Holding tank, septic tank or treatment plant
The three main approaches to household wastewater: one stores it, one lets it settle, one treats it with air and bacteria, and each pays a price for its advantages.
private-house sewage without surprises
Private-house sewage without surprises
As long as everything works, nobody thinks about the sewage system. People remember it when a smell appears, the water drains slowly or an emergency call-out bill arrives. This guide helps you get to grips with it in advance: how the main systems differ, what to ask designers and contractors, how to look after the installation and what to do if something goes wrong.
A good off-grid sewage system is not the one your neighbours talk about, but the one you forget about for years. What gets you there is not grand words in a brochure, but an honest design for your plot, clear maintenance and small problems noticed in time.
Where to start
Before you buy and install
What information about your plot is needed before choosing, who collects it, and what to ask the designer and contractor before you sign a contract.
Maintenance and winter
What should never go down the drain, how often to give the system some attention during the year and how to prepare it for the cold if the house stands empty.
If something is wrong
Smells, gurgling pipes, slow drainage, an alarm signal: which signs should put you on alert and why the fix is a job for a service company, not the owner with a torch at the manhole.
Guide map
- Sections
Four groups of topics: systems, choice and design, day-to-day use, and safety on your property.
- Guides
How to get your home sewage system ready for winter, plus the catalogue of practical articles.
- Questions
Short answers about choosing a system, odours, servicing and the winter months.
- Reading paths
Reading paths for a summer cottage, a year-round home and buying a house with a system in place.
- Glossary
Glossary: septic tank, aerobic treatment, pump-outs, post-treatment, site surveys and design.
- What's new
A feed of new pages in the guide, with a note on who will find each one useful and why.
- Archive
Every page by date and topic, plus what happened to the old addresses on this domain.
Five checks before choosing a system
Count the occupants and the season
Write down how many people usually live in the house and how many guests you get, and above all whether you are here all year or only in summer and at weekends. This determines both the load and whether the system will cope with long breaks.
Find out about the soil and groundwater
Soil type and groundwater level are established by a site survey, not by eye or from what the neighbours say. These data often decide whether treatment in the ground is possible and how the tank must be anchored.
Find room for the service truck
Consider whether a vacuum truck can reach the installation at any time of year. Without access, some options are ruled out at once, and servicing any system becomes harder.
Check the power supply
Biological treatment plants and pumping stations run on mains power. Find out how reliable the electricity supply is in your area and what will happen to the system if the power goes off for a while.
Decide who will service it
Every system needs looking after: pump-outs, inspections, scheduled servicing. Find out in advance who does this work in your area, and be honest about whether you are ready to keep track of the dates yourself.
Questions about this guide
Are you a manufacturer or seller of equipment?
No. This is a reference site: you cannot place an order, get a quote or book a crew here. We explain how systems work in general terms and advertise no one.
Can you recommend a specific model and tell me what it costs?
No. The right solution depends on the plot, the soil and how the house is used, so the selection is made by a designer based on survey data. We name no brands and publish no prices so as not to stand in for that work.
Can I install a system myself?
Design and installation are done by professionals. Mistakes in pipe falls, tank anchoring or equipment connections are expensive to fix later, and working in an excavation or with electrics is dangerous. Our aim is to help you understand what the contractor is doing and ask the right questions.
There is a sewage smell on my property. What should I do?
Note where and when the smell appears, whether a warning light is on and how water drains in the house, then contact a service company. Do not open manholes, do not lean over a hatch and never climb inside: dangerous gases can build up there.
About the project
This domain once hosted the site of a seller of QUBO-brand on-site treatment plants; later, unrelated advertising appeared on it. The current guide has nothing to do with that seller, the brand or the advertising that used to be placed here.
Today it is home to an independent guide for owners of private houses and country homes. We write about how different systems work, what to look at when choosing and how to treat an installation so it serves you without trouble. Calculations, design and installation we leave to professionals.
What this text is based on
- SP 32.13330 "Sewerage. External networks and facilities" (Russian code of practice)
- Russian sanitary rules and standards (general provisions)
- Equipment manufacturers' instructions (general provisions)
Rules, requirements for treatment facilities and equipment manuals are updated from time to time, so the final word belongs to the design, the regulations in force and the documentation of your particular system. The texts here cite Russian standards; other countries have their own building and sanitary rules, so check local regulations and permits. This guide explains how systems work and why decisions are made, but it does not replace a designer, an installer or a service company.