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Do-it-yourself septic tank from barrels. How to make a do-it-yourself septic tank from barrels at your dacha: using plastic containers as an example Do-it-yourself sewerage from 200 liter barrels

Country house, small sauna, a summer camp site or temporary living quarters being equipped for the period of construction of a capital structure - will not be comfortable enough for living without a sewerage system. But purchasing an expensive local treatment plant is not always advisable.

As alternative solution you can consider a simple septic tank made of light polymer barrels, which are very easy to bring to the site and short time install it yourself. There are also metal barrels, but due to exposure of this material corrosion, their use is not recommended. Wooden containers are even less durable. Their service life is no more than two seasons.

Principle of operation

Since a septic tank is a system in which domestic wastewater and waste not only accumulates, but undergoes purification. For construction, you will need two or three barrels, which will become loading and secondary cleaning chambers. To make the system as efficient as possible, you should think about installing a drainage or storage well, into which purified water from the septic tank will flow.

Let's consider the principle of operation of a two-chamber septic tank made of barrels, equipped with a storage well.

  1. Used water (from the shower, toilet, etc.) flows into the drain hole, from where through the pipes of the internal and external sewerage flows by gravity into the first loading barrel-chamber.
  2. The first chamber is called a “settlement tank”, since here, with the participation of constantly acting gravitational forces, wastewater settles. Light fractions and fats float to the top, heavy particles precipitate. In the center of the container, a layer of primary purified technical liquid is formed, which is transported through the overflow pipe into the second chamber-barrel.
  3. The second post-treatment chamber is designed for more high-quality processing drains. Here, in an airless environment, colonies of microorganisms “work” (they are formed 2-5 weeks after the system is put into operation). For greater efficiency, preparations can be loaded into the post-treatment chamber to quickly decompose all sewage into water, sediment that falls to the bottom, as well as gases escaping through the ventilation pipe.
  4. The degree of purification in the first two chambers can reach 80-90%. To increase the quality of cleaning, you can install another septic tank chamber, which will work on the principle of a post-treatment chamber. If the result suits you, then this measure is not relevant, and technically purified water will be transferred to a storage well.
  5. The storage well has a sealed bottom, preventing water from penetrating into the ground. Disposal of liquid from the well is carried out using a sewer truck or drain pump subject to installation of filters.

Instead of a storage well, you can install a filter (drainage) well. In this case, all the liquid enters the well container, where, passing through a crushed stone filter, it is absorbed into the soil. The method is not applicable when high level groundwater and clayey soil type with low filtration capacity.

Where to begin?

Any sewerage construction requires a minimum design. As prescribed by the standards, cleaning chambers must not only be located at a distance from green spaces (at least 3 meters), the foundation of the house (5-10 m), reservoirs and wells (30-50 m), but also at the same time be located within the reach of a sewer truck. place. Of course, if you plan to carry out preventive cleaning of the septic tank with a drainage pump or bucket, the last rule loses its relevance.

Note! The septic tank should not be too far from the building to avoid the need to lay an excessively long pipeline. It is also not recommended to plan the laying of pipes with turns, as this may cause clogging of the pipe and an additional need for installing a rotary (inspection) well. The best option is a septic tank located 7-10 meters from the house and connected to the system internal sewerage direct pipeline Ø110 mm. For a pipe section of 10 meters (the difference between the opposite ends of the pipe) will be 20 cm.

It is important to have information about soil type and groundwater levels. The nuances of installation and the method of disposal of the purified liquid will depend on this.

Septic tanks differ from conventional sewage systems in the volume of wastewater processed. If when connecting to central system no matter the volume of water consumption, a small installation of barrels implies economical use of water (maximum washbasin, shower and toilet). At the same time, about connection washing machine there is no longer any talk. A three-chamber septic tank with a volume of about 250 liters is quite suitable for temporary living arrangements for 2-3 people. For more users, it is recommended to choose larger capacity barrels.

It is also theoretically necessary to register the fact of installing a septic tank in the SES, but this design from casks is unlikely to be approved, so obtaining official approval is left to the discretion of the owners.

Preparation of materials and tools

A do-it-yourself septic tank from barrels is usually built on suburban areas, where people live periodically - for example, in summer period, and also as temporary sewerage at construction sites.

Nowadays it’s quite easy to buy ready-made autonomous system collection and treatment of sewage, manufactured in the factory. It can be used as capital structure For country house. But for installing a septic tank in a country house, where you only relax periodically and do not live permanently, there is no point in purchasing such a system due to its high cost and complexity of installation.

