Don't Let Your Basement Become Wasted Space

If you live on a rural property, then it's quite likely that your home is not hooked up to a municipal sewer system. In this case, you must use a private sewer system to dispose of your household waste. Typically, this involves a modern septic tank that treats sewage and other waste, but if you have an older home, a cesspool, also known as a cesspit, might be used. This article takes a look at these older systems.

History

The use of cesspits as a means of dealing with the issue of sewage disposal goes back many centuries. Pits were dug in the earth and the hole was lined with bricks or stone. The sewage would slowly be absorbed by the soil. Certain problems occurred frequently with these types of cesspools, including overflows after heavy rains or a flood and the waste from the cesspool contaminating nearby groundwater.

Another, more modern type of cesspool or cesspit, is a large holding tank that has some resemblance to a septic tank. These cesspools have all of the features of a septic tank, which is why they are usually found in older homes. Homes built more recently in rural areas will have a septic tank system, as they a generally more efficient.

Laws

Because cesspools are seen as older technology, many localities will not allow them to be installed, although they often allow cesspits that are already operating to remain in use. For example, Suffolk County, NY requires homeowners to replace a cesspool with a septic tank system when a cesspool fails.

Cleaning

Cleaning your cesspool regularly is a crucial maintenance task that must not be neglected. Otherwise, you risk having waste overflow into your home or onto your property. This important task is not a do-it-yourself job. You must engage the services of a professional cesspool cleaning firm to make sure the job is done safely and properly. Fortunately, any local septic tank service that cleans septic tank will also be able to clean out your cesspit. A key point to keep in mind is that a cesspool needs to be cleaned out more frequently than septic tanks.

It's difficult to say exactly how often your cesspool should be cleaned. It depends on several factors such as the size of your cesspool, the number of people in your household and the amount of waste your household produces. Your local cesspool cleaning professional will be able to advise you regarding the best cleaning interval. For more information, contact companies like Jarrach Cesspools.