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[tutsiwarrior]

We plan to build a new house in the wife's village about 2 miles away from the amphur sewerage system. We haven't bought the land yet but I know approx. where it will be...on a paved road leading to the local wat. The people in that neighborhood usually have a tank for sanitary waste that is emptied periodically. Others have a cesspool/greengrass area. We will be connected to the local wat's water supply that serves most people in the area. What are your views regarding waste tanks vs. cesspools? How reliable are the waste tank evacuators?

Thanks for your advice.

(Moderators...it really is time that there be a house construction/modification type topic on the TV forum)

[SEAtramp]

Septic tank..No smell, but fee for emptying.

Cess pool..stinks, does not require empting..no fee.

[chuchok]

There is an old trick for a septic tank that works well.Dump (no pun intended) a pint of yeast down the loo. The yeast helps break down all the solids and can give the tank a much longer life before emtying.

By doing this and keeping as much non-biodegradable chemicals from entering, it can be 3-5 years (sometimes longer)before you have to empty.

[tutsiwarrior]

I have thought of the tank arrangement but, being an atmospheric tank, would need to have a vent of some kind that might stink up the place. Plus the tank would have to be in an underground concrete enclosure positioned to allow good gravity head for proper sewage drainage from the house. Are there specialist type companies that design and install these arrangements?

[chuchok]

From what I have seen here, most of the prebuilt tanks are just large concrete pipes that are arse ended and placed in the ground.

I have built two septic tanks with drainage before.(With a bit of help from a couple of mates that new what they were doing)

Over here it would be very easy to have labour dig a large hole and then shore up the sides with boxing. then just mix and pour the concrete in.

i personally think that the sink hole that they use here are disgusting things.

Put a breather pipe on the inlet to the tank.Then run the pipe up as high as you can.ie: To the roof line of the houes.This does keep alot of the smell away...except on windy days

[tutsiwarrior]

I'm curious about your assertion that tanks would only need to be emptied every 3-5 years. If you got 3-5 adults and 4-5 kids living in the house and presuming that waste water from showers and kitchen flow to the tank one would need a very large tank to have the necessary capacity?

[SEAtramp]

tutsiwarrior..Heres something that may be of intrest to you. It has a piece on septic tanks. builing in Thailand

You can by moulded tanks complete with outlets etc. In Thailand.

Direct to the sceptic tank link..

Edited January 26, 2005 by SEAtramp

[chuchok]

I'm curious about your assertion that tanks would only need to be emptied every 3-5 years. If you got 3-5 adults and 4-5 kids living in the house and presuming that waste water from showers and kitchen flow to the tank one would need a very large tank to have the necessary capacity?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

most septic tanks have drainage...Therefore all the liquid drains out and leaves only the solids. A large portion of the solids also decompose...yuk

[lional6]

There is an old trick for a septic tank that works well.Dump (no pun intended) a pint of yeast down the loo. The yeast helps break down all the solids and can give the tank a much longer life before emtying.

By doing this and keeping as much non-biodegradable chemicals from entering, it can be 3-5 years (sometimes longer)before you have to empty. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I once was country boy a dead cat or small dog was also used to have the same result. A in ground tank with fluid only drain pipes to correctly constructed trench was the way to go, also don't connect the shower to the tank.

[chuchok]

There is an old trick for a septic tank that works well.Dump (no pun intended) a pint of yeast down the loo. The yeast helps break down all the solids and can give the tank a much longer life before emtying.

By doing this and keeping as much non-biodegradable chemicals from entering, it can be 3-5 years (sometimes longer)before you have to empty. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I once was country boy a dead cat or small dog was also used to have the same result. A in ground tank with fluid only drain pipes to correctly constructed trench was the way to go, also don't connect the shower to the tank.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The shower thing was exaclty how we rigged up the Septic tank in a holiday home we used to have. worked a dream un till when it did need empting, we forgot where the tank actually was ...took 3 hours of digging little holes to find the lid

Edited January 26, 2005 by chuchok

[mouse]

I'm curious about your assertion that tanks would only need to be emptied every 3-5 years. If you got 3-5 adults and 4-5 kids living in the house and presuming that waste water from showers and kitchen flow to the tank one would need a very large tank to have the necessary capacity?

I recommend seperate tanks for shower water and the toilet. The shower water can be filtered and recycled into watering the lawn. Water is becoming more and more of a commodity here.

The septic tank should be made of two large holes in the ground, approximately 3 meters aparts, each lined by 3 or four large cement rings available at most construction supplies stores. One of these tanks should be a kind of overflow for liquids from the other. Mine is emptied every 5 years and works great so far. PM me with questions.

[mouse]

We will be connected to the local wat's water supply that serves most people in the area

Forgot to mention. I also recomend that you attach to the Wat's water supply and dig a well of your own, then through backflow valves attach both to your system with a pump and you will never have your water services interupted.

There is also a system called a water generator (see http://hyflux.com/pdt_aquovate.html) as an example, that will supply you with up to 1 liter of hot or cold filtered drinking water per hour, with nothing more than an electricl connection. If worried about the electrical connection then get the solar panel option and you will have water when no one else does. And in Thailand that can be often and frustrating! Good luck with your house and keep us posted.

Oh! before I forget they do not like to install sufficient electrical outlets in Thailand preferring extension cords instead (don't ask me). Keep a close eye on the construction!!!!

[SEAtramp]

Re well from mouse..As shown here.

