocubes for sewage are their complete waterproofness, simplicity and high speed of installation.
  Using plastic Eurocubes is an inexpensive, popular option for making a septic tank yourself

Ready-made models and their features

Before making a choice between self-construction and purchasing a ready-made sewage treatment plant, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the most popular models on the market.

Read about how to do it in a separate article.

We talked about homemade septic tanks from Eurocube containers. The material is inexpensive and quite easy to install.

You will learn how to install sewerage into a house. Nuances of installing internal and external communications.

Topas

Energy-dependent equipment that does not require devices for wastewater treatment. The need for pumping appears once every 4 months. Sewage is pumped out using built-in pumps. The structure can be installed in any soil. The degree of purification is 98%.

The cost starts from 76,000 rubles.

Tank

A series of energy-independent models with a biofilter with the need for soil purification. The contents are pumped out using a sewer truck once a year. When used as equipment for ground post-treatment of wastewater after a septic tank, the degree of purification can reach 98%.

On the picture

For such a local sewer system for a country house, the price will be about 36,000 rubles (model for 3-4 residents), but there are cheaper and more expensive options, depending on the required volume of the septic tank.

Tver

Energy-dependent wastewater treatment plants with four levels of wastewater treatment. Can be installed in any soil. Cleans sewage drains by 98%. A special difference from similar models from other sewerage manufacturers is that the compressor of the Tver septic tank is located not in the equipment itself, but in the house. Cleaning can be done manually, using sewage pumps or a sewer truck once a year.

If there is a power outage, it can work for several days as a regular energy-independent septic tank with mechanical cleaning.

Prices start from 56,000 rubles.

Eurobion

An energy-dependent treatment facility that does not require additional work to pump out the contents. Sludge removal is carried out by automatically turning on the built-in drainage pump. For maximum effective cleaning, the installation of a filtration well is required. Installation in rocks and quicksand is not allowed. Wastewater treatment is 98%.

Such a cleaning station will cost at least 62,000 rubles.

Triton

Non-volatile three-chamber Triton-T models with the need to install filtration fields for effective wastewater treatment. Sediment removal is carried out once a year.

Also in the line there are such models as Triton-Mini, Triton-Micro and Triton-N (storage capacity).

Cost - 20,000 rubles and more, depending on the volume and model.

Choosing an autonomous sewer system is the most important stage in the improvement of any private home that is not connected to a centralized sewer. We are all accustomed to comfort, and without drainage it is difficult to imagine even relaxing at the dacha, not to mention permanent residence in a country cottage. Therefore, let's talk about which autonomous sewer system to choose, taking into account the location of the house and the needs of the family, without overpaying for expensive equipment.

To begin with, let’s define the conditions that must be taken into account when installing an autonomous sewer system.

Main criteria:

1. The complexity of the relief, the height of groundwater and the composition of the soil. Much depends on the characteristics of the area: the slope of the water supply system, the dimensions of the treatment plant, the complexity of installation and laying of pipes. It is most difficult to install utility lines on mountainous, loamy and peaty soils. The climate of the area (depth of soil freezing) also matters.

Types of land according to soil composition

1. System throughput volume. To find out which autonomous sewage system is best for a house, you need to determine the number of people permanently residing in it. The average statistical volume of water consumption per person is 200 liters/day; you also need to take into account the operation of appliances that use water, for example, an irrigation system, a washing machine and a dishwasher. Therefore, the more people live in a house, the higher the sewerage capacity should be. But if we are talking about a country house, which is used only on weekends, the power of the system may be several times less.

1. Safety. The operation of wastewater treatment plants should not pollute the environment by allowing waste to seep into groundwater.

1. Seasonality of work. If we are talking about sewerage for a country house, where the load on the system will be small, you can save money by installing a non-volatile system.

1. Possibility of service. When constructing storage facilities, it is necessary to provide access for a sewer truck. Some septic tanks also require periodic cleaning and filter replacement.

Pumping out sewerage using a sewer truck

Based on the data obtained, it is possible to determine the parameters of the required system for drainage. All that remains is to compare different types of autonomous sewage systems in order to choose the most suitable model.

Pros and cons of various types of autonomous sewage systems

All waste collection systems can be divided into two main groups: storage or recycling. Of course, for a modern building, communications that do not require special care and provide the maximum level of comfort are preferable. Let's take a closer look at the main advantages and disadvantages of various systems in order to determine which autonomous sewer system to choose for a private home.

cesspool

Despite the archaic nature of the “great-grandfather’s” systems, this method of waste disposal is still popular. Its advantages: simple installation, which is easy to do yourself, and low cost. The most common option is a cesspool reinforced with concrete rings. The effluent from it partially evaporates and partially passes into the soil through a simple filter made of crushed stone. When the load is heavy, pumping is required.

The disadvantages are also obvious: an unpleasant odor, soil contamination, and the system cannot withstand a heavy load - it will overflow.

But if you decide to opt for this system, consider the following factors:

• The distance from the bottom of the pit to groundwater must be at least 1 m.
• The permissible volume of wastewater is no more than 1 m3 per day.
• In order to at least partially get rid of the smell of hydrogen sulfide and speed up the process of waste decomposition, you need to buy and pour special products into the pit.
• The distance from the cesspool to the house is at least 5 m, and to a well with drinking water – 50 m.

