Septic tank in the law: how not to run into a fine

The work of the autonomous sewerage system is regulated by a number of documents and many of them are of a recommendatory nature. What standards are considered mandatory and what can be ignored? How to equip a septic tank so as not to make problems with regulatory authorities and not harm the environment? We have prepared answers to these questions.

Is it possible to dump sewage cleaned in an aeration plant into a ravine or ditch?

Many manufacturers of aeration plants argue that if the level of wastewater treatment is more than 90%, they can be discharged onto the relief, but it follows from extensive judicial practice - no, it cannot. According to the legislation, the discharge of effluents can be equated with the discharge of waste, and this is strictly prohibited. This is the opinion of the author of the standard on autonomous sewage STO NOSTROY 2.17.176–2015 participant FORUMHOUSE Andrey Ratnikov. AU is almost always used by Russian homeowners without additional decontamination of treated fecal matter. drains, and their discharge to the relief creates a threat of the spread of infectious diseases, infection with helminth eggs and etc. Not a single AU for country houses can provide such a quality of effluent that would correspond to the strict current standard. And it is impossible to obtain an official permission to discharge treated effluents onto the relief - it is simply not provided for by administrative regulations.

How legal is it to dump treated wastewater into the ground at your site?

Discharge of treated wastewater into the ground is absolutely legal and safe if all norms and rules are followed, including sanitary requirements, which provide for their mechanical cleaning in combination with fields of subsurface irrigation. That is, it will be legal to purify wastewater by any septic tank or AU in conjunction with a filter well, a filtration field, etc.

Does the law allow making a cesspool without a bottom on the site?

This is allowed under a number of conditions, the main of which is that more than two people should not live in the house, and the volume of effluents cannot exceed a cubic meter per day. But in this case, a cesspool without a bottom is a dangerous and morally outdated option.

What documents regulate the device of an autonomous sewage system in a suburban area?

The main document regulating the device of autonomous sewerage - SP 30.13330.2016 Internal water supply and sewerage of buildings. Updated edition of SNiP 2.04.01–85, as well as:

• SNiP 2.01.09–85 “Sewerage. External networks and facilities ".
• SNiP 2.04.01–85 "Internal water supply and sewerage of buildings: updated edition".
• SNiP 3.05.01–85 "Internal sanitary-technical systems of buildings".
• SNiP 2.01.09–91 "Buildings and structures in undermined areas and subsiding soils".
• GOST 17.01.2.03–90 “Nature protection. Hydrosphere. Criteria and indicators of water quality for irrigation ".
• SanPiN 2.1.2645-01 "Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Living Conditions in Residential Buildings and Premises."

Do I need to obtain permits for the installation of a septic tank on the site?

Neither permits nor notification documents are required for an autonomous sewerage device. Previously, it was necessary to obtain permission from the SES, but now this organization, according to the apt expression of the FORUMHOUSE moderator with the nickname Ladomir, “long ago threw off the heavy shackles of control and coordination over the Autonomous Sewerage and intervenes only in extreme cases ". Therefore, it is enough to follow the above regulatory documents, and not only those that wear mandatory, but also recommendatory, because no one cares about ecology and hygiene canceled. If we are talking about a purchased septic tank, it makes sense to get a product passport and request a layout for an autonomous sewage system on the site, its description and recommendations for operation.

Where to complain if a neighbor dumps sewage from a septic tank on the relief?

To Rospotrebnadzor, SES and to the environmental prosecutor's office. When applying to the prosecutor's office, you need to ask to check the corpus delicti in the field of environmental protection and refer to the federal law on sanitary and epidemiological welfare. If several neighbors sign the application at once, they will arrive with verification faster. A neighbor who illegally drains sewage from the sewer faces an easy fine of $ 1,000. up to 2 thousand rubles, but he will be obliged to eliminate all violations within the prescribed time frame.

Is it allowed to connect the exhaust pipes of sewer pipes with chimneys and ventilation systems?

In the updated version of SNiP 2.04.01–85 "Internal water supply and sewerage of buildings" there is no prohibition on this, but in the old version of the document such a connection was prohibited. Clause 17.19 stated that this was “not allowed”.

Experts believe that the ban has not been lifted - rather, the authors of the new version of the document made an omission. You can't do that.

At what distance from other objects on the site should a septic tank be located?

According to the standards, this distance should be:

• from the septic tank to the house - five meters or more;
  
• to a well or a well - at least 20 meters, while contact of the filtration field with the aquifer is prohibited;
  
• to a well or a well on soils with high permeability - 50–80 meters;
  
• to the border of the site - at least 4 meters;
  
• to a flowing reservoir - at least 10 meters;
  
• to a pond or lake - at least 30 meters;
  
• to the underground gas pipeline - at least five meters.

Have you had any difficulties when installing or operating a septic tank? Write in the comments!

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