It’s much easier and financially smarter to do it yourself the simplest sewer system, using metal or plastic barrels (both used and completely new) for these purposes.

Such a septic tank is constructed from containers with a volume of 200–250 liters. It is clear that such tanks are not capable of containing a large number of drains. This fact is considered the main disadvantage of septic tanks made from barrels. But the described structures also have many advantages. They are very easy to install. All work on sewerage installation is done by hand.

Containers with a volume of 200 liters

The most labor-intensive operation when installing barrels is considered to be digging a pit for them. You can do this yourself or order special equipment. In the first case, the costs will be minimal, but in the second, the work will take very little time. The choice is yours.

If you want to use tanks or barrels made of metal, you should immediately take care of treating them with special anti-corrosion compounds. Such containers have low resistance to aggressive influences Wastewater. Without additional protection There is no point in using them due to rusting - in just a couple of seasons they will fail.

And here is the septic tank from plastic barrels with your own hands will last you much longer and without anti-corrosion protection. True, the installation of such tanks will be more difficult. This is due to the low weight of plastic containers. They will have to be additionally secured to eliminate the risk of barrels being pushed to the surface during spring floods.

About the process of constructing a septic tank from plastic products we will talk in great detail. It is precisely these autonomous temporary sewers that are most often built in dachas. Now let’s briefly talk about the principles of constructing a septic tank from iron tanks.

When arranging a septic tank from iron containers, it is necessary to dig a pit of suitable dimensions and in mandatory Concreting its bottom. Then prepare two barrels and drill holes on their sides. You will insert the outlet of the drainage pipe and the inlet of the overflow pipe into them. Remember - the pipe product coming from the house is always inserted into the first barrel with a certain slope. Due to this, wastewater will flow by gravity into the septic tank without any problems.

Important pro tips to follow when installing a sewer system made of metal barrels:

  • the second metal container should be installed in the pit slightly lower than the first;
  • use barrels with a volume of at least 200 liters;
  • high-quality insulation of the septic tank on all sides is mandatory (there is no need to lay heat-insulating material only at the bottom of the pit);
  • The tanks are backfilled with soil; the top of the septic tank is covered with roofing felt and lids made of wood or iron (do not forget to make a hole in the coating through which wastewater will be periodically pumped out of the tanks).

Construction of a sewer system made of metal barrels

If you want to increase the volume of the structure in question, it is possible to install several barrels on top of each other and weld them together. In addition, additional iron jumpers can be mounted. They will provide more reliable fastening barrel All joints between barrels should be thoroughly waterproofed. For this, hot bitumen is most often used.

Let's say it right away. No matter how you arrange the system from iron barrels, after 3-4 years, metal tanks will have to be replaced. They will begin to rot and rust under the influence of aggressive wastewater.

Despite the ease of installation of such sewers, you will have to clearly plan all the activities. First, decide where exactly you will install the septic tank. It must be removed from the garage, sauna and other outbuildings by 1–2 meters, and from a residential building by 5 meters (at least). The wastewater collection facility is not built next to a well or well, from where clean water is supplied to the house.

Next, select your scheme autonomous sewerage. For multiple people using country septic tank in the warm season, a system of three barrels, which are connected in series with each other, is recommended. Note! The first two containers must have a bottom (they act as settling chambers), the third - without it. The last barrel is essentially a filter well.

Barrel sewer system

Principles for installing plastic containers:

  • The second barrel is placed at the bottom of the pit 10 cm below the first, the third - lower by the same 10 cm in relation to the second.
  • Under the first two tanks you need to arrange a pillow from (its height is about 10 cm).
  • The barrels are connected to each other by sewer pipes (they are called overflow pipes). In this case, the outgoing tubular product is located 10 cm below the incoming one.
  • Under a barrel that does not have a bottom, you should make a special cake - a layer (0.3 m) plus a layer of sand (0.5 m). Such a pillow is necessary for the final purification of wastewater absorbed into the ground.

If at your dacha groundwater are located quite high, instead of the third barrel, filtration fields are installed.

Now purchase the materials that will be required for the construction of a septic tank (barrels, geotextiles, small crushed stone, angles for connecting pipe products, 110 mm sewer pipes, sand) and proceed to the next stage of the planned event.

The pit for the septic tank is dug manually or using vehicles. According to its parameters, the pit is made larger geometric dimensions used plastic containers. Along the entire perimeter of the pit, the distance between its sides and the barrels is maintained at 0.25 m.

