Home dump station

[Mike H]

Has anyone installed a dedicated 'stand alone' holding tank dump station at their house.  I'm not looking for dumping into our existing septic tank (way to far away and on the opposite side of our house).  At our hunting and fishing camps we used a couple of 55 gal barrels and they worked fine for occasional flushing but I know they would be overloaded with a single 40 - 60 gal dump.  I suspect  our current septic tank system couldn't even handle a single dump of that volume.

My question is:  How big/small of a septic has anyone installed.  Typically I don't see it getting used more than 1 or 2 times a year.  Probably more if a friend wanted to make a short visit and for us if we had used a Harvest Host site for a weekend and needed to dump when we got back home.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Mike H

[Dr4Film]

Excavate and install a 1000 gallon tank with a large top cover. Then have it pumped out every few years when full.

[Mike H]

3 minutes ago, Dr4Film said:

Excavate and install a 1000 gallon tank with a large top cover. Then have it pumped out every few years when full.

So you didn't bother with putting in a small drain field of any sort?

[Dr4Film]

Mike, I have a dump station at the rear of my house that goes to the sewer with a water supply for rinsing. My post was only a suggestion versus having to install a tank and a leach field.

[Tom Wallis]

My septic tank is on the opposite side of my house from my shop. It's a good 200' or more away from where I park the motorhome. I buried  3/4" ABS line about 5" deep right from the motorhome to the clean out  near the septic. I have a short hose attached to it on the motorhome end. When I get home with full tanks I attach a macerator between the motorhome and the hose and dump it all into the septic tank.  When I finish I flush the line with clean water from a garden hose. When I use it in the winter I follow up with compressed air to make sure it doesn't freeze. I've been doing it that way for 4 years. It works great.

[TommyL]

Mike, I used a plastic barrel and about 12 ft. Of chambers (left over from other septic systems) true the barrel is small , but typically the solids go to the bottom and liquid to the leach field ( chambers) . If barrel concerns you ,might look at 100 to150 gallon liquid totes , about 50$ around here. We try to dump before the trip home so mostly 50 gallons wash out water, gray and a little black. My backhoe wasn’t here so I was digging by hand, therefore the small tank. Not DEQ approved.That would cost a few thousand dollars.

08 camelot tag 

ps. We used chambers because no coarse rock involved and large liquid volume.

[Ivan K]

When I had my shop built, it included 500 gal septic tank with what they call a grinder pump with a float that pumps it over to house septic 100+ feet away. That's what I use when we come back and could not dump on the way.

[Tom Cherry]

OK…I did mine different.  Assuming your home was built and the septic tank was designed for the number of fixtures, as in…sinks, tubs, showers, dishwasher, washing machine….etc…. And there was a county or municipal inspection, then you have capacity, unless your septic tank has gotten so full that it will be needed to be pumped out soon, for a “RV” DUMP.  I dug down beside the wall of the tank and knocked out the “additional inlet” piece of concrete….it was thinner…and installed a 4” 90deg elbow and ran a 4” pvc pipe up, which was threaded, and then put the same CG screw cover or cap.  I use my Sanicon as the distance would require 5 sections of hose and i prefer my Sanicon.

i installed the tap in 2006….a year or so after I had it pumped…. House was built in 1990 so that was 15 years.  Now, 18 years later, all is fine and i have not had to have it pumped.  We averaged about 6 trips per year.  I dump usually before we break camp, but then drain when we get home.  If we were making a one night stop on the way home…I don’t bother at the CG.

MY EXPERIENCE.  I have, usually once every 2 years, had a 3/4 full gray and maybe 1/2 full black and never had any issues dumping.

if you have a functional Sanicon, I would add the additional tap or inlet and use it.  Folks have pumped out their tanks up to 150 feet UPHILL where the elevation was maybe 20 ft higher. It would be cheaper to purchase a “stay at home” packaged or portable Sanicon and hook it up than to do ant of the following. Not to mention the potential odor issues from a holding tank…BUT YOU COULD…L.

