septic vs holding tank

[ch47dpilot]

My house has a septic tank and drain field but my workshop is to far away and uphill to make connecting into the system practical. I'm contemplating a separate septic/drain field for my workshop but may just go with a holding tank. My concern with the holding tank is how often I may need to pump it and size. The workshop will mainly be for hobby and thus only used on weekends. So I'll use the shower, toilet and sink 1-2 times a week. maybe the sink more often but toilet will mainly be for "emergency" use and the shower when I'm really dirty. Using online calculators it looks like I'll put about 3000-4000Gal/year down the drain (10min shower-25gal, 2 flushes-3.2gal, 2.5 min hand washing-5.5gal or approx. 33Gal/day or 66/weekend= 3432/year) found a 3500gallon underground for around $5000. I'm thinking the holding tank will be the better option. I'm thinking size vs cost to pump will determine how big to go. Don't need the honey wagon there every month but maybe more practical to get it pumped 2-3 times a year instead. Just wondering what peoples opinion on going with just a holding tank vs completed drain field.

 

[Dan Lamb]

Have you researched or looked into 2 50 gallon drums attached at top with 4 inch ABS with a 15 to 20 ft leach line ? Should never need pumper with light use .

 

[ch47dpilot]

Could see that for the sink and shower gray water but not the toilet black water.

 

[Dan Lamb]

I should have been more clear 2 50 gal poly or plastisk tanks

 

[rustyshakelford]

There’s lots of ways to do this. Main question is what does your county require as far as septic is concerned or is there much over sight at all? A cheaper option could be to bury a smaller tank and when it gets full pump it with a macerater or trash pump to your main systems clean out. Might be a little stinky but would be low cost

Brett

 

[oosik]

There is a way that you do not need a septic system OR holding tank. Water from the shower and sink (grey water) contain no solids and will cause no problems of "hang up" or clogging as they flow down hill. You could transmit the grey water thru a 3" plastic pipe to your existing house sewer system. How far would this be.

Then for a toilet either an outhouse OR an electric or propane fired incinerating toilet.

If you use a holding tank - there will ALWAYS be the concern of having it pumped. Where the holding tank would be installed - can a pump truck reach that location?

 

[Looking4new]

IF dry wells are allowed in your county, I would install one for the grey water and then go with a 2,000 gallon holding tank for the black water and pump it twice a year.

 

[LouNY]

IF dry wells are allowed in your county, I would install one for the grey water and then go with a 2,000 gallon holding tank for the black water and pump it twice a year.

I would second this idea.
Or if desired a sewage grinder pump in a collection tank and a small (1 1/2" or 2") line to your existing septic tank.

 

[Budweiser John]

For years I wanted a shop sink. Like the original OP, a connection to the house septic/drain field was geographically impossible. I looked at plastic holding tanks and was advised they need to be kept partially filled to prevent floating. I then priced concrete septic tanks and with delivery, the cost exceeded my megar budget.
I ended up purchasing two 36 X 36 concrete sewer pipes, a concrete 48 dia. Cookie (for a bottom), and a cookie with a man hole opening for the top. Setting the tiles end to end vertically on the solid cookie bottom and covering with the top manhole cookie created an inexpensive underground tank. The real labor was cutting a pair of holes in the sides of the top tile for an inlet and out let pipe, both cemented in the openings with hydraulic cement.
The leach field is about 50 of perforated pipe in a trench filled with 1 stone.
There is no toilet in this equation but the convince of a shop sink is wonderfully convient. System has been up and running for about three years now and works flawlessly.

B. John

 

[BLSXJ]

1st Decide if you really need a toilet, and if it could be a composting/incinerating unit that does not require septic connections.

2nd talk to your building inspector, and figure out whats allowed and what the easyist/ cheapest option is.

When I build my barn I plan on going the holding tank route with only grey water going into it. That way I can pump it out myself.

 

[pmsmechanic]

For years I wanted a shop sink. Like the original OP, a connection to the house septic/drain field was geographically impossible. I looked at plastic holding tanks and was advised they need to be kept partially filled to prevent floating. I then priced concrete septic tanks and with delivery, the cost exceeded my megar budget.
I ended up purchasing two 36 X 36 concrete sewer pipes, a concrete 48 dia. Cookie (for a bottom), and a cookie with a man hole opening for the top. Setting the tiles end to end vertically on the solid cookie bottom and covering with the top manhole cookie created an inexpensive underground tank. The real labor was cutting a pair of holes in the sides of the top tile for an inlet and out let pipe, both cemented in the openings with hydraulic cement.
The leach field is about 50 of perforated pipe in a trench filled with 1 stone.
There is no toilet in this equation but the convince of a shop sink is wonderfully convient. System has been up and running for about three years now and works flawlessly.