The bottom of the dug pit needs:

  • compact well;
  • cover with sand (arrange a 10-centimeter sand cushion);
  • pour concrete solution;
  • mount metal embedded elements in the resulting base (barrels will be fixed to them, so they must have hinges).

Experts advise additionally securing plastic tanks to the concrete base using special belts (they are called bandage belts). They provide a 100% guarantee that during a flood the barrels will not float to the surface.

Fastening plastic tanks

Now let's move on to plastic containers. In the one that will be installed first, we make a hole (it must be at a distance of 0.2 m from the tank lid) for the pipe coming from the residential building. Another hole is cut on the opposite side of the chamber (relative to the first one, it is shifted down by 0.1 m).

Also, another hole is made in the first container. It will be needed to connect the ventilation riser. Important Tip! It is advisable to equip the first barrel with a removable lid. After settling the wastewater, a huge amount of solid waste always remains in this tank. This means that you will have to clean it more often.

Drill holes in the second plastic container in the same way. If you plan to build filtration fields, you need to cut two holes in the second barrel, placing them at a 45-degree angle to each other. These holes are needed for installation drainage pipes.

Installation of a septic tank, filtration well and filtration fields

The installation work flow diagram is as follows:

  1. Place two plastic barrels in the pit.
  2. Connect the pipes to the cameras.
  3. Backfill the tanks using a composition consisting of cement (dry powder) and sand. This backfill perfectly protects the structure from destruction during soil movements. The mixture is supplied in layers of 0.25–0.3 m, and each layer must be compacted. At the same time as filling, pour water into the containers. This way you will protect the barrels from deformation.
  4. Pour a cushion of sand and crushed stone onto the installation site of the third tank (a well for filtering wastewater), place the last barrel on the resulting pie and pour fine crushed stone into it (about a third).

Your septic tank for your dacha is ready!

If, instead of a filtration well, you planned to construct filtration fields, the arrangement of the latter is carried out as follows:

  1. To install drainage pipes, dig trenches of the required size. They must have a slope (per meter of pipe products - 2 cm).
  2. You lay geotextiles at the bottom of the trenches, and throw its cuts on the sides over the sides of the ditch.
  3. Cover the geotextile material with crushed stone (height 0.3 m).
  4. Place drainage pipes on the crushed stone layer. As such it is allowed to use homemade products(make holes in regular steel pipes). But it is better to use factory perforated pipes.
  5. Fill the trench with a layer of crushed stone and lay geotextiles on top (the overlap width is about 0.1 m).

All you have to do is fill the ditch with earth. Fields for filtering wastewater have been made.

Local sewerage with its own treatment plant will allow you not to break away from civilization in settlements that do not have basic infrastructure. If you make a septic tank with your own hands from barrels as a cleaning object, the cost of improvement will be minimal. But for a successful result, technological subtleties are needed. Isn't it true?

Anyone who wants to have an independent sewer system own plot we offer useful information, thoroughly covering all aspects of its construction. The practical application of the information we provide is a guarantee of long service life and flawless operation of the system.

Presented to your attention interesting article introduces various constructive types homemade septic tanks. It describes in detail the technology for constructing a sewage treatment plant from waste barrels. Construction methods are illustrated with simplified graphics, photos and video applications.

Despite the fact that manufacturers offer a fairly wide range, the design and construction of homemade septic tanks (for example, from barrels) is quite relevant.

The hand-held device option is in demand for the following reasons:

  • the ability to reduce costs to a minimum by purchasing components, as they say, randomly - where it is cheaper, and secondly, using existing means at hand;
  • installation of equipment can be carried out according to the so-called modular scheme, having previously calculated options for adding and complicating the system.

Let's say you first equip a toilet. In the future, you connect a bathhouse, a kitchen sink, even a garage sink to the cleaning system. Of course, this will be easily feasible only if the “tie-in” points are prepared in advance - pipe bends brought to the surface or close to it, reserved for a time.

The construction of a septic tank from barrels will allow minimal costs organize an autonomous sewage system with disposal of neutralized and clarified wastewater

Nobody better than the master who built the septic tank does not know weak spots treatment system and its capabilities. Although you should not allow shortcomings, only he will take them into account during operation.

It is no secret that manufacturers and sellers of any equipment, as a rule, do not inform buyers about the shortcomings, “stressing” only the advantages. An independent builder will know that he can let him down.

Knowing the approximate norms of water consumption by the family, taking into account the frequency of residence and the characteristics of the area around the house as a whole (type of soil and groundwater level), you can avoid both unnecessary expenditure of effort and money, as well as “accidents” caused by poor throughput cleaning systems.

