Adam4291

Hi guys i recently bought a wine house near Letenye (zala county). I need to buy a small septic tank do they sell them in local builders merchants or will i need to go to a specialist shop?. i can install my self no problem i just need to source the tank. any help would be greatly appreciated.

also if any expats in the area would be good to chat

Thanks guys

sorry about my grammar

fidobsa

Just a suggestion but I used a secondhand 1500 litre plastic tank that had been used for heating oil. It was formed in 3 sections so I had to cut 3 large holes in the top for emptying access. You do see the purpose made septic tanks in the larger builders merchants but they are quite expensive. If the property is only for summer use you might manage with one of those caged 1000 litre cube shaped tanks the farmers use. There are loads of those on the Jofogas site and I also noticed these but they don't say the size:

Esővíz-permetező tartály eladó - Kiskőrös, Bács-Kiskun

http://www.jofogas.hu/bacs_kiskun/13...o_50311316.htm

Adam4291

Hi fidobsa

Thanks for the advice i think i will go with a large tank rather than buy an actual septic tank, will be much cheaper.

yes it is just for summer use at the moment and hobby wine making

Thanks again for taking time out to reply

mawood47

If in hurry for information then I have a information on a manufacture of septic tanks a 1,000 let cost 76.00huf plus's delivery or if to expressive then severely constructions drawings on laptop hear in Uk and layouts of drains But be warned of issues envirment as local councils are clamping down on illegal installations I know my planning was rejected for one reason only the Septic Tank could not be emptied by a contractor using the access road, yes its daft but true digger47

Peter_in_Hungary

Adam4291 what do you mean by a septic tank? A septic tank is a self contained sewage system consisting of 2 compartments leading to a drainage field or soakaway for the treatment of foul water.

The plastic tanks mentioned above won't take kindly to being buried in the ground. If you are looking for a sewage management system then what do you have at the moment?

There are a number of options available both legal and not quite so, and environmentally acceptable and otherwise.

Sachina

I had to get planning permission as well as plans drawn up and approved by the town architect to have a holding tank on my land and that was 9 years ago.

It's underground and built of reinforced concrete and large enough to hold all the waste water and sewage from a medium sized house for 6 months before it needs emptying which is done by a local farmer who sprays the contents on his fields.

Adam4291

Thanks guys

I really didn't think I would need planning permisiin for this.

I just have a small wine cottage in letenye at the moment all there is is a wooden shack like composting toilet but I am wanting to renovate the wine house into a summer cottage.

Does this mean it is going to be expensive to add a proper septic tank. 75000 seems reasonable but if I need planning etc could become costly?.

Maybe I should ask my Hungarian lawyer about this or do you guys have any info on cost of planning etc or what could be my other options.

I know they are putting drains in the near by villages but this will not be happening around the wine houses. They are pretty much off the grid though I do have water and a choice to reconnect the electricity.

Thanks guys

mawood47

