When constructing cesspools or local treatment facilities Quite often they use ready-made containers from various materials. This approach makes it possible to somewhat simplify the installation process and save on the construction of pit walls.

A sewer barrel allows you to get a sealed tank for collecting and processing sewage with minimal financial costs.

Such containers have been used quite widely over a number of years. The main reason was that metal barrels for sewerage, as well as tanks of various sizes, were quite easy to purchase at residual value during the collapse of many industrial enterprises.

At the present stage, purchasing a metal container of significant volume is quite problematic and expensive, so most often standard household 200-250 liter metal barrels are used to install small drainage pits.

Due to the fact that the volume of such a sewerage structure will be limited, the feasibility of using such material exists only when constructing a pit on summer cottage, where it is not expected permanent residence and the volume of waste will be insignificant.

These barrels are highly durable and can withstand significant mechanical loads.

But it is also worth considering that metal constructions have and whole line disadvantages that significantly limit their scope of application:

• Low resistance to corrosion and rotting. Most household barrels are made from sheet metal, which, together with the aggressive properties of sewage and groundwater significantly reduces the working life of the sewer storage device.
• The limited volume will lead to the need to constantly remove collected wastewater from the pit. At the same time, the issue of their disposal will definitely arise; it is inappropriate to call sewage disposal equipment for 200 liters.

By by and large metal household barrels can be used as casing pipe for small drainage well. In this case, you can even dock 2-3 barrels, which will increase the volume of the device. The metal will prevent the pit walls from crumbling, and the removed bottom and staggered holes will ensure moisture filtration.

Of course, using a metal tank will allow you to build a septic tank that meets all the requirements. Some manufacturers produce similar installations, but such a device will have significant weight, which entails the need to use lifting equipment during installation.

Plastic containers for sewage

Plastic barrels for sewerage are quite popular today. Finding a vessel with a capacity of up to 3-4 cubic meters is not difficult, and such a volume is already enough to construct a full-fledged overflow septic tank.

The advantages of barrels made of polymer materials Experts attribute the following properties to them:

• Resistance to corrosion processes, due to which such a container can be used for up to 30-50 years.
• High mechanical strength, which is practically not inferior to metal containers.
• Almost all types of plastic used are resistant to aggressive chemical compounds found in sewage and groundwater.
• The plastic container ensures the tightness of the septic tank; it does not require additional waterproofing.

For the sake of objectivity, it is worth mentioning the significant disadvantage of the tokai barrel.

Despite its light weight, it has a significant volume. It is this factor that can lead to the container being pushed to the surface under the influence of groundwater or frost heaving of the soil.

In this regard, the installation of a septic tank from a plastic barrel requires additional measures for its fastening.

Before burying a barrel under the sewer, it is worth identifying it optimal place location on the site. There are a number of quite tough sanitary requirements By permissible distances to residential properties, site boundaries, water supply sources. If possible, you should trust the choice of installation location experienced specialist, who can take into account all the nuances of the site and the placement of buildings and communications.

The plastic barrel is installed in a pre-prepared pit, the dimensions of which must exceed the dimensions of the container. This will allow you to insulate the structure if necessary and secure the container securely.

The depth of the pit should ensure that the barrel is installed so that the level of the inlet hole coincides with the depth of the supply sewer pipe:

• A sand or crushed stone cushion with a thickness of at least 20 cm is placed at the bottom of the pit.
• After this, it is necessary to concrete the base, and it is worth installing a frame with anchors or hinges for subsequent fastening of the container.
• After the foundation has gained sufficient strength (5-7 days), you can begin installing the barrel into its working position.
• The container is secured to the foundation using a bandage of cables or steel strips.
• If necessary, insulate the septic tank using polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam.
• Before the beginning backfill soil, it is necessary to fill the container to a certain level. In this case, it is worth following the manufacturer’s recommendations; containers made of different polymer materials may have their own backfilling characteristics.
• All incoming and outgoing communications and a ventilation pipe are connected to the barrel, after which it is finally covered with soil.

At reliable fastening and compliance with other technological requirements for installation plastic barrel can serve as a septic tank for quite a long time. Today, polymer containers are considered one of the most the best materials for these structures.

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Since, due to this, the size of the cesspool is limited, it is permissible to use metal barrels only in summer cottages, where it is not planned to live permanently, and the amount of wastewater will be small. A small sewage tank would be inappropriate in a house where several people live permanently.

