You and your architect have just finished designing your new home. This is the greatest progress that you have achieved so far. Apart from the detailed design of your new house, the technical elements of the house are more important to you. You believe that the aesthetics will not last very long if the useful components are not that efficient and durable. Imagine your beautiful, brand new house having leaky ceilings, a flooded yard, and backed up toilets. The cesspool was your main focus after the design was finished. It was then that you decided to have a meeting with the local septic expert. The first question that you wanted to ask was… How long do cesspools last? It was important for you to really have an idea how long a cesspool could possibly last. When your septic expert arrived, he was ready to brief you with the facts about your question.
As you know, the cesspool is much like a conventional septic system but it doesn’t have an outflow pipe that distributes the treated effluent to the soil absorption system. It is a large tank that collects the wastewater from your household and disperses the pre-treated effluent through the holes along its sides. Like the septic tank, it also has anaerobic bacteria that break down the solid particles so that the effluent does not carry any of it into the soil absorption system. The cesspool also needs to be pumped out and treated just like the septic tank. And like the septic tank, a cesspool needs to be made of durable material so that it could last for decades.
A cesspool’s lifespan depends on the usage, care, maintenance, and the material it is made of. If you use your drains, toilets, and sinks very well in terms of not treating it as a trash bin, your cesspool could last longer. How long do cesspools last is the question. Making sure that the cesspool undergoes monthly treatments and pump outs will also help lengthen the life of your system. Of course, the materials used in making the cesspool should also be highly considered. These days, there are three known materials commonly used for making cesspools.
Concrete is a porous material. It can easily be affected by the substances in the wastewater and the natural elements that bombard it such as rain. Even so, it is said that this type of cesspool could last a year to forty years depending on how well it is mixed and depending on the quality of the concrete used. Steel is the next material that is common in cesspools. This is also as vulnerable to chemicals and elements as concrete but it could still last 15-20 years depending on the maintenance and usage.
If the cesspool reaches the maximum number of years, it could still function but it would already be rusted. You have to inspect it regularly to know when you should have it replaced already. Polymer is the latest, most durable material among the three. It is said that this material promises years of life as well, but it has to maintain its good physical condition.
You should not be disillusioned that cesspools last a lifetime. It could only last for a certain number of years. If ever a homeowner ends up with a property that already has a cesspool installed, a certified septic expert should have done a thorough septic inspection before the actual purchase was made so that the size, condition, and age of the cesspool would be confirmed. If this type of professional has done this, then all the necessary replacements and repairs could have been done.
You should also ask your septic expert to ask for credible manufacturers of cesspools for the best and most durable cesspool that you could purchase for your budget. The acidity of the groundwater in your area should also be determined. Hopefully, you would be able to purchase the perfect cesspool for your new house. Make sure to ask the sales person the most important question of all, How long do cesspools last?