A septic tank made from barrels operates on the principle of multi-section settling tanks, which, as a result of overflow and settling, ensure the separation of wastewater into water and sludge. After leaving the septic tank, clarified and purified up to 65% water is discharged into the ground, and sludge accumulates at the bottom of the sump until it is pumped out by sewer trucks.

You will learn the intricacies of constructing a septic tank that operates without emitting odor and does not require pumping from our other website.

Varieties of designs and schemes

Constructed from barrels homemade septic tank represents several installed in in a given order containers (chambers). They are sequentially connected to each other by pipes so that the sections are filled in a strictly defined order. This is achieved by installing cameras at different height levels.

The operating principle of a multi-chamber septic tank is similar to the operating principle. The entry and exit of pipes into the chambers is made in such a way that water begins to flow into the next container before the water level rises to the inlet pipe.

Gradually accumulating in the chamber, the water settles. The heaviest particles of contaminants settle at the bottom of the tank, while smaller and lighter particles continue their path through the system.

For the free flow of wastewater to the septic tank and from chamber to chamber, the sewer line is arranged with a slope. The slope must be observed in each area, including in the sections between sections of the septic tank

In order for the methane generated during wastewater treatment to be freely removed from the system, it is necessary to arrange ventilation. It is installed vertically at the exit from the house or at the exit of the last section of a homemade septic tank.

In addition, at the drainage of water from plumbing fixtures, sinks, toilets, shower stalls, etc., it is necessary to provide a siphon - at least made in the form of an “elbow” - so that bad smell did not poison existence.

The operating principle of a septic tank is based on the gradual separation of solid insoluble components and the liquid component of the wastewater. The more sections the sewage mass passes through, the higher the final degree of purification.

The most common is the three-section septic tank design, used for processing gray and brown waste streams. However, if it is necessary to purify contaminated water coming from a bathhouse or kitchen, using one or two barrel sections will be sufficient.

Purified and clarified wastewater from the septic tank flows into the ground treatment system, for example, it is disposed of through a filtration field

From the last barrel, access is made to the filtration field, which completes the cleaning process. This aftertreatment system is underground structure, assembled from perforated pipes - drain.

The drainage pipeline is laid in trenches selected specifically for them, lined with geotexile, on top of which pipes are laid and a sand-gravel mixture is filled.

The function of ground post-treatment of gray wastewater supplied by baths, washing machines, kitchen drains, etc. can be safely entrusted to an absorption well built in the outermost barrel of the sewer system. In this case, the bottom of the container is cut out, and it itself is filled with gravel and sand so that the layer of this backfill is at least 1 meter.


If the amount of wastewater does not exceed 5–8 m³/day, then a third section without a bottom, filled with a 1 m layer of sand and gravel, can be used as a ground treatment system. Absorption (filter) wells are constructed using this method.

As you can see, the scheme is quite simple, but its implementation in practice will require a lot of physical effort. Particularly labor-intensive work is associated with the development of a pit for sections of a septic tank and trenches for a sewer pipeline.


The calculation of wastewater volume is based on the wastewater disposal rate per person in l/day. A single-chamber septic tank is built with a waste volume of up to 1 m³/day, a two-chamber septic tank is built for 5 – 8 m³/day

Construction of a septic tank from plastic barrels

Homemade treatment structures can be divided into groups according to the material from which the chambers are made, these are septic tanks:

  • from plastic barrels;
  • from metal containers (welded cubes, cylindrical barrels);

A metal tank is more rigid. In addition, it is easier to secure it from floating. But the main disadvantage of iron barrels is their poor ability to resist corrosion.

Septic tank from concrete rings requires the use of special equipment during construction sewer wells. It is difficult to provide a cleaning station made from tires with the proper degree of tightness if there is no experience working with such materials.

The use of plastic barrels in the construction of a septic tank allows you to do without lifting equipment and without welding work

A homemade septic tank made from plastic barrels has more advantages:

  • light weight, which facilitates transportation, installation in the pit and assembly;
  • corrosion resistance. This point is important not only from the point of view of reducing the hassle associated with replacing tanks, but also as an additional guarantee of cleanliness on the site;
  • the optimal method of construction, because Electric welding is not required for installation of the system;
  • the tightness of the containers, due to which there is no need to carry out work on waterproofing the sewerage structure;
  • manufacturability of the source material. Polymer containers are much easier to process with cutting tools.

If necessary, minor cutting flaws can be easily corrected using cold welding tools.

