Building A Septic Tank In South Africa – The DIY approach
How to build a septic tank in South Africa. The DIY Way
Are you planning to build a new home and wondering whether and how to build a septic tank? Imagine this for a moment, you have been invited to a friend’s house for ‘house warming’ drinks and on arrival, you are met with a horrible stench in and around the yard. Rightfully embarrassed, said friend greets you and asks that you ignore the pungent smell. He explains the smell started about an hour ago and he thinks it’s coming from the stream outside his back wall. As you walk in the house, overwhelmed by the whiff, you can’t help but think of the earliest possible moment to leave.
No one would ever want to experience a similar fate. So, unless your property is connected to a functional (and maintained) local municipal sewerage system, you may need to install a septic tank system. We will touch on how where to procure septic tanks in South Africa later in this article. But first let us understand the basics, what is a septic tank? A septic tank system is an onsite sewerage facility. It comprises of an underground chamber made of plastic, concrete or other materials through which waste water is stored and treated.
How to Build a Septic Tank System
Installing a septic tank is quite a costly endeavour. If money is no object, one could go ahead and hire a professional septic tank contractor to design, excavate and install a septic tank system, but if you are like most of us and want to save money, it’s advisable to build one by yourself as long as you follow all the guidelines.
- Research or seek advice about national or local requirements like the approvals required, waivers etc.
- Determine the estimate cost of materials and labour required for the job. These include tank size (according to your needs), piping, distribution box, drain field and excavation.
- Rototank offers the largest range of septic tanks in South Africa. Its unique bespoke 24/7 production approach and national free delivery, ensures that you get quality products, that are designed with you in mind.
- Decide where the septic tank will be located. Most households have their septic tanks systems installed in the backyard, under the garage or near the street. You will need to survey your yard and determine the best possible site for it
- Other considerations to be made at this stage are soil classification, drain field size and layout.
Any mistakes made at this stage may be costly to rectify. - After this stage, put together a complete plan of your septic tank system comprising of drawings, materials and their costs, chosen site maps and labour requirements. You can then decide to dig the area yourself or get quotes from excavation contractors.
There are a number of advantages of installing a septic tank by yourself. The biggest of which is that it saves money. Not only does one not worry about monthly municipal sewerage levies, it also costs less to install. Septic tanks are also a better bet for the environment as they don’t contaminate ground water as often as the leaky municipal sewerage lines. Another advantage of installing septic tanks in this way is variety. By doing it yourself, it gives you the option to select one based on its strength, durability and low maintenance specifications.
Unpleasant smells are a general inconvenience to any neighbourhood. You would not want your home to be the source of a pungent whiff lingering in the area. Whether learning how to build a septic tank or procuring the expert services of the RotoTank team, ensure that your waste management tank is a quality one from the best and largest septic tank manufacturer and distributor in South Africa.
Our team is available to answer any additional questions or queries. Get in touch.