Note! When soil is contaminated, there is a high risk of poisoning groundwater and drinking sources, for which criminal liability is provided.

Storage capacity

Essentially, this is the same cesspool in which a sealed tank is installed, so that waste does not seep into the ground. The disadvantages of this system are the same as in the previous version (except for the risk of water poisoning), only it is still necessary to take into account the need to pump out waste more frequently using a sewer truck, because there is nowhere for it to go from the container.

Sewerage device with storage tank

For permanent residence, a system without waste recycling can only be considered as a temporary convenience (for example, during the construction of a house). But according to reviews from users who have installed an autonomous sewer system with a storage tank, for seasonal use such a system is the most cost-effective solution to the problem.

Non-volatile septic tanks (mechanical cleaning)

Septic tanks, which do not require an electrical connection, purify wastewater using drainage devices. Depending on the model, this may be an aeration field or overflow wells. The system operates on the principle of sedimentation of suspended particles. It separates insoluble waste from water, which is then discharged into the soil and further purified by the soil.

Mechanical cleaning septic tank operation

The main advantage of a mechanical septic tank is complete autonomy. The system can operate seasonally and does not require an electrical connection. But it makes sense to install such equipment only in large areas where the loss of several meters of area is not critical.

• Systems that are not equipped with a compressor may emit unpleasant odors (especially when using a peat filter).
• When groundwater levels are high, there is a high risk of contamination. You will have to make an earthen embankment, otherwise the efficiency of the septic tank will be comparable to a cesspool.
• Undissolved waste should be pumped out periodically (for regular use - at least 2 times a year).

Note! The water is only 70% purified mechanically, which is why it needs to pass through a ground filter (that is, a certain area of ​​the land plot will be occupied by the operating station).

Biological treatment systems

When septic tanks operate with a biofilter system, suspended particles are first mechanically separated, and then the sludge is broken down and disposed of using aerobic microorganisms. As a result, the wastewater is purified by 98%, and if additional ultraviolet filters are installed, then by 100%, which allows the reuse of purified water for household needs or its discharge into the nearest body of water.

Construction of a wastewater biotreatment system

System advantages:

• Saves usable space (all filtration compartments are placed in a compact container).
• Purified water can be used for irrigation or decorative fountains.
• Quick installation.
• Does not require regular maintenance.

The main disadvantages of biorefinery are the highest price among autonomous systems and energy dependence.

Note! Without electricity, the biological treatment station does not turn off, but continues to operate like a mechanical septic tank, so if there are power outages in the house, the risk of contamination of the soil or reservoir with untreated water increases.

Selecting an autonomous sewage system based on practical examples

Given: a country house with a small plot of land, where a family of 2-3 people comes for the weekend. There is a possibility of access by a sewage disposal truck. The soil is sandy, the occurrence of water is normal.

Solution: a budget option - storage sewerage with periodic pumping of waste. Since there will be no permanent residents in the house, the owners will not often have to call the vacuum cleaners. A comfortable, but more expensive way is to install a small bioremediation system, which can be compactly placed even in a limited area. But a mechanical septic tank, along with its wells or aeration fields, will take up a lot of space.

Task No. 2. Difficult soil

Given: a country house where 4 people live on weekends and in the warm season, groundwater level less than 1 meter, clay soil.

Solution: a biological treatment station designed for problematic soil. This model is installed at a shallow depth, has a compact shape and can process a large amount of wastewater, providing comfortable living. It is also possible to install a mechanical septic tank, but this solution will be no less expensive, since you will have to additionally equip a sand embankment instead of a natural soil filter.

Bioremediation system for complex soil

But in this case it is better to refuse the temptingly inexpensive option with storage capacity. Firstly, it will quickly fill up during the period of permanent residence, and calling a sewage disposal truck is not cheap (not to mention the unpleasant odors that accompany the pumping process). Secondly, it will be difficult to install a spacious container for the needs of 4 people due to problematic soil.

Task No. 3. Power outages

Given: a large plot of idom where a family of 6 people lives. The soil and water levels are normal, but there are power outages in the village.

In this case, it is difficult to say unequivocally which autonomous sewage system is better for a country house. On the one hand, biopurification systems cope well with heavy loads (if you choose the right powerful model, designed to serve 6 people). They filter water so well that it can later be used to water a large area. But on the other hand, if there is a power outage, the system will work like a regular septic tank, irrigating the soil with untreated water.

Therefore, there are two solutions to this problem: installing a biotreatment station and purchasing an autonomous generator, or allocating a large plot of land for the construction of filtration fields and installation of a mechanical septic tank. Cesspools and storage pits are not even considered under such a load - the cost of regular communication with sewage disposal specialists within a year will cover the funds saved on installing an inexpensive system.

Installing a system with filtration fields takes up a lot of usable space

As you can see, in order to decide which autonomous sewer system is better, you need to focus not only on consumer reviews, but also take into account a lot of nuances, individual for each case. Therefore, the optimal solution is to contact professionals who will justify the need to install a certain system on the site and help with its installation and startup.

Video: how to choose an autonomous sewage system