Now, if you are not a Sanicon fan or don’t have one….or don’t want a “home use only”….then two options.  Portable wheeled tank and roll to the tap or additional inlet and dump.  The other is to dig a hole….gravity rules… and put in one or two plastic 55 gallon drums.  You would cut a 4” or so hole and tie them together and let them fill and level equalize.

Purchase 120 VAC macerater pump.  Will need a 3” or so inlet.  I would drop an inlet down, permanently, into each barrel.  Then use a screw fitting and a T.  Need a shut off on each inlet.   Pump will pump from one or both…one assumes you shut off the inlet line.  Use a garden hose and then pump the ground up waste over to the home septic new tap.  Burying a large tank would be an economic decision as in, can I excavate the hole or pay someone.  Personally, a 150 gallon tank is plenty.

I would not put in a separate drain field as that requires permitting and will be expensive.

The ground (from my Sanicon) wastes or from a macerater pump will break down and not put any undue load or capacity or degradation load on a properly designed home septic.  Think about the “hydraulic load”.  Laundry day….do a few loads.  Dishwasher was used.  Normal bathing. You put more water down the drain when you have guests.

I know many that have done the tap and some can use a slinky….I can’t… But, there are no OMG issues if your house has an approved septic tank

[Mike H]

Tom,   My problem our septic tank is on the other side of our house and it would take probably 200 ft of line to get to it.  At a slope of 1/4" per foot the tank would need to be 50 ft deep to drain properly.  Our back yard is only about 15-20 ft away from where the sewer hose would attach to the coach.  A 200-250 gal barrel is probably going to be the simplest solution and I think I might be able to find someone that could put that in without any permitting.

[Tom Whitlow]

Two years ago I had a 500 gal septic tank with a 25' drain field installed beside our hangar/barn where we keep Monaco.  I was installing a bathroom out there at the same time.  I did the trenching and pipe work  I paid a local skid steer operator who did septic installs to do the tank and drain field.  He charged me $1,500 which included the tank and drain field sections.  At our previous house we used the macerator and a 3/4" hose to pump about 50' to a connection to the septic cleanout.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Tom Whitlow
mispell

[Tom Cherry]

5 hours ago, Mike H said:

Tom,   My problem our septic tank is on the other side of our house and it would take probably 200 ft of line to get to it.  At a slope of 1/4" per foot the tank would need to be 50 ft deep to drain properly.  Our back yard is only about 15-20 ft away from where the sewer hose would attach to the coach.  A 200-250 gal barrel is probably going to be the simplest solution and I think I might be able to find someone that could put that in without any permitting.

My comments were long.  
A…. Look at the portable tank solution….with a tap to your existing septic tank. Terrain and any limits due “physical” fitness would be a consideration.  A 15 gallon unit would weigh maybe 135 pounds plus the tank.  We don’t generate 15 gallons on a day….more like 5…MAX…but more like 4.  So, if all you need is from a CG with hookups….not a big deal.  But, if you boondock and then come home…bigger issues.

B……The new Sanicon portable Turbo has two different specs on it.  150 or 100 ft…HORIZONTAL.  But, my question would be…can you get closer and use say 121  ft of hose….Sanicon + 100 ft 1” garden hose.  assuming there is a sloped terrain.  I assume from your math, the terrain is level.  The only requirement would be a #10 power connection…which could be a 30 amp AC style hookup and use the MH house batteries.  But if you can’t get that close.  BTW, FROM the Thetford specs, flow rate is 3.7 gpm.

C….. does your house have a cleanout on the main drain line that could have a female, with shut off valve of course, garden hose bib added.  If so and convenient, then simply hook up the Sanicon hose and pump directly.  My crawl space would work.  The door is next to the cleanout…so a simple hookup.  Might not be feasible…but I like to look at all options. 
 

