How to dig a storage tank for water. Horizontal tanks and underground water tanks

Just appeared on the market, potential consumers for a long time They also looked at them with some skepticism, because they were not sure of their reliability. Time passed and it became 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 are used for the container, which are installed in the form of a reinforcement frame on 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 it is necessary reliable fixation containers during installation, and this is not just a decorative pond, but something more important, for example, a container for sewerage or a tank for storing a supply of water, it is better for the work to be 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 and depth groundwater, volume and purpose of the container itself.

• To prevent the container from floating, you can use not only a frame, but also special cables that are attached to a concrete slab installed 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 services for installing plastic containers in 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.

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Since due to this the size of the cesspool is limited, it is permissible to use metal barrels only for summer cottages, where it is not planned to live permanently, and the amount of drainage 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, which are part of sewage waste;
• 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 regarding the distance to residential buildings, water sources, and 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, a crushed stone or sand cushion more than 20 centimeters thick is created.
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 concrete foundation becomes strong enough and you can install the barrel.
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.

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 bad 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 may discharge water into a drainage ditch at the border of the site, or it may lead nowhere, ending in a dead end. The purpose of this pipe is to drain 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.”

thanks for useful article and adequate answers. I’ll start doing it tomorrow. I hope the pipe won’t freeze in our Transbaikalia. Of course, I agree with you that a significant slope needs to be made. By the way, I don’t understand, is the pipe 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 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 protection with geotextile.
   In loamy soil, it is necessary to make at least a small irrigation field for house drains (a small drainage system is 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 it is better to have separate sewerage and separate rainwater drainage.

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 make a hole in the side of the frame and then continue 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 along the external wall of the house? 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 low-density polyethylene, 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.

Living in a private house requires the presence of an autonomous sewer system. It consists of internal wiring, external pipeline and storage tank (or VOC). For residents of holiday villages or houses of temporary (seasonal) residence, a cesspool remains relevant as The best way collection and partial recycling of waste.

We will tell independent home craftsmen how to construct a cesspool from a barrel. This is an extremely simple option that requires a minimum of funds in construction. Taking into account our recommendations, you can arrange without any problems autonomous sewerage with a cesspool.

Previously, the word “septic tank” was unknown, and the role of the only possible place for collecting waste was played by a cesspool.

Structurally, all cesspools were similar, the difference concerned the presence or absence of any container. Often, an ordinary hole was dug in the ground, and a wooden birdhouse was built above it. Such outdoor toilets can still be found in old holiday villages.

A modern version of the toilet, which is located “in the yard” - beautiful house, neatly painted and decorated with flowers. A sewer container with a neck for pumping is buried under it.

A pit without a sealed container is an environmental threat to garden plot. If home owners are interested in clean soil and water, they must place a reservoir in the cesspool pit.

Previously, it was made of boards or bricks, now - from concrete rings or monolithic concrete. Barrels, metal or plastic, specially designed for sewage systems are also often used.

Even a large sealed tank made of modified plastic is just a storage tank that fills quickly and requires regular pumping. Exactly because of this reason cesspools absolutely not suitable for family cottages.

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IN Lately, construction country houses and holiday cottages are experiencing a real boom. And this is no wonder, because every city dweller is drawn to the city from time to time - to take a break from the hustle and bustle and breathe fresh air. It is no secret that construction, one way or another, is associated with many problems, including the issue of draining groundwater from the foundation. Also, considerable damage can be caused by melt and storm drains. Due to the fact that soil waterlogging is a fairly common phenomenon, it is necessary to take a number of measures to combat water stagnation. So, in areas with good landscape, it is extremely necessary surface drainage. To collect water in areas it is necessary to install special storage tanks horizontal, as well as storm or drainage pipes.

Many people who are just starting to build their country houses, a fair question arises: what exactly are these containers for? The answer is quite simple and concise - they are beneficial. Firstly, these containers allow you to accumulate water underground, preventing leaks. Secondly, the water that gets there can be successfully used for irrigation or some household needs. After all, it undergoes a fairly “decent” cleaning through soil layers. Moreover, it is not necessary, as is usually the case, to install a pressure pump with a surface reservoir for irrigation purposes, which will take up additional space. A pump of a type that can be immersed in a buried container will suffice. The only negative regarding watering from this container is that the temperature of the water in it, as a rule, is no higher than five degrees, which may not be good for some types of trees.

Besides, horizontal containers made of plastic, can be buried to any convenient depth, and the holes in them, with a diameter of 65 cm, allow you to carry out the necessary maintenance of the tanks without any problems. The plastic itself, from which these containers are made, is known to be not subject to the destructive effects of moisture, and therefore does not rot. Also, if it is installed not in the ground, but on the surface or close to it, there is no need to be afraid harmful effects July sun or January frost. Therefore, we can conclude that these containers are quite convenient and at the same time durable during their operation.

It would also be useful to mention the fact that the stiffening ribs of such a container, which make the body more elastic, create additional resistance to external influences, as a result of which it does not lose its shape (does not deform). These properties allow you to use these containers and how underground water tanks, and as containers for sewerage in small treatment systems. As statistics show regarding consumer preferences, many summer residents bury tanks in the ground made of either carbon fiber or metal. The main criterion, as a rule, is the price of the material, so in this case it is more advisable to deal with carbon plastic, because in its own way technical properties it surpasses even steel in strength and stability, and is quite inferior to it in weight and price.

It is known that underground plastic water containers are the basis for household wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, they are no less good as drainage wells, and, in drainage systems of any complexity. If you need to store water in larger quantities, you can connect several containers plastic pipes, build an entire underground bunker. This approach is the most optimal compared to just a huge tank, since a system of several containers is more mobile and easier to maintain.

In order to use a horizontal container as a storage tank, you first need to dig a pit under its dimensions. Then comes the filling concrete slab, the mass of which must necessarily be greater than the weight of the container with water. Next, you can install a container that needs to be secured with slings made from a material that does not contain iron - nylon slings are best suited. The next step is to connect to the tank necessary pipes and backfilling the entire structure with a mixture of sand and cement. If necessary, you can equip this container with a special sensor.

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• We want to bury a container for water and a container for sewage... which one to take, please tell me who has encountered this :)
  

  Official response from SIVTRADE LLC:

  For sewerage, containers from the section “Underground Tanks” (http://baktrade.ru/catalog/emkosti-podzemnye) or “Septic Tanks for Domestic Wastewater” (http://baktrade.ru/catalog/emkosti_pod_bytovye_stoki) are suitable. They can be buried in the ground. Any container will suit you for water, but it will be more convenient to seal a cylindrical one by lowering it into concrete rings with waterproofing (this is important!). Otherwise, the rings will leak water, and you will have to keep the container filled at all times to prevent groundwater from squeezing the tank.

  Sincerely, SIVTRADE LLC

• drainage container required