Plastic barrels are the easiest to use, technologically advanced raw material for building a homemade septic tank

Basic requirements for placement

In the event that you have to obtain permission to install a septic tank from regulatory authorities (SES, etc.), then carefully study SNiP No. 2.04.03-85. SNiP - “Building Norms and Rules” - a document similar to the standard (GOST), and it is the specified one that establishes the basic rules for the construction of external sewerage networks and treatment facilities.

Sanitary requirements regulates SanPiN - Sanitary Rules and Norms.

In any case, adhere to the following requirements for distances from the septic tank to the following objects:

  • house foundation – 4-5 meters;
  • well, borehole – 30-50 m;
  • lake, pond – 30 m;
  • bushes, trees – 2-4 m;
  • road – 5 m.

In front of the device autonomous septic tank or its location must be discussed with the owners of neighboring plots. Although the regulations stipulate a distance from their fence to the septic tank of 2 m, the owners of a nearby estate may not be satisfied with the proximity of the sewer structure.

When deepening the bottom of the structure below 5 m, it will be necessary to obtain construction permits from the local administration.

The greater the volume of wastewater processed in the septic tank, the further it should be removed from the foundation

But even if permission is not required, take into account the characteristics of the site. It makes no sense to install sewerage systems with ground treatment systems in clay soils that do not have the necessary filtration properties.

The lack of ability to pass water will be revealed by the stagnation of flood waters during snow melting and periods of heavy precipitation. This means that the section is dominated by clay soils that do not allow water to pass through or into them.

On clay soils, sandy loams, clays, loams, storage tanks are installed. They are made in plastic containers or groups of barrels. The storage tanks only accumulate wastewater for pumping by sewage trucks, and do not process it.

A similar decision should be made if the groundwater level is close to the surface. Water-saturated soils will also prevent the disposal of the purified and clarified liquid component of wastewater.

If the section of the site is composed of clayey soils that are unable to absorb purified water, the idea of ​​​​building a septic tank will have to be abandoned

Instead of a storage tank, a station can be installed biological treatment. It purifies wastewater by 98%, which allows it to be discharged onto the terrain.

Features and design standards

Having solid experience in constructing such systems, all the required calculations can be made “by eye”. But compilation detailed plan and developing a project, at least in sketch form, can be of great benefit.

Firstly, having determined the installation locations of the cameras and the laying of the highway, you will accurately calculate how much and what materials you need to purchase. If time is of the essence, then before you start work, it is quite possible that you can get some of what you need for free.

And legally - people, as a rule, easily part with things that they consider trash. It has been proven in practice more than once that you can even assemble a car by spending funds comparable to the price of, say, a new bicycle.

Secondly, careful execution of the sketch contributes to the adoption of new decisions and also disciplines. In addition, a well-executed scale drawing can reveal flaws in the original design and save you from unnecessary expenses. It may well turn out that the scheme can be simplified by discarding the superfluous.

When drawing up your plan, consider the following:

  • even if you do not need official permission to install a septic tank, try not to disturb the ecology of the site;
  • the septic tank sections should be located so that there is at least 5 m between them and the foundation - a distance that prevents soil erosion in the event of emergency flooding of the septic tank and leaks;
  • the route of sewer pipes must be designed so that it is, if possible, without turns that contribute to clogging of the pipeline;
  • the external line of the autonomous sewerage system must be provided with an inspection well for inspection and cleaning.
  • For every 25 m of the sewer main, an additional inspection well must be constructed.

If the site is not pleasing with its dimensions, and the choice of location is a decided matter, then, if necessary, strengthen the walls of the pit.

To the level of seasonal soil freezing, the septic tank and sewer pipeline must be insulated so that ice plugs do not form in it

If you plan to build buildings in the future, the functioning of which will require the use of water (bathhouse, sink, any kind of handicraft production), provide places for the “integration” of water drainage from them into the treatment system. Moreover, the discharge of water from the bathhouse can be carried directly into the last chamber of the septic tank, since there will be no large particles of dirt in the wastewater.

If you do not intend to use the services of a vacuum cleaner, do not make the first chamber too bulky so that it can be easily cleaned manually. In addition, provide either the possibility of easy dismantling of the camera or access to its contents for quick cleaning.

For maintenance, control of operation and periodic removal of sludge, the septic tank must be equipped with a hatch. It must rise above ground level by at least 18 cm

If, in accordance with the clayey type of soil, only the installation of a storage tank is possible on the site, then the design should be carried out taking into account the unobstructed passage of sewage disposal equipment.