D…. Opps, pumps are getting expensive.  There is a 120 V Jabsco pump designed to be used on larger private marine hook up.  It does not list how warm on level ground, it will pump with a commercial 1” hose.  $700….  http://www.depcopump.com/datasheets/jabsco/18690-0000_Data_Sheet_2003.pdf
My experience in facilities and also keeping my daughter’s first condo was that the home or basement lift pumps (the surveyor goofed…. The section of the development had to have macerator lift pumps to get to the sewer “tap”).  But it was designed for short runs and not the 200 ft. you need…so a macerator lift pump might need a thorough look…

Just my comments….retired facility Directors always have some “gee, can I really pull this off” attitude…so….  look at all options.  A non permitted tank and waste field might not be such a bad choice, given your distance….

Good luck.  Let us know how this shakes our.  BTW, the “Lowes” cheapies which are also sold on Amazon get poor ratings…..but that is a constant use…not intermittent…but permanent installations if freezing is an issue, have their own set of “how do I.”

[Bill R]

3 hours ago, Mike H said:

My problem our septic tank is on the other side of our house and it would take probably 200 ft of line to get to it.

Mike, if you installed one of these to pump to your existing tank you would not need that much slope.  Just a little slope to drain the line.  I used one of these for my basement bathroom I built.

https://www.ferguson.com/product/zoeller-pump-co-912-series-115v-25-hp-90-gpm-polyethylene-sewage-pump-and-basin-system-with-20-ft.-cord-z9120082/2392328.html

Edited September 5, 2023 by Bill R

[Paul J A]

Another option is  a "Mound" system. 

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, Bill R said:

Mike, if you installed one of these to pump to your existing tank you would not need that much slope.  Just a little slope to drain the line.  I used one of these for my basement bathroom I built.

https://www.ferguson.com/product/zoeller-pump-co-912-series-115v-25-hp-90-gpm-polyethylene-sewage-pump-and-basin-system-with-20-ft.-cord-z9120082/2392328.html

Looks like it will work as long as you have a 2” outlet line or rollup hose.  This is a “solids handling” pump, not a macerator.  Therefore a garden hose will not handle it.  It also has a heck of an output….90 GPM.  It is designed for filling the tank and then the float switch kicking in.  Unless you bring home a full load, it will only accumulate one load and then wait for another.  That is why the stink vent is needed for the Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide. 

A lower output pump with a macerator head that will then work with a one inch garden hose would be my choice.  Now, you could sink the pipe and but it over the 200 ft run.  These work great for remote locations where you put a mobile home on an adjacent lot….but not for occasional use where you do not it hard plumbed.

But, maybe….

[throgmartin]

Mike:

For a steak dinner at Mortons I will put the septic/drain field in for you. You rent the equipment and buy the materials. 🙂

On the serious side I have installed a number of septic/drainfields. Some for RV's and some for homes and one for a commercial property. Since I am able to operate machinery I rented the equipment and did the digging. Nothing I love more ( other flying airplanes ) is operating heavy equipment. In as far as a tank, if you do not want to spring for a tank then consider buying a chemical tote. They are all over Facebook marketplace for less then $ 100. These are the tanks that have a steel cage around them. I believe they are 250 gal tanks. You drill out one side for your in fluent line and then the other side for your effluent. Run a single drain field line and call it good. The Systems I have installed are much more complex with multiple drain field runs, filters and distribution boxes. The system I mentioned is a simple one designed for occasional use.