The main advantage of metal containers is their high strength, due to which they can withstand severe mechanical loads.

However, they have many more disadvantages, which is why their use is limited:

Advantages of barrels made of polymer materials:

• corrosion resistance, so the containers can last 30-50 years;
• high mechanical strength, which is almost similar to metal products;
• most types of plastic are resistant to aggressive chemical compounds that are part of sewage;
• The plastic sewer barrel is completely sealed and does not require additional waterproofing.

However, such containers also have a significant drawback - despite their large volume, their weight is insignificant. For this reason, the tank can be pushed to the surface under the influence of groundwater or frost heaving of the soil. Therefore, the construction of a septic tank requires that the sewer tank be well secured.

How to bury a tank with your own hands

Before burying a sewer container, you need to decide on its location. You also need to know in advance how to properly bury a septic tank so that you don’t have to redo everything later. There are certain sanitary standards relative to the distance to residential buildings, water sources, site boundaries. It would be a good idea to entrust the choice of location for installing a septic tank to a specialist who will take into account the location of buildings on the site, communications, groundwater level and other nuances.

A plastic barrel for sewerage is installed in a pre-prepared pit; its dimensions must be larger than the tank. Thanks to this, if necessary, it will be possible to insulate the structure and securely fasten the barrel. The depth of the pit should be such that the intake hole and the supply sewer pipe are at the same level.

How to bury a barrel under a sewer, procedure:

1. At the bottom of the pit, crushed stone or sand cushion more than 20 centimeters thick.
2. After this, the base is concreted, and a frame with anchors or hinges is installed for further attachment of the container.
3. After 5-7 days, the concrete foundation becomes strong enough and the barrel can be installed.
4. The container is attached to the foundation using steel strips or a bandage of cables.
5. If necessary, the septic tank is insulated with polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam (read: "").
6. Before backfilling the soil, the container must be filled to a certain level. During this work, it is important to take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations - depending on what polymer material the barrel is made of, the features of backfilling may differ.
7. The barrel is connected to all inlet and outlet communications, ventilation pipe, after which it is finally covered with soil.

Currently, containers made of polymer materials are the most common - this is due to their advantages over metal products. An important role in this is played by their durability and ease of installation.

Sewerage from barrels is created quite simply with your own hands, which makes it possible to save on the services of specialists. If the barrel was securely fastened, and all installation requirements were followed, including the manufacturer’s recommendations, then the container can last for several decades.

As soon as they appeared on the market, potential consumers looked at them with some skepticism for a long time, because they were not sure of their reliability. As time has passed, it has become clear that plastic containers can be used for a variety of purposes because they can withstand the stress placed on them. They are environmentally friendly, durable, and unlike metal, they are not subject to corrosion, durable, and unpretentious. They are used for storing water, grain, chemicals, fuel, etc. They have become very popular for organizing autonomous sewage systems.

The containers can be used both inside and outside buildings. Since there are more risks outside that they will be subjected to mechanical, temperature loads, etc., plastic containers are often installed above the ground for a reason. They are partially or completely buried in the ground. It is most convenient to bury the container completely in the ground so that it does not interfere or take up unnecessary space on the site.

In what cases can you bury a plastic container in the ground?

This is usually done when it is planned to store some liquid in it. This can be water, fuel, sewage waste, etc. Plastic containers can also include ready-made liners, for example, for creating artificial pond on a summer cottage or even a whole swimming pool. They also involve storing water.

How to properly bury a container in the ground?

It is necessary to dig a pit and install a container. If you need to connect pipes to this container, you need to do this, after which you need to fill everything up, leaving only the hatch if it is a closed tank. If it is a pool or pond, a container for storing fish, you will need to fill the sides with soil and compact it to fix it securely. It just seems so simple, but in fact the process is quite complex and labor-intensive. Much depends on the size of the container. The larger it is, the larger the pit needs to be dug.

A pit can be dug:

• manually;
• using special equipment.