Preparing building materials for work

The main materials needed to make a septic tank from barrels with your own hands include:

  • pipes for the main with a diameter of 110 mm;
  • fittings, corners, etc., in quantities appropriate to your project.
  • the barrels themselves, intended for septic tank chambers. Select their sizes based on the approximate water consumption in the house, based on direct observations.

It is advisable to use barrels with thick enough walls so that the joining of pipes to them is as rigid as possible - otherwise the seam may lose its tightness due to mechanical stress.

To connect polymer parts, it is more convenient to use adhesives that must be compatible with the materials of barrels and pipes

Work out in advance the issue related to the freezing of cameras at subzero temperatures. You can use the old village method - place wooden sticks in containers.

At the very least, the ice expanding during freezing will compress the tree, which “took” part of the impact. They will also help plastic bottles filled with sand.

But in any case, thermal insulation of barrels will not be superfluous - take care of purchasing available materials in the required quantity.

Supporting materials will also be required. You need to buy a sealant to seal the seams. For this purpose, do not use silicone, it will not last long, and even cover it with some kind of protective layer If it doesn’t work, no coating will stick to silicone.

The most the best option will be the use of car body sealant - it has good adhesion (ability to stick), mechanical strength, and it can be coated on top with paint, mastic, etc. The best characteristics has polyurethane sealant, but it is quite expensive;

It is necessary to purchase cement, sand, and reinforcement for pouring the bases for the barrels. Sand should not have any special requirements in terms of quality. Let it be with pebbles, no big deal, the main thing is that it does not include lumps of loam and organic pollution.

Any steel rods are suitable as reinforcement. There is no need to cook the reinforcing mesh - just fasten the rods with wire.

If, when developing a pit, soil with biological inclusions, lenses and layers was extracted clay soil, then to backfill the pit with installed septic tank you will need quarry or river sand

You will need crushed stone, gravel, granulated slag or similar materials to fill the bottom of the pit (pit) before filling with cement;

A plastic barrel is lightweight, and therefore, when the container is not filled, it can be “pushed” to the surface by groundwater. To avoid this, prepare metal hooks, threaded rods - something to “anchor” the barrel.

It is appropriate to use commercially available threaded rods - it is convenient to make hooks from them, on the straight ends of which iron plates can be secured with two nuts, which need to be “sunk” in cement.

Construction of a pit with a concrete slab

How you decide to make the main pit - manually or using an excavator - decide for yourself. Calculate its area so that after installing the barrel in place it is convenient to compact the earth, poured into the gap between it and the wall of the pit. You can also provide for thermal insulation of the container - slag wool, polystyrene foam - in general, whatever will be more accessible.

Before pouring a concrete slab at the bottom of the pit, you need to check whether its depth is sufficient. To do this, you can install one of the barrels in the hole and see if the depth is sufficient for the device concrete base. If everything is in order, you can start filling the bottom of the hole with cement. It is absolutely not necessary to make formwork, but it is advisable to fill it with sand and compact the bottom before doing this.

If there are doubts about the strength of the walls of the pit, then before pouring they must be strengthened with a board. Then just fill the bottom thin layer liquid cement. After it has dried, you can lay the reinforcement and fill it “cleanly” - with leveling the horizon. Don't forget about the embedded parts for anchoring the barrels!

Mix cement with sand - 3 parts sand to 1 part cement. It is very convenient to use an electric concrete mixer, but purchasing it only for this job (if there are no plans to build something else) does not seem advisable. It is enough to choose a suitable trough that is convenient for shoveling.

Mix sand and cement first without water - on the contrary, avoiding its premature entry, and then gradually adding liquid, bring the solution to the required consistency. To prepare small portions of cement, you can also work on a sheet of iron or plywood - if there is no trough. Before filling the foundation itself, wet the backfill with water to compact it.

In order to carry out anchoring lightweight plastic septic tank, metal brackets must be placed in the concrete slab being poured

To level the fill, use a tool similar to a mop with a flat bottom. Pressing the sole to the surface, level the solution with light translational movements. So, by the way, you will achieve better filling solution of the future site.

To prevent the mortar from cracking as it dries, especially in hot weather, cover the poured area thick fabric, after the cement “sets”, and water it with water. A tarpaulin or similar is better suited for this purpose. synthetic fabric– what is important here is not wetting the surface of the site, but slowing down the evaporation process.

Start installing the pipes when the barrels are installed, but not completely secured. Only when the entire structure is assembled can its elements be fixed. It is advisable to fill the barrels with water for stability.

