Holding tank ?

[Mar3232]

If you have a garage that you converted into a living area as a guest apartment (occasional use) and you were upfront with any potential new owners about your intentions, would it be possible to have a holding tank for waste and simply have it professionally pumped when it needed it?

The tank would set in a hole out side (but not necessarily buried) and the outgoing drain line would be above the highest water level (like a septic tank). The tank itself could hopefully handle any freeze/thaw and measures would be taken to insulate the outgoing drain pipe.

I don't see why you couldn't do this, chances are any "guests" would be very infrequent.

My concern is with an inspector if I sell the home. If I told him and the new owners about it and my intentions of NON daily use would it be accepted? And if the work was professionally done.

No way I want to do a new septic tank for something that may get used a few times a month at most.

If I can't do this, going to setup a composting toilet. It's just that I already have a nice toilet already installed
and plumbed. -- thanks

 

[Valveman]

I had a hunting cabin that was seldom used like that. I made a septic system out of two plastic 55 gallon drums and had about 20' of drain field. It worked great for about 15 years. We started using the cabin a lot more often and the little septic system became inadequate. We dug it up and replaced it with a real septic system.

We put a strap around those 55 gallon drums and lifted them out with a little excavator. Of course we spilled a little. I had to laugh. One of my hunting buddies asked, "where did all that corn come from"? Since then I don't remember anybody bringing corn to eat. LOL

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JRC3]

I think the county would have more to say about it than anyone, things are pretty strict nowadays.

Is the garage attached? If so would something like this work? https://s3.amazonaws.com/pumpproducts/pdf/422_1_Zoeller+203-0005+Product+Brochure.pdf

 

[Jadnashua]

If you have existing sewer in the home, the hassles of monitoring and pumping a cistern (right word?) before it got full could be a real pain. IF it had an outlet into a septic field, all sorts of extra requirements come into play (perc rates, size, elevations, location from streams or standing water, etc.). If you can't drain it via gravity to the existing system, a tank/pump system is probably your best bet. Where sewer is available, you probably would not get a permit to put in new septic.