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Photograph of  a seepage pit collapse at a residential propertyCesspool Safety
Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems - Cesspool Collapse Hazards

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about safety hazards, collapses, explosions, fires, toxics, injuries and fatalities involving septic tanks, cesspools, drywells, and other septic system components

Septic & Cesspool or Drywell Safety Hazard Warnings:

This document explains and describes some critical safety concerns for people owning and maintaining cesspools for onsite waste treatment. Cesspools, depending on how they have been constructed and how they are serviced, can present particularly dangerous conditions and risk collapse and fatal injury. The hazards described here in discussing cesspools can also be present at drywells and seepage pits.

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Cesspool Safety Warnings and Cesspool Capacity Limitations

Sinkhole or drywell collapse in New York (C) Daniel FriedmanQuoting from our sink holes article:

The bare minimum that a property owner needs to know about sinkholes or any other sudden subsidence of soils at a property is that these conditions might be very dangerous.

Someone falling into a sink hole or into a collapsing septic tank could be seriously injured or even die. If a suspicious hole, subsidence, or depression appears at a property the owner should rope off and prevent access to the area to prevent anyone from falling into the opening, and then should seek prompt assistance from a qualified expert, geotechnical engineer, septic contractor, excavator, or the like.

This document is a subchapter of our online text about cesspool design, cesspool installation, cesspool maintenance and cesspool inspection. These pages explain what a cesspool is, gives important safety and maintenance advice for cesspool systems, and defines the criteria for cesspool failure.

We also provide critical safety warnings concerning cesspool systems as with some older and especially site-built cesspools there is a risk of dangerous collapse or cave-ins.

This material is a chapter of our Septic Systems Online Book: That document explains septic system inspection procedures, defects in onsite waste disposal systems, septic tank problems, septic drainfield problems, checklists of system components and things to ask. Septic system maintenance and pumping schedules. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author.

Some technical review by industry experts has been completed-reviewers are listed at "References." Review comments and content suggestions are invited. Home buyers should see the Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems.

Also see SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY - Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners.

Very Important Cesspool Safety Warnings

Sinkhole or drywell collapse in New York (C) Daniel Friedman PHOTO of a septic seepage pit collapse when a truck drove over it.

In Summary:

Watch out for cave-ins, keep away: cesspools, particularly older site-built cesspools present a very high risk of collapse from an unsafe cover or following some types of service involving pumping, aeration, or hydro-jetting.

Adults or children should not walk over or even near cesspools because of the risk of falling-in followed by collapse, a virtually certain cause of death.

If the presence of a cesspool is known or suspected at a property its location should be roped off to prevent access and it should be investigated by a professional.

When to Install a New Cesspool or Drywell

Question: When is the best time to install a new cesspool?

I need a lot of information because I am going to buy a new cesspool. When is the best time to buy one? I was told winter is the best time to buy a new cesspool? But the ground is frozen now. What temp is right? What is the average price? House was built 1950 (maybe). Does new cesspool come with new cover? Can I have my clothes line on top of old cesspool? How do I get rid of odor in my basement? When they put the new cesspool in do they check pipelines in and out of house? If so how? Do I need to get new pipes in side? Does a plumper know best, when to replace pipes? - S.H.

Reply: Wet warm weather

The season in which a cesspool is to be installed affects the cost and may affect the outcome too:

So it's probably cheaper and smarter to dig during the un-frozen wet season.

Of course, if your building relies on a cesspool or drywell to function and the present system has failed, you may be forced to install the new cesspool or drywell without waiting.

Cesspool cover:

Cesspools, if you buy a pre-fab pre-cast unit, are made of concrete. You may have a choice of cover - a heavier duty one that can be driven-over without collapsing is smart. But a safe cover must be included in your bid price regardless.

Watch out: falling into a cesspool or drywell is likely to be fatal.

See SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY

Putting a Clothes Line over a Cesspool:

A clothes line won't hurt the cesspool if you don't drive a post into the cesspool top.

Getting rid of Old Sewage Backup Odors:

Odors go away by cleaning and sanitizing the area of any sewage backup and airing it out. If odors remain you may have an outdoor failure and outdoor sewage odors as a source, or you might have an indoor plumbing vent problem.

See ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE for details.

Building Codes, Permits, Approvals for Cesspools and Drywells

You need an experienced plumber and cesspool. installer to help locate the new cesspool, connect existing building drains to it, and to assure that the building drain/waste/vent piping are working properly.

Don't forget to obtain a building department or health department permit and approval, and to install it correctly and safely.

Watch out: Some municipalities do not allow cesspools - so check with your building department.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2019-10-30 - by (mod) -

Yes Anon, depending on just how plumbing is routed and the country, city and local cite conditions, rodents and other pests can appear in a toilet bowl - both by climbing up onto the bowl and falling in or by swimming and crawling up through an un-protected sewer pipe from a municipal sewer line.

On 2019-10-30 by Anonymous

Can any type of rodent etc end up in your toilet?

On 2018-10-05 - by (mod) -

Watch out:

if the cesspool cover is damaged or inadequate someone can fall into the cesspool - usually meaning a quick and ugly death. Rope off the area, keep people away, and let your septic or excavation contractor explore the condition of the cesspool and its safety.

On 2018-10-05 by frank

ground above cesspool cover is bulging up

On 2017-11-19 by Doug


Thanks for the input Joe! We contacted the County about our dilemma and we may qualify to drain our septic into our existing cesspool. We have a septic specialist coming out, and if promising, we'll follow-up with an inspection to get qualification. Hopefully, we'll get the green light and pull the permit for the system that will fit our situation for about$10K.

On 2017-11-09 - by (mod) -

Doug,

You're right that a cesspool is in a sense a vertical leach line except that it also contains raw sewage. Unfortunately a vertical absorption system cannot properly treat sewage effluent since it lacks adequate bacteria at depth. That's one reason that many municipalities will not approve new cesspools nor the extension of use of an existing one when you are adding onto a property. If you are site to space is quite limited you need to get help from a septic design engineer. It may be possible to install an on-site treatment system that will process effluent to a sufficient level that you can meet local code Authority approval. Before doing anything expensive be sure you know what your local officials will approve.

On 2017-11-09 by Doug

I have a cesspool, but am required to install a septic since I'm adding a bedroom to my house. Can I route the discharge of my new septic tank into my existing cesspool? I live on a steep hill and don't have any logical location for leach lines - thinking that the cesspool would be a sort-of vertical leaching line, plus the water has already been treated by the septic.

On 2016-08-25 by Dee

Can a septic tank drain lines be buried 4 ft and zigzagged about a foot apart draining downhill?

On 2015-04-28 - by (mod) -

Darlene

If you worry that there is an unsafe cesspool into which someone could fall, you should

1. notify the neighbor immediately orally and if necessary in writing. Access to the area should be blocked off to prevent a child or adult from wandering by or falling in.

2. if the neighbor does not take immediate safety measures you have no choice but to ask for advice from your local building and health departments, also orally and in writing.

On 2015-04-28 by darlene austin lang

o my gosh I read your imformation I know my neighbor has a cesspool uncovered in her backf yard close to our property line I caught the old woman running her washing machine water in it who do I report this to I am so afraid of cavein now the place is a hundred year old trash ben


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