All these points are important to take into account due to the fact that the final stage of assembly will be the treatment of the joints of pipes and barrels with sealant - while it dries, it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the structure.

Before applying the sealant, treat the places of its contact with the plastic with coarse sandpaper (No. 80 -100) - for better adhesion and durability of the seam. By the way, you can also install triangular gussets on the same sealant for rigidity, 3-4 pieces per joint, between the barrel wall and the pipe. While the sealant is drying, wrap the scarves with wire, masking tape and so on. – so that they don’t “slip.”


A schematic diagram of preparing a pit and anchoring a factory-made septic tank can be used in constructing a sewerage facility with your own hands (+)

After testing the system for water permeability, proceed to the final filling of trenches and holes. Compact the soil gradually, filling the soil in layers. You can throw stones, bricks, etc. into the gap for rigidity.

In those places where filled pipes and holes may be hit by equipment, make a protective flooring of at least boards before filling the surface layer of soil.

Assembly and connection of the structure

So, all materials are ready. The next step is cutting holes in the barrels for the pipes. There is no point in describing this procedure. The only thing I can advise is that you don’t immediately make the holes to size - let the pipes be inserted with force, and if necessary, trim the excess.

Next, you should take care of fixing the pipes in advance, otherwise when filling and compacting trenches and holes, the integrity of the seams can be compromised. Pipes can be fixed using all available means - wire, scraps of boards, bricks, whatever.

Before digging trenches and pits, it would be useful to assemble the entire structure, without fixing the parts, and place everything on the ground. The pipes can simply be placed on the ground next to the barrels. This will help you make more accurate markings on the ground. Having marked the contours of the highway and pits with poles and twine, you can begin digging.

Visual step-by-step guide

The process of constructing a septic tank with overflow from used barrels will be presented by a visual step-by-step instruction:

Image gallery

Before constructing a homemade septic tank, a pit is developed, the dimensions of which will ensure convenience when performing the work

In the lids of both barrels planned for installing a septic tank with an absorption well, we cut a hole for the flange of the sewer pipe

We attach flanges to the holes cut in the barrels. If necessary, we modify the cuts

We are still finalizing the barrel intended for installing an absorption well - in its upper part we cut out two holes for the insertion of drainage pipes

In the upper barrel, which will be used as a receiving chamber, we cut out only one hole. It should be directly opposite what is cut into the lid

We install the first barrel on the compacted and leveled bottom of the pit. We connect the flange to the hole cut in the lid

To install a second barrel in front of the already installed first one, make a recess

We fill the depression with gravel, which will serve as a ground purification of clarified water coming out of the septic tank.

Step 1: Development of a pit for installation of barrels

Step 2: Forming Holes in the Barrels

Step 3: Fitting the flange to the holes in the barrels

Step 4: Cutting the Holes in the Bottom Barrel

Step 5: Side Hole in Top Barrel

Step 6: Installing the receiving chamber in the pit

To the owners country houses you don’t want to give up your usual city amenities and have to install a sewer system on your property yourself. Often it is a simple cesspool made from a barrel or something else, but if there is running water and household members actively use plumbing fixtures, its capabilities will clearly not be enough.

Scheme country sewerage includes a sewage collector, internal and external pipeline networks. Depending on financial capabilities, the collector is built from brick, large concrete rings car tires, eurocubes or 200 l barrels.

Sewage scheme with a barrel as a septic tank

Scheme and rules for organizing sewerage with a septic tank in the country

It is quite possible to equip a septic tank for a dacha with your own hands. Before starting work, draw up detailed diagram sewerage installations. Drawings can be seen in the photo. The location of the storage tank, internal and external wiring of the pipeline network must be shown on the diagram. Building codes and regulations determine the required angle of inclination of the pipes, features of the collector design and other parameters. Please note that simply pouring wastewater into a pit without pumping pollutes the soil and nearby aquifers.

Requirements for the placement of treatment facilities on a summer cottage

Treatment facilities at summer cottage should be located no closer than thirty meters from reservoirs, wells and artesian wells. To prevent unpleasant odors from penetrating into living spaces, the minimum distance of the septic tank from the house is five meters. This distance should not be extended much either, since this will significantly increase the cost of laying the external sewer network.


Minimum distances from the septic tank to various objects

Care must be taken to ensure that the unpleasant odor does not disturb the neighbors, and the treatment plant should not be located too close to the boundaries of the site. Fruit trees and other green spaces with a developed root system should be located at a distance of at least three meters.

