Most properties that are advertised by retail property agents wastewater (sewage) flows off through a series of sewers and is treated at a large-scale municipal treatment works. If your house is in a remote or isolated location where no “mains” drainage can be obtained, choices like cesspools, septic tanks or sewer treatment plants are readily available. Connecting to some type of disposal process is crucial, or there’ll be consequences. We will discuss some of the consequences later in this article.
Cesspool: Is an underground holding tank with no outlet, which stores the wastewater until it’s full and requires draining. A cesspool is expensive to function as it requires frequent (de-sludging) empties. It’s only believed to be a permanent solution when no other options are available.
Septic tank: Provides partial therapy, settlement and separation of the solid waste and has an outlet pipe, normally discharging to a sub-surface soakaway or ditch. Septic tanks are discouraged due to the poor quality of what is discharged.
Package wastewater (sewage) treatment plant: Is an aerated system that offers a significant biological breakdown of the organic and chemical contaminants. Package wastewater treatment methods”clean” the wastewater considerably, which permits discharge into less porous lands, smaller soakaways and water paths.
What is a soakaway?: This is a means by which the treated water has been dispersed to the floor, where it’s physically filtered and further biologically treated naturally before it combines with the natural groundwater — finally our drinking water! This is why it’s important that the wastewater adheres to regulatory criteria.
What goes into my own wastewater treatment system?: All of the water out of your property, which includes wastewater from sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and showers, baths, bidets not to mention bathroom waste.
Sewer lines: Drains for wastewater and rainwater. Without connecting sewer lines, there might be health and environmental effects. Also, the absence of storm and sanitary (lateral) sewer lines might reduce the outcomes of any property valuation. Without these lines, layers of the building’s walls (close to the ground surface) will absorb runoff water and wastewater. Before planning to live in homes without sewer lines, let’s analyze some of the drawbacks.
What To Expect When Your Home is not connected to Sewer Lines
Water Pollution
Normally, after using water for flushing or bathing drainpipes empty them to sewers. This human waste flows with gravity to the city’s sewer system before treatment. As roof-mounted pipes receive rainwater, they flow through underground pipes to the river. It keeps the environment very friendly, and free from stagnant water. However, the risk of water pollution is high without the right drain connections. The contaminants from human waste might find their way to cracked underground drinking water lines.
Insect Infestation
When human wastes, toilet papers, and blackwater decompose, they form maggots and can spread around a building without sewer lines. This condition often leads to insect infestation from both crawling and flying little creatures. The absence of sanitary sewer lines can attract ants, cockroaches, flies, bugs, and rodents. Consequently, these creatures can find their way into your house at night. Fumigation can help homeowners to protect their property, but it’s wiser to install sanitary sewers with the cost.
Air Pollution
Usually, buildings without sewer lines at their backyards have poor air quality. The diffusion and smell of sewer gas are common causes of air pollution in poor suburbs. This condition gets worse when sewage water pool in the yard, pavement, or lawn. Also, stagnant water and urine from a blocked toilet could soak the walls of a property and weaken its foundation. Without the lateral pipe, the risk of respiratory disease is high for occupants of residential buildings like the elderly and children.
It Increases Maintenance Cost
When sanitary sewers are defective, it can lead to staying in a property that’s not connected with septic tanks. When sewage water flows around without control, it can contaminate soil, walls, and every piece of metal it touches inside your yard. Without repairing or reinstalling drain connections, acidic gases and moisture will cause corrosion and degrade your property.
Environmental Concerns
Wastewater and effluents are nutrients to plants around your property. It won’t take long before homeowners see overgrown weed around their property. In less extreme cases, its green spots and lush patches of grass around wastewater that should be flowing through a sewage pipe. Like fertilizers, wastewater increases the spread of vegetation that surrounds the stagnant wastewater in homes that don’t have sewer lines. Moulds and mildews grow on the exterior walls of bathroom walls when your property is not connected to sanitary sewer lines. This condition can make your surrounding appear much unkept without regular maintenance.
It Increases the Chance of Erosion
Erosion from rainwater is common in environments with loose soil structure. Usually, urban areas plan special underground sewer pipes for stormwater collection. Apart from foul water, sewer lines act as channels for discharging rainwater and diverting stormwater. Without rainwater systems, there will be chances of flooding inside your compound after a heavy downpour. It’s the drain connections from roof gutters and gullies that help to empty rainwater into municipal sewer pipes. However, a property without clean drains and sewer line for rainwater tends to show signs of erosion on its landscapes.