[Kan Win]

Water Treatment Tanks

I have one of these and works very well for the last 3 years.

Happy Days,

Yours as always,

Kan Win

P.S. and they even came around to inspect the tank to make 100% sure it was installed properly. You only have to do it once, do it correctly.

Edited January 26, 2005 by Kan Win

[jayenram]

Septic tank..No smell, but fee for emptying.

Cess pool..stinks, does not require empting..no fee.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just to explain the difference between a septic tank system and a cess pit system.

A cess pit is a sealed (except for the vent) tank(s) to which the foul drainage is connected. This tank needs emptying when it is full.

A septic tank system is, for example, two tanks (vented) built some 1 to 2 metres apart with the foul drainage connected to one of them. A pipe (100 mm) between the 2 tanks is installed slightly lower than the foul inlet. From the second tank, another 100 mm pipe is installed (again at a slightly lower level than the previous) to discharge the relative clean water overflow, into a 'soakaway' system. A soakaway could be a 4 or 5 m3 pit filled with gravel up to about 30 mm from the surface and then sealed with clay. The tanks will need emptying eventually.

Only foul drainage should be connected to the tanks, not sinkwaste or surface water. Another 'soakaway' could accommodate this water, or, as has been mentioned, a re-circulating storage tank.

[tutsiwarrior]

many thanks to everyone for their advice/clarifications. I have to admit that I was quite ignorant of these arrangements when no public sewerage system is available. We presently own a house within the amphur system connected to all public services so before this matter (fecal) was not an issue...

cheers..tutsi

[lopburi3]

many thanks to everyone for their advice/clarifications. I have to admit that I was quite ignorant of these arrangements when no public sewerage system is available. We presently own a house within the amphur system connected to all public services so before this matter (fecal) was not an issue...

cheers..tutsi

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never seen a public sewerage system here in Thailand so you must be in a very special amphur. We city folks in Bangkok still use septic tanks and brown water drain into the public drainage system.

One more point is that most 'private' trucks are well known for ripping off customers (they charge by quantity and most people have no idea of correct charge). Government arranged trucks are to be preferred. But as said a good system should seldom require pump out if you keep those condoms and sanatary napkins out of it.

[tutsiwarrior]

Lop...we presently have a shophouse and there is no septic tank that I can see nor do our neighbors have one. One presumes that the shit has to go somewhere. It's true that I haven't seen any sewage treatment facilities anywhere near our town but I don't get out much. We are located almost immediately behind the local tessaban premises...might have something to do with it? We also have rubbish collection everyday including Sunday (a couple of wheelie bins for about 5 families) that might be construed as unusual. Also, the tap water is drinkable.

Not a bad set-up for 'in town'...

[lopburi3]

It is normal for the septic tank to be located under the ground floor when no space - you sure there are no screw covers of brass or chrome about six inches across and flush with floor someplace; or outside door?

[tutsiwarrior]

Lop...no covers in the ground floor concrete that I can see...and no vent pipes either. We had some cabinets built in the kitchen...hope no cover arrangement lurks beneath!

[tutsiwarrior]

Now I'm hoping that any cover that you mention hasn't been tiled over. We weren't there to supervise all the finishing work but can't believe any builder could be that stupid...

[jayenram]

can't believe any builder could be that stupid...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tutsi, you can't be serious??

[tutsiwarrior]

jay...serious about what?...tiling over the septic tank cover or stupid builders?

[piet pompies]

look at www.wastewatersystems.com

[COBBER]

I dont think there is any connected sewerage waste system inThailand. I think every house has septic tanks. The treatment plants you see around the place are for the trucks that pump out the tanks to take the waste to.

With a septic tank they put a litre or so of bacteria in at the start or after it has been pumped out and this bio degrades the solid matter and the liquid soakes away into the soil. So in theory you should never need to pump out the tank ,but with all of the sewar trucks you see around obviously it is sometimes needed.

In our house there are actually no covers over the tanks only vent pipes sticking out so im not sure how you would pump them out. Weve been in the house for 3 years and have had no problems. Usually there is a seperate tank for each toilet and if you go for the plastic tank you need a lot of concrete on top to weigh it down.

[COBBER]

The going rate for pumping out a septic tank should be no more than 300 baht.

They usually have a measuring stick they put down to roughly work out the volume. And make sure they pour in the bacteria after theyve pumped the tank.

Ive heard of newbie farlangs being charged 3000 baht. Not Kidding.

[lopburi3]

Usually there is a seperate tank for each toilet and if you go for the plastic tank you need a lot of concrete on top to weigh it down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You (should) fill the plastic tank with water when you install it and it should always be full of water as long as the vent pipe is not blocked as the drain will allow higher ground water level to go into tank during flooding.

[jayenram]

jay...serious about what?...tiling over the septic tank cover or stupid builders?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Serious that there cannot be stupid builders out there.

By the way, it is not unheard of for them to tile (or even concrete) over the tank covers.

[Crossy]

jay...serious about what?...tiling over the septic tank cover or stupid builders?

Serious that there cannot be stupid builders out there.

By the way, it is not unheard of for them to tile (or even concrete) over the tank covers.

Thailand is not the exclusive domain of dumb builders.

On a major rail project in HongKong the prime contractor built their semi-permanent site office over the tank access point.

We were at the far end of the pipe, got somewhat interesting when the tank filled up, including arriving at the office to find a 'moat' with interesting items floating in it