B. John

I would be tempted to do something similar to this. Maybe go 48" pipe. If you pour a wall inside to divide it in half you'd basically have a sewer tank. (Research this to make sure you design the wall properly.) If your soil is porous and dry enough then the tank would probably drain itself. If not then you could set up a sewage pump to either pump out into the bushes somewhere or into the second side of your house sewage system.

People I know did this with their farm shop. They installed a regular sewage tank. They didn't install a sewage pump but went with an alarm system. When the sewage tank needs pumping the theory was to hire a sewage disposal truck. In practicality the grey water just gets pumped out into the grass a couple hundred feet away from the shop.

 

[dmccarty]

This post should stir things up a bit. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing:

As other's have said, check what your county/state will allow, and then figure out what you can do.

Having said that, there are "composting" toilets on the market that are designed for use in boats, RVs and cabins. They really do not compost for the most part but dry out material...

This topic usually gets people going on the boat forums but here we go...

The toilets have the same basic design, on bucket to hold solids and another container to hold urine. The "bowl" is setup so solids fall one way into the bucket and the urine goes to the container. What causes sewage to smell is the urine/liquid. Remove the moisture and everything else dries out and does not stink. This is what they toilets do.

One has to put in a dry medium, peat moss, saw dust, coir(coconut fiber), etc. The best product I have heard to use in coir because it is in small, compress bricks, and a few bricks last a long time. The dry material goes into the bucket for solids and is what helps dry out poop. There is a stirrer that is turned after using the toilet that mixes up the poo, dry material and TP. Pee goes into the other container to help dry out the poop and remove orders.

On boats in non discharge zones, people are dumping the urine in toilets in marinas or in the woods. The "composted" material, i.e., dried out mixture of coir, poo and TP, is dumped in the trash. One toilet brand recommends using bleach mixed into the dry material bucket to kill any bad stuff.

The link shown below is for a toilet created by an ex Special Forces medic. It is simple, and if I remember correctly, uses a plain 5 gallon bucket for the solids and a 1 gallon milk jug for urine. Both are easy and cheap to replace if needed. Other brands have special containers and replacements have to be bought from the company.

C-Head portable composting toilet system

People using these things speak very highly of them. The is a FAQ on the page I linked too that is quite extensive and informative.

Later,
Dan

 

[Looking4new]

This post should stir things up a bit. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing:


This topic usually gets people going on the boat forums but here we go...

No doubt. :laughing:

Okay, I will go a sit in my corner and shut up now.

 

[dmccarty]

No doubt. :laughing:

Okay, I will go a sit in my corner and shut up now.

As long as that is all you are doing in the corner.... :laughing::laughing::laughing:

This topic pops up on the boat forums frequently and the people who are most vocal AGAINST these toilets have never used them. The people who have used them really like the toilets. These toilets have some serious benefits on a boat where you will have to handle your scat eventually, and usually, in a most ugly manner. It really is a question of when to you handle your waste and how bad of a job it will be. Take your pick of poison so to speak.

Composting is really a misnomer with these toilets since they usually are used in a manner that prevents composting. However, they will compost if the material is allowed to sit long enough. The OP might actually be in that boat, so to speak. But do not spread this compost/material in your veggie garden.

Later,
Dan

 

[RalphVa]

I'd just drain the sink and shower to a garden area like I do for my own outside sink and shower area. For toilet, I'd consider just using a convenient shrub or grassy area in an emergency. That's what I do if I suddenly need to go while hiking on our trails. Just wash off in the outside shower.

Ralph

 

[oosik]

The summer & fall we were building the house here. We used gopher holes. Timing worked out perfectly. Last of the gopher holes all filled up and our house plumbing became active. We pumped water out of our little lake into a 55 gallon - black plastic drum suspended from a tree limb and everybody got a HOT show about 2X weekly.

I still remember the first hot shower in the house. The plumbing was totally competed and the first item to get electricity was the hot water heater. In the shower with hot water by candle light.