Sewage Systems for Summer Houses: 5 Solutions

Sewage systems are needed not only in cities but also on summer houses. Designer Anna Ragulina tells you about the types of sewage systems and which one to choose.

Anna Ragulina — an expert, interior designer, and decorator

First, clarify the important questions:

• A house with permanent or temporary residence
  
• How many people live in the house
  
• List of sanitary equipment used
  

Also, don't forget to consider a few more points:

• Groundwater level
  
• Plot size
  
• Soil structure
  

Biotoilet

The simplest and fastest solution is just to buy, unpack, and install it.

However, it's better to consider a biotoilet as a temporary measure since the issue of sewage disposal remains.

Septic Tank

This is a pit with brick or concrete walls. It can be open or closed type. The latter is hermetic, has a bottom and a lid with an opening for pumping. This is one of the options to install sewage on a private house if the groundwater level on the plot is high. In this case, you fully protect the soil and water sources from possible contamination.

Pros: low cost and the ability to install without additional machinery.

Cons: not suitable for plots with high groundwater levels and clay soil. Also, due to the small volume of effluents, you must constantly calculate water consumption. Another disadvantage is dirt and unpleasant odor.

Pump Station

Sometimes it's necessary to set up a bathroom in the attic or garage, or to create a new point with sanitary equipment, but the sewage pipes are far away and it's inconvenient to run drainage pipes through the entire house.

Use pumps for forced pumping of wastewater and sewage. If you plan to connect the maximum number of fixtures, provide the ability to pump hot water and grind waste. For example, the Sanicubic 1-NM SFA model can connect to multiple fixtures — toilet, bathtub, dishwasher, and washing machine, as well as the kitchen sink.

Natural Sewage Treatment System Based on Septic Tank

It is suitable for private homes, cottages, and summer houses with a small or medium volume of effluents. The construction consists of 2–4 treatment chambers, and the more chambers there are, the higher the degree of purification.

In the first chamber, effluents decompose into fractions. Light elements move upward, while heavy ones go downward where they then decompose. This process can be accelerated using special biodeposits with bacteria.

Clarified water flows into the adjacent chamber, while insoluble elements settle to the bottom. After this, through a special biofilter chamber, the water is sent out. After purification in the septic tank, effluents are drained into the soil through drainage fields or infiltration systems.

Biological Treatment Plant

The structure resembles a septic tank but includes additional elements: an aerotank, biofilter, check valve, and pump. These allow the treated water to be used for technical purposes or discharged into a water body.

On the cover: Anna Ragulina's design project.