Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Cesspit
Cesspit, cesspool and soak pit in some contexts are terms with various meanings: they are used to describe either an underground holding tank (sealed at the bottom) or a soak pit (not sealed at the bottom). A cesspit can be used for the temporary collection and storage of feces, excreta, or fecal sludge as part of an on-site sanitation system and has some similarities with septic tanks or with soak pits. Traditionally, it was a deep cylindrical chamber dug into the ground, having approximate dimensions of 1 metre (3.3 ft) diameter and 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) depth. Its appearance was similar to that of a hand-dug water well.
The pit can be lined with bricks or concrete, covered with a slab, and needs to be emptied frequently when in use as an underground holding tank. In other cases (if soil and groundwater conditions allow), it is not constructed watertight, to allow liquid to leach out (similar to a pit latrine or to a soak pit).
In British English, historically, a cesspit was just a hole dug into the ground, often lined with bricks or stones with gaps between them to collect household sewage and wastewater. The gaps in the lining allowed liquid waste to seep into the surrounding soil, while solid waste accumulated at the bottom of the pit.
A cesspool (in British English) is watertight tank (usually made from plastic or concrete) that is located underground to store sewage and wastewater until it can be removed by a specialist contractor.
In the UK, a cesspit is a closed tank for the reception and temporary storage of sewage; in North America, this is simply referred to as a "holding tank". Because it is sealed, the tank must be emptied frequently – on average every 6 weeks – but frequency varies a great deal and can be as often as weekly or as rarely as quarterly. Because of the need for frequent emptying, the cost of maintenance of a cesspit can be high. If owners in the UK do not maintain their cesspits, they can be fined up to £20,000.
A cesspool was at one time[when?] built like a dry well lined with loose-fitting brick or stone, used for the disposal of sewage via infiltration into the soil. Liquids leaked out through the soil as conditions allowed, while solids decayed and collected as composted matter in the base of the cesspool. As the solids accumulated, eventually the particulate solids blocked the escape of liquids, causing the cesspool to drain more slowly or to overflow.
A biofilm forms in the loose soil surrounding a cesspool or pit latrine that provides some degree of attenuation of the pollutants present, but a deep cesspool can allow raw sewage to directly enter groundwater with minimal biological cleansing, leading to groundwater pollution and undrinkable water supplies. It is for this reason that deep water wells on the property must be drilled far from the cesspool.
Most residential waste cesspools in use in the US today are rudimentary septic systems, consisting of a concrete-capped pit lined with concrete masonry units (cinder blocks) laid on their sides with perforated drain field piping (weeping tile) extending outward below the level of the intake connection. The concrete cover often has a cleanout pipe extending above ground. Some are constructed with concrete walls on one or more sides.
Hub AI
Cesspit AI simulator
(@Cesspit_simulator)
Cesspit
Cesspit, cesspool and soak pit in some contexts are terms with various meanings: they are used to describe either an underground holding tank (sealed at the bottom) or a soak pit (not sealed at the bottom). A cesspit can be used for the temporary collection and storage of feces, excreta, or fecal sludge as part of an on-site sanitation system and has some similarities with septic tanks or with soak pits. Traditionally, it was a deep cylindrical chamber dug into the ground, having approximate dimensions of 1 metre (3.3 ft) diameter and 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) depth. Its appearance was similar to that of a hand-dug water well.
The pit can be lined with bricks or concrete, covered with a slab, and needs to be emptied frequently when in use as an underground holding tank. In other cases (if soil and groundwater conditions allow), it is not constructed watertight, to allow liquid to leach out (similar to a pit latrine or to a soak pit).
In British English, historically, a cesspit was just a hole dug into the ground, often lined with bricks or stones with gaps between them to collect household sewage and wastewater. The gaps in the lining allowed liquid waste to seep into the surrounding soil, while solid waste accumulated at the bottom of the pit.
A cesspool (in British English) is watertight tank (usually made from plastic or concrete) that is located underground to store sewage and wastewater until it can be removed by a specialist contractor.
In the UK, a cesspit is a closed tank for the reception and temporary storage of sewage; in North America, this is simply referred to as a "holding tank". Because it is sealed, the tank must be emptied frequently – on average every 6 weeks – but frequency varies a great deal and can be as often as weekly or as rarely as quarterly. Because of the need for frequent emptying, the cost of maintenance of a cesspit can be high. If owners in the UK do not maintain their cesspits, they can be fined up to £20,000.
A cesspool was at one time[when?] built like a dry well lined with loose-fitting brick or stone, used for the disposal of sewage via infiltration into the soil. Liquids leaked out through the soil as conditions allowed, while solids decayed and collected as composted matter in the base of the cesspool. As the solids accumulated, eventually the particulate solids blocked the escape of liquids, causing the cesspool to drain more slowly or to overflow.
A biofilm forms in the loose soil surrounding a cesspool or pit latrine that provides some degree of attenuation of the pollutants present, but a deep cesspool can allow raw sewage to directly enter groundwater with minimal biological cleansing, leading to groundwater pollution and undrinkable water supplies. It is for this reason that deep water wells on the property must be drilled far from the cesspool.
Most residential waste cesspools in use in the US today are rudimentary septic systems, consisting of a concrete-capped pit lined with concrete masonry units (cinder blocks) laid on their sides with perforated drain field piping (weeping tile) extending outward below the level of the intake connection. The concrete cover often has a cleanout pipe extending above ground. Some are constructed with concrete walls on one or more sides.