If this is a small liner for a pond, for example, you can do all the work yourself or ask someone from your family or friends to help. A pit of the appropriate size is dug. At the bottom of it, a special cushion is made of crushed stone and sand so that the container is installed securely and does not move or change position after it is filled. It is important, when installing a plastic container in the ground, to ensure that the soil and groundwater do not push it back up. To prevent this from happening, special metal fasteners for the container are used, which are installed in the form reinforcement cage onto a concrete slab. Low grade concrete is used to fill this slab. In this case, when it is necessary to protect the container as much as possible from displacement by soil and groundwater, when backfilling it, sand mixed with cement is used, which also provides additional fixation and reliability. All this does not have to be done if the groundwater is deep. But, if they lie at a shallow depth, it is better not to be lazy and save money, because otherwise you will still have to spend both time and money.

If the groundwater is shallow and you need reliable fixation of the container during installation, and this is not just a decorative pond, but something more important, for example, a sewage container or a reservoir for storing water, it is better to have the work done by professionals. Yes, it will cost more than self installation, but also a 100% quality guarantee, while amateurs could make mistakes.

Features of installing a plastic container in the ground

• At the first stage, the place where the pit will be dug and the container will be installed is determined. For example, if this is a container for storing imported water or sewage waste, access roads are also needed so that the special equipment servicing them can easily approach and then leave.

• The pit must be dug of sufficient depth and width to provide free space On the sides. You can’t stop halfway and try to squeeze the container into a pit that’s almost the right size. It can be damaged and its integrity compromised. Therefore, it is better not to rush and dig a pit with the necessary parameters.

• It is better to carry out work in the warm season, not in winter, so that the soil is not frozen and the air temperature is not too low.

• Sand-cement, sand-gravel mixture or a concrete slab can be used as a cushion, depending on the characteristics of the soil, the depth of groundwater, the volume and purpose of the container itself.

• To prevent the container from floating, you can use not only the frame, but also special cables that are attached to concrete slab installed from below.

• If the container needs to be installed at a greater depth, you will need to purchase an additional neck to extend it and have access from the surface of the ground.

Professional Installation Services plastic containers into the ground

If you turn to specialists, they will do the job quickly and efficiently. Specialists will study the type of soil, the depth of groundwater, select the optimal location on the site to install the container, take into account its volume, features, and select the appropriate type of special equipment and method of reinforcement, if necessary. You can be sure that the container will be installed as needed, its integrity and all other characteristics will be preserved.

It is not enough to supply water to the house; after use it needs to be disposed of somewhere. It’s hard to carry it out with buckets, and it’s somehow pointless: the water comes into the house on its own, and then you have to carry it out on your own two feet. You need at least basic sewerage for your home or cottage. The option of simply removing the pipe from the house and draining the water onto the ground or a small hole will not suit everyone. It doesn't look very good, and an unpleasant smell from this puddle or hole is almost guaranteed. What to do?
So, we will need: an old metal or plastic barrel, a certain amount of sewer pipes (at least 6 meters, preferably 110mm PVC), a tee, an outlet, about 0.5 cubic meters of medium-fraction crushed stone, a shovel and several hours of our precious time.
We choose a place for our drainage well. Preferably, no closer than 5 meters from the house, no closer than 20-25 meters from the well or borehole and below them along the groundwater flow. We dig a hole with a diameter larger than the diameter of the barrel by at least 0.5 m (the diameter of a standard barrel is 0.6 m, height 0.9 m, volume 0.2 cubic meters) and a depth of about 1.5 m (deeper is better). We make holes in the walls of the barrel, if it is metal, then with a grinder, if it is plastic, then with a wood saw with a fine tooth. We make a hole for the incoming sewer pipe in the wall, near the bottom of the barrel. We fill the bottom of the hole with at least 20 cm of crushed stone and place the barrel upside down, oriented the hole for the pipe towards the house.
Now you need to dig a trench under the sewer pipe, bringing it to the place you need. The pipe must be laid with a slope of at least 3 mm per meter towards the barrel. It can be brought into the house either under the foundation or through a hole in it. There is no need to insulate the pipe; the water flowing through it will warm it up perfectly. Not far from the barrel, we place a tee with a small piece of pipe extending above the surface of the ground to circulate air inside the barrel and allow air to exit the sewer when it is filled from the house (so that the air from the barrel does not go into your house). We insert the pipe into the barrel through the hole made for this. We fill the gap between the barrel and the wall of the pit with crushed stone to the full height of the barrel. It is advisable to put some kind of non-rotting material at the bottom of the barrel (a piece of old slate is perfect). We fill both the trench and the hole with soil, compacting it thoroughly. We make a hole in the floor or wall of the house, finally introducing the sewer into the house. Further at your discretion. On a piece of pipe sticking out of the ground not far from a buried barrel, you can put a plastic mushroom, which is difficult, but can be found in stores.
And now the nuances.
This is an exclusively drainage sewer system for the home; it cannot cope with fecal waste, it cannot be cleaned or maintained in any way, and it is not intended for this. This sewer can be used for drains from the kitchen or bathhouse. Drainage wells from a septic tank have the same device.
The microclimate for bacteria that process wastewater depends on the depth of the pit. Ideally, the depth of the pit should be: depth of soil freezing + height of the barrel + height of the crushed stone cushion (for the Leningrad region: 1.2 m + 0.9 m + 0.2 m = 2.3 m). But digging so deep is difficult and not necessary. The effluent also warms the barrel.

