Small septic or tie into existing?

[Piper2022]

I friend of mine has a hunting camp with a full septic. We are building a small single bed guest cabin 400ft from the camp up on a small hill. The septic was designed for one additional bedroom in case the existing camp was expanded. I am helping with the site work with my tractor and we would like to tie into the existing system but the distance scares me. The elevation helps us and allows for about a 1/4" per foot pitch down the entire way to the existing septic. A plumber friend of ours says it will work fine just make sure clean outs are installed every 75 to meet code and use 4". I dont like the idea of flowing solid waste that far, but its either that or install a separate septic.

Do you guys see any issue with running that far?

 

[powerpace]

You should be fine. My house septic tank is currently forty feet away and down ten feet. The drain field is two-hundred feet downhill with a drop of forty feet. Only liquid is discharged from the septic tank.
When we developed the property we had a septic tank that serviced the barn and living quarters. It uses the same drainage field as the house. The effluent is pumped about one-hundred feet and up five feet. When the house was built the Department of Environment Quality said that we didn't have to have a seperate septic tank for the house. We could let the flushed solids flow about three hundred feet away and down about forty-five feet.
We opted for a seperate tank.
The solids are mainly water anyway they will not be a problem. The actual solid will be toilet paper but if the septic tank has a seperate setteling tank you should have no problems. Your rate of flow for the time you will occupy the cabin will be very low. Probably more gray water from your shower and sink than your toilet.

 

[Fawken]

Put a small one in.

 

[wyeguy]

I'd be worried about it not being used enough to allow the solids to get moved all the way down. If there was enough liquid moving regularly the solids wouldn't build up and would get pushed down. I wonder if the solids would build up and block the pipe and cause problems.

Just like you never want to leave a camper valve open to flow constantly into a septic or sewer. You want to have the liquid available flush the solids out and move them were you wanting to go.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Build your own and be self sufficient. I know you said "friend" but friendships have a way of falling apart. Lets say you connect to his system and all of a sudden he starts gettin septic problem, guess who's fault it will be. EVEN if it's not your fault. No sorry too may things can go wrong "sharing". I shared a well with a neighbor. Simple agreement, I would pay for any electricity above and beyond what his historic bills were. Then the trouble started, he installed a trailer with a renter from "our" well, then he complained I was using too much water, and on and on and on. I spent the 25K to drill my own well, just to get rid of him. Then Karma kicked in. "his" well went down and he had to play nice to get "free" water from me till his well was fixed and could his driller use my water.

Things that seem simple go south quickly when friends, family, or neighbors are involved.

 

[mjncad]

Expanding on Cat_Driver's comments. Is the new guest cabin on your buddy's land or your land? If the cabin is on your land and owned by you, then build you're own system. Too many non-technical things can go wrong that could involve evil lawyers to straighten out.

 

[CurlyDave]

I think Cat_Driver has the right idea. A separate septic system is a much better idea, even if it would be "cheaper" to use the existing septic. 400' of line has to cost something. Apply it to an independent septic and you will be miles ahead. You will not be introducing something that will strain your friendship.

BTW, where will you get water? And, who owns the property where the new cabin will go.

 

[dave1949]

I would worry that in the winter, even late deer season, the water in the waste pipe could freeze over a length of 400'. If well installed, (no dips, settling, etc.) I could see it working in the summer okay, although it will be more potential problems than a separate septic.

As said, 400' of 4" pvc isn't cheap, and you will have this 400' long thing to work around forever. I would want to get an estimate of the cost of a separate septic and field to know what I am comparing.

Out houses and composting toilets are another option. Here, you could get a permit for either, don't know about Poland.

 

[tcreeley]

I think the freezing could be a problem as well over the 400' line. 1000 gallon tank can be used, minus the leach field if you just pump it out on a regular basis, but I would do the whole thing. Somethings you can get away with, this is not a place to take shortcuts!
The tricky part is to keep the solid flowing with the liquid. Over 400 feet I imagine that the liquid is going to out run the sold and leave it stranded in small amounts overtime- plugging it. The guy who installed ours pointed out how short runs always work best.
Goodluck.

 

[radioman]

If you do decide to go against others advice to build separate septic system, then at least buy RV or safe for septic toilet paper only. This way it will fall apart in water when flushing. Charmin toilet paper is nice and soft, but can be a nightmare since it doesnt like to break down. This would be your best bet to to make it work and last. Since you say its a hunting cabin, I wouldnt worry much about how much more it costs since its not like you use it everyday all year.