Does anyone know a cheap way to make a septic system... we have a small shop, too far from the house to connect, and would like to install a toilet in the shop, but need some kind of septic system... any suggestions? Thanks

Moxy - Just dig a 6 ft. hole and put a old fashioned OUT HOUSE OVER IT!! NO IM JUST JOKEING< HA HA <> You will have to dig a hole , pour a concrete slab, then lay concrete blooks about 5 blocks high( 40" deep) on the out sideput black plastik on outside of blovksthen cover with black paper, then put on another coat of plastic cement. On inside of blocks and floor treat with a sealent. either by spray 0r brush. you will have to put a 3" or 4" inlet , from building, and a same size outlet , 0n other end. usealy a 4 " :: You will have to dig a 18" TO 24 " terench to run your field line, lay a layer of gravel then plastic black field line( NOTE THE BEST PRICE I EVER FOUND on field line was at Lowe's or HOME DEPOT. I don't know your local is ,but here in Tn. You have to have the land (perked) ,Septic system put in by a lisened contracter, that does this kind of work, you also have a permit, and before covering, it will have to be inspected. You need to go to the court house or where your building codes can be told or given to you. So #1 - CHECK YOUR AREA & STATE CODES FIRST!! :: I HOPE this has helped, Good Luck & GOD BLESS.:::::: F.B.E.

Moxy, a lot depends on if you are trying to meet your building code. If you are going to sneak in a DIY septic just make sure the tank you use will hold the sewage, it must be water tight to allow anaerobic bacteria to digest the sewage. Here's the real poop on the subject. SEPTIC TANKS

Fiberglass tanks are available in some areas. Chopped up used tires are also used in some places instead of the gravel in the trenches. These eliminate the heavy stuff. The fiberglass tank is probably cheaper than you can build. The digging is the real work.

Dig a hole big enough for a 55 gallon drum, drill holes in drum to allow water to seep back to the ground, run pvc pipe fittings to the top of drum, cover back with dirt and voilà, just remember your capacity is 55 gal, I wouldn't leave the sink running.

Install sewer ejector...

Bruinsol and Milo,
You are responding to a 2 year old thread that's dead. Please look in the upper left hand corner for the date. Thanks, Tom

Other people looking for advise still read these threads. It's okay that it's old and dead. I still found it helpful.

And what happens when the solids build up in that 55 gallon drum?
If you're going to do it then do it right,
: Yes you can build your own septic system. I'm going to give you some general information and then turn you on to a book that will give you detailed instructions.
Plumbing codes are different for each area so I can only give you a broad answer. Septic tanks MUST provide at least 24 hour retention or 750 gals. For a 1 or 2 bedroom house. 3 bedrooms=1000gals. Add 250 gals. For each bedroom over 4. In our state we recommend a 1000 gal tank. Ballpark figure on dimensions are (inside measures) 750= length-7'6" width-3'6" depth-5' 1000= length-8'6" width-4' depth-5'6" The design is pretty much the same all over.
Your discharge pipe from the house will be 4" PVC as will the pipe from the septic tank to your filter bed.I don't know where you live but I'asuming that you have access to a public library. We need to get you some detailed instructions and I can't draw a diagram in this box. The book I want you to take is, Audel's "Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Library, Drainage-Fittings-Fixture edition by Jules Oravetz,SR. On page 46 you will find a discription of and the theory behind septic systems. On page 48 you will find a table giving you the poop(no pun intended) on size , dimensions and capacitirs of septic systems. On the next page under the heading of Construction you will find detailed diagrams and instructions on how to build your own tank and the information you will need to lay out and install your filter bed. I admire you for taking on such a big job by yourself. Hope this helps and thank you for rating my reply. TOM

I checked the website you included in your answer regarding a home made septic system, there was nothing on that website about sewage. Maybe you included the wrong site. Check it out. Deborah

And nothing we posted has helped? I looked for the link. Can you copy and paste it for me? Thanks, Tomk

The link was posted on a blog that was add on Feb 4, 2008, 08:44 AM by another blogger name. I don't remember what it was. Anyway his last statement was something like "here's the scoop on poop" and left a link that said SEPTIC TANKS. When you click on it, it lights up and its supposed to send you to a website that tells you about septic tanks. I didn't realize how old the blog was, I was just looking for information. I've got someone who will be living out of my travel trailer on my land, and we've done the buried barrel with holes in it before, the berries loved it, but after my septic system plugged up and started overflowing onto my property, I've done some research and realize it's not such a good thing to just let the stuff run out onto the ground. So I want to find out if there is an inexpensive way to do it so I don't end up contaminating my land again. Deborah