If the soil at the site where the sewage system is installed is clayey, and the water leaves the barrel slowly, then the sewage system for your home can be slightly improved. To do this, you need to lay another sewer pipe, or better yet, a drainage pipe. This pipe can discharge water to drainage ditch on the border of the site, or may not lead anywhere, ending in a dead end. The purpose of this pipe is to divert excess water from the barrel, thus increasing the area of ​​water absorption into the soil (irrigation area). The pipe is laid in a trench on a crushed stone bed and is also covered with crushed stone and then with soil. The depth of the trench is greater than that of the supply pipe, and the slope is directed away from the barrel. Naturally, the sewer pipe will have to be damaged by a number of holes in the lower part to improve water flow, making it like a drainage pipe. This is not required if the pipe is placed in a drainage ditch.

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1. To be honest, I’m a little surprised that someone’s sewer system can freeze. Sewer pipes, in principle, cannot freeze, there...

Reviews (38) on “The simplest drainage system for a summer residence.”

Thank you for the useful article and adequate answers. I’ll start doing it tomorrow. I hope the pipe in our Transbaikalia will not freeze. Of course, I agree with you that a significant inclination needs to be done. By the way, I don’t understand whether the pipe will be enough for 50 or is it necessary for 100?

1. Depends on the distance and characteristics of the problem being solved. It is better to make 110th PVC, it is more reliable, although more expensive. At distances of up to 5 (five) meters, you can make 50 (fifty dollars), but, preferably, also PVC (not always available in stores) - as it is more durable and frost-resistant. This is, after all, an external sewage system, not an internal one.

1. What can happen to the 50th pipe? Silt up, get greasy, get soapy? Or will it clog up tightly?
2. Red (I mean for external wiring) or will it be gray (for internal wiring), since it will only be used in the summer? The store said that it is better to look for black (Soviet) - LDPE - polyethylene high pressure. What do you say?
3. My plot has a slope. Along the fence just downhill. I realized that it was better to dig it in.
4. Soil - loam. Where are they usually sent? rainwater from the roof? To another hole?

1. Answers, Vladimir.
   1. And not only that, Vladimir, especially in loams, even on the surface. For example, it can be bent by swelling of the soil so that the slope in some area is broken. The consequences are the same, it will clog in general... If it doesn’t break.
   This also happens with a 110-pipe, but much less often, of course, if the basic installation rules are followed.
   2. It definitely won’t work for “internal wiring.” You need PVC for external sewerage. For internal sewerage PP is usually used. You won’t dig it up for the winter...
   A “black pipe” is usually a HDPE pipe, not a LDPE pipe (I haven’t heard anything about LDPE pipes until now, maybe I don’t have enough experience). In principle, you can do it if you find it, but problems may arise with connecting pipes to bends (turns) and exiting the house. If you are not a “specialist”, then it is better not to experiment.
   4. Rainwater is usually directed into the drainage system around the house, which discharges it into a drainage ditch. Other pipes are used there - “drainage”, corrugated plastic pipes with perforation and geofabric protection.
   In loamy soil for house drainage it is necessary to make at least a small irrigation field (small drainage system just for this purpose). Because loamy soils do not absorb water well. On the other hand, if you are “on the go,” then the usual crushed stone sprinkling around the barrel (simplified drainage system) should be enough for a long time.