Types of country sewerage

The easiest thing to do with your own hands for a private home or summer house is to make a regular cesspool into which waste will simply be drained. At the same time, it will pollute environment. To prevent unpleasant consequences, a sealed container is installed in the cesspool.


The simplest cesspool from a barrel

This is a more acceptable way of arranging a waste disposal system, but in this case, frequent “visits” of the sewer truck are necessary. More modern look The dacha sewage system is a septic tank in which the liquid fraction of waste settles and, after filtration, is removed from the collector. The use of bacteria that decompose organic matter helps to create a septic tank without pumping.

Sealed cesspool

For arrangement cesspool dig a pit at least two meters deep. If the terrain of the site is difficult, it is located at the lowest level.


Sealed drain hole convenient for small waste volumes

The walls of the tank are laid out brickwork or they stack ready-made concrete rings, tires from the Kirovets tractor, two-hundred-liter barrels on top of each other, and so on. A layer of waterproofing is laid on the bottom of the container, all butt joints are reliably sealed to prevent wastewater leakage.

Filter well

A filter well is constructed in the same way as a sealed cesspool, only instead of waterproofing, a fill of gravel or crushed stone with sand is made at the bottom of the shaft. It forms a filter layer, percolating through which liquid waste fractions get rid of contaminants before penetrating into the soil.


Construction of a filter well made of a plastic barrel

This design treatment plant makes it possible to pump out waste from the tank much less frequently, since it is filled only with solid fragments. The quality of wastewater treatment is improved if you install not one, but several filter wells connected to each other by overflow pipes.

Applying a filter field

Using a filtration field helps to make a septic tank without pumping. Its design requires free space on the site large area.


Device of a small filtration field

The filtration field is an underground area in which sedimentation and purification of those passing through sewer Wastewater. From there they are discharged through perforated pipes into the drainage system.

Using the gutter

It is good if there is a drainage ditch not far from the storage tank. In this case, the wastewater passing through the collector can be directed directly into it. To do this, they dig a hole near the canal, filling it with crushed stone or gravel as a filter layer. Wastewater is sent there, which, after passing through the filter, enters the drainage ditch.

Options for materials for a septic tank in the country

Depending on financial capabilities, the septic tank at the dacha is made from the most various materials. With virtually no material costs, you can get large-diameter decommissioned tires from the nearest tire repair shop or auto company.


An example of organizing a two-chamber septic tank from tires

Tires from the Kirovets tractor are suitable. They are laid on top of each other in a dug pit. A septic tank made from ready-made concrete rings is even faster and more reliable. The wastewater receiver can be lined with brickwork. Large-volume barrels and so-called Eurocubes, which are sealed plastic containers, are also used.

When installed, they are concreted on the sides, since they are light in weight and can move when the ground water level rises.

Installation depth of the septic tank and pipe laying

Installation depth of septic tank and backfill sewer pipe directly depends on the level of soil freezing in a particular region. If wastewater freezes in the sewer system, it will burst the pipes, and in the spring everything will have to start again.


A sewer pipe used only in summer does not need to be buried

The optimal volume of a septic tank in a country house

The required volume of a septic tank at a dacha depends on the number of people permanently residing there. It is believed that one person consumes up to two hundred liters of water per day. By multiplying this figure by the number of household members and increasing the resulting value by approximately twenty percent, we obtain the optimal volume of storage capacity.

Of course, in a summer cottage, that is, without the use of a shower and bath, this parameter will be much less.

Construction of a simple cesspool from a 200 liter barrel

A cesspool from a 200 liter barrel can be easily made with your own hands. For its arrangement, it is better to choose plastic containers. Compared with metal products they have the following advantages:

  • excellent resistance to aggressive chemical environments;
  • longer service life;
  • simplified installation due to low weight;
  • no need for anti-corrosion treatment;
  • high levels of tightness.

A plastic barrel can serve as a cesspool for a long time

When buried in the ground, plastic containers should be securely secured using cables pulled to concrete slab installed as the base of the structure. Otherwise, a homemade septic tank may “float” to the surface at the most inconvenient moment. Plastic barrels installed in the pit should be filled very carefully so as not to damage them.

Do-it-yourself assembly and connection of a septic tank from plastic barrels

Assembling and connecting a septic tank from plastic barrels with your own hands is not particularly difficult. First, a pit is dug to bury the tanks in the ground. For better cleaning wastewater, two plastic containers with a volume of at least two hundred liters each should be installed. They are connected to each other using an overflow pipe.


Two-chamber septic tank with overflow from plastic barrels - practical option

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