Tote:

https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t45.5328-4/371857314_6812678485430464_8337821260165960107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p720x720&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=1a0e84&_nc_ohc=yPYnKG_jsWIAX8DzluI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBVdSR9aVbAb3LiIGz-KM3r8xe1Dip3svc-PlKTF5qcKQ&oe=64FCEC2E

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by throgmartin

[Mike H]

1 hour ago, throgmartin said:

Mike:

For a steak dinner at Mortons I will put the septic/drain field in for you. You rent the equipment and buy the materials. 🙂

On the serious side I have installed a number of septic/drain fields. Some for RV's and some for homes and one for a commercial property. Since I am able to operate machinery I rented the equipment and did the digging. Nothing I love more ( other flying airplanes ) is operating heavy equipment. In as far as a tank, if you do not want to spring for a tank then consider buying a chemical tote. They are all over Facebook marketplace for less then $ 100. These are the tanks that have a steel cage around them. I believe they are 250 gal tanks. You drill out one side for your in fluent line and then the other side for your effluent. Run a single drain field line and call it good. The Systems I have installed are much more complex with multiple drain field runs, filters and distribution boxes. The system I mentioned is a simple one designed for occasional use.

Tote:

https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t45.5328-4/371857314_6812678485430464_8337821260165960107_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p720x720&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=1a0e84&_nc_ohc=yPYnKG_jsWIAX8DzluI&_nc_ht=scontent.ftpa1-2.fna&oh=00_AfBVdSR9aVbAb3LiIGz-KM3r8xe1Dip3svc-PlKTF5qcKQ&oe=64FCEC2E

 

Ah Ha !  A chemical tote, that's what I was thinking about but forgot what they were called.  A couple of the camps out at my fishing camp installed those.  Most of the other camps just used two 55 gal plastic barrels and a drain field pipe.  I didn't think the 55 gal barrels would be big enough if I came home with my holding tanks half full.  I'll check around on Craig's List and Marketplace.  Tnx.

[Tom Cherry]

9 minutes ago, Mike H said:

Ah Ha !  A chemical tote, that's what I was thinking about but forgot what they were called.  A couple of the camps out at my fishing camp installed those.  Most of the other camps just used two 55 gal plastic barrels and a drain field pipe.  I didn't think the 55 gal barrels would be big enough if I came home with my holding tanks half full.  I'll check around on Craig's List and Marketplace.  Tnx.

Obviously LOCAL regulations apply.  In Florida, where it is sandy, not like clay in NC, that liquid is gonna "go away".  WHERE....that is the $1,024 ($64 dollar adjusted for current inflation).  Next up.  Exactly WHY do you need to put the Gray waste water into the tank...other than to have at least 3 or 4 times the volume to dump and let it eventually leach out?  I know a LOT of folks (names are forbidden to protect them from violations) who only capture or "DO something", at home, with the Black....  the Gray just goes on the ground.  YES, it is a bit on the alkaline (soap) side....but one good rain.....maybe a little suds.... Wash the rig or your car in that area after the gray is dumped....not gonna harm the environment....

YES....get a tote.  BUT, I would examine the COSTS of how to "dispose".  If the Jabsco pump, with a 1" HD Garden Hose fitting, will push liquid maybe 200 ft....then I would put the tap on my septic tanks and use it as needed and roll up the hose.  Certainly NOT dig and trench a 2" pipe like the other pump requires...  Then you PUMP IT ALL....and the macerated wastes are in the normal biodegradeable Septic tank....and the volume is not gonna cause any issues...as the wastes are ground up and will breakdown quicker.  I might pump the black first....then, if you were of a mind...drop the gray...and pump it.  That eliminates the odor issue.  The extra soapy water ain't gonna matter.  A little Ridex to keep the critters alive and happy might be needed a few times a year.

Not one to just go out and create a piping monument to my lack of creativity....  Unless, if like Chris, you get a tingle from digging and playing in the dirt.  I ran a backhoe once....  and decided that I would need more practice...but I got the job done...  BUT, If I had hired a neighbor, who came over afterwards....and said....Hey, you did good...but took forever.  The hours on the machine would have been lower...thus...my costs.  But, I had a ball....  to each his own...

BUT, your property and your local regs....

 

[jacwjames]

Do you need any type of permit to install a system??  Are there any wells close to the area you want to install?  What type of soil do you have where you want to put the system.  If it is permeable adding a drain field may be worthwhile but if you don't have good soil it would be a waste of time and money.   Do have any info on the septic system installed at your house, the permit may have the type of soil.  You can also go to the USGS and find soil maps which will give you a general idea of the type of soil but would not be good enough for a permit.

If you don't want to fool with a permit I'd recommend keeping it simple, consider a two chamber system, one 55 gallon heavy plastic barrel to dump into, then a 4" connecting pipe to another 55 gallon barrel filled with gravel with a bunch of holes cut in the bottom that would allow liquid to drain.  The pipe should have a 90 degree elbow with a 2' long piece pointed down.  The pipe would allow liquid to flow to the drain barrel. 

 

I had to get septic permits on 3 different pieces of property, two were required to sell the lots so the future owners would know what size (number of bedrooms) they could build.  This was in E TN near Knoxville and the county officials were not good to work with.  Took a lot of effort and $$$ on my part to be able to subdivide 5 acres into two lots.  Had to hire a soil scientist to do the perk testing and write a report.  One of the lots perked good, not a problem to put in a 3 bedroom house.  Second lot not as easy, originally they were only going approve a 2 bedroom house I basically said forget it I just wouldn't subdivide.  The county then decided a 3 bedroom would be OK.

I then had to get a septic permit for the 5 acres I wanted to build a house on.  Two type of soils, some was heavy clay that would not perk at all, a shallow hole would hold water for days.  150 ft away you could dump a 5 gallon bucket of water on the ground and it would disappear instantly.  The soil scientist that wrote the report said if I wanted to build a 5 star hotel he'd give a permit for it.  I ended up getting a permit for a 5 bedroom house which required 1250 gallon tank and 625 ft of drain field.  Cost was $7500 for the system but I should never have a problem. 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by jacwjames

[windsorbill06]

On 9/4/2023 at 2:04 PM, Mike H said:

Tom,   My problem our septic tank is on the other side of our house and it would take probably 200 ft of line to get to it.  At a slope of 1/4" per foot the tank would need to be 50 ft deep to drain properly.  Our back yard is only about 15-20 ft away from where the sewer hose would attach to the coach.  A 200-250 gal barrel is probably going to be the simplest solution and I think I might be able to find someone that could put that in without any permitting.

Mike,

a tank 200' away would only require 50 inches deep, not 50 feet.  That's with 1/4" fall. Unless your tank is really shallow, I'd think that would work.  I've done as little as 1/8" fall, and inspector approved that, but we had to have an engineer certify the 'as built'.

Edited September 6, 2023 by windsorbill06

[Mike H]

3 hours ago, windsorbill06 said:

Mike,

a tank 200' away would only require 50 inches deep, not 50 feet.  That's with 1/4" fall. Unless your tank is really shallow, I'd think that would work.  I've done as little as 1/8" fall, and inspector approved that, but we had to have an engineer certify the 'as built'.

DANG ! You're absolutely correct.  That was a bad typo 🙂

[Steve P]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/neat-distributing-275-gal-fda-approved-ibc-tote-nb275

[jacwjames]

26 minutes ago, Steve P said:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/neat-distributing-275-gal-fda-approved-ibc-tote-nb275

Check on Craigslist for this type of tote.  Just checked my area and I can buy for $80 for one $70 for two.  

I needed sources of water when I was building my house.  Can lay block or brick without water.  So I bought two of these totes and smaller barrels.  I'd place these totes up hill from the house and use my generator to fill them up.  The contractors would just gravity drain from the tanks. 

[Mike H]

1 hour ago, jacwjames said:

Check on Craigslist for this type of tote.  Just checked my area and I can buy for $80 for one $70 for two.  

I needed sources of water when I was building my house.  Can lay block or brick without water.  So I bought two of these totes and smaller barrels.  I'd place these totes up hill from the house and use my generator to fill them up.  The contractors would just gravity drain from the tanks. 

Yep, just found some for $60 but they are about 90 miles away.  Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions.  I know what I need to do now.