   Of course, you can put rainwater drains into this sewer system, but... Then there will be a high probability of damage to pipes by autumn and spring waters during “zero crossings”, because you do not control the volume and composition (maybe with ice) of these waters. That's why they do it drainage pipes perforated, i.e. “leaky” so that the water can drain away on its own. And if you install drainage pipes instead of sewer pipes, then these holes will quickly become clogged with house drains (“silt and get dirty”) and will not work. This is not to mention the possible unpleasant odors along all 20 meters of the pipe. So better sewerage separately, and rainwater drainage separately.

Thanks for answers. I will think.
And the last question:
It is impossible for me to go outside through the basement (floor slabs and 60-cm concrete blocks on the foundation).
I'll just poke holes in the side of the frame and then proceed with external wiring. Accordingly, I don’t want to make holes at 110. I will go out 50. 110 PVC will go on the ground.
How to connect the exit through the log house and PVC-110 external wall Houses? This is three meters in a straight line and all five with turns.

1. I didn’t quite understand the question, Vladimir. Inside the house you use fifty dollars for the interior, i.e. PP pipe. You let it out into the street through the wall of the log house, just carefully “seal” the gaps, there should be no drafts. And then move on to the 110th PVC, and you are driving it. From the exit of the log house to the 110th PVC you can use the same fifty dollars, only not far. For example, lower it with turns down to the foundation (it’s hard to say, without imagining the possible route), then an oblique tee with a revision, just in case, into which to insert an eccentric transition from fifty dollars to a hundred. And the 110th went.
   In principle, it is permissible to install a fifty-kopeck piece on the street “in plain sight” (if I understand correctly, this is the problem), but it is advisable that it is also a PVC pipe, otherwise there may be the same problems as “under the fence”. Yes, and it needs to be fastened well and carefully, leaving gaps for thermal expansion. Fifty dollars of PVC is sold, but not everywhere, you'll have to look for it.
   AND general advice, just in case you are a fireman, avoid right angles. If necessary, make them prefabricated, for example, 45 plus 45, with inserts between them. Right angles get clogged well, but are difficult to clean.

Yes, you understood everything correctly. It’s just that not a single salesperson in stores (I visited about five) has come across PVC-fifty. I will search further. From the exit from the log house to the location of pipe 110, I need to walk about five fifty meters along the wall (from below there is an entrance to the garage). We need to find PVC.
But the old Soviet black pipes that were previously laid in apartments (50) are not PVC by any chance? They were still standing cisterns suspended above your head

1. No, Vladimir, “old Soviet black pipes” are polypropylene, very rarely polyethylene low pressure, the dye was just different. Look in specialized stores, at construction bases, where they sell professional 4- and 6-meter sewer pipes, possible without bells. I'll tell you how to connect them, it's not difficult. There are tips for everything on the Internet. Look in the store at the address: Ufa, Oktyabrya Avenue, 97, “All Instruments” store. They promise three-meter 50 mm PVC for 202 rubles, however, for electricians. As a last resort, you can install internal 50 mm PP pipes, you just need to watch them. Check in the spring.

Thanks for the advice!
I know this store and have been there. This is an online store. All goods must be ordered and received upon arrival of the goods. I'll definitely check their website.
Just a passing question: will I finally find fifty dollars? PVC pipes. But all sorts of turns and other things also need PVC? This is probably completely unrealistic. I'll look on the Internet and on their website.
Thank you again for your attention.

1. Hello again, Vladimir.
   I ask your forgiveness. Having “scoured” the Internet in search of fifty dollars worth of PVC, I actually discovered that these pipes are only available in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and not always of local production. I live almost in St. Petersburg. Therefore, well, buy fifty dollars of PP, just look not for the standard cheap 1.8 mm PP, but for 2.0 or 2.2 mm, at least some margin of safety. In principle, fifty rubles of PP are installed in non-critical sections of the sewer system, without thinking about the consequences. You will just have to keep an eye on this area, as I already wrote, mainly in the spring, at the opening of the dacha season.
   The PVC I found in Ufa is unlikely to be suitable, they are for protection electrical wires. Their wall thickness is only 1.5 mm. Why the search engine gave them to me as a sewer(!) is a mystery to me. So make fifty dollars of PP from the house to the fence. This is not possible, but if you really need it, then...

Thank you for this article for the advice. I just had a situation where I bought myself a multistage pump. A plumber arrived and installed it. Everything worked like clockwork and there was no problem. When I was tired the next day and looked into the mine, there was water there and the water almost flooded the pump. But if I had a water drain, this would not have happened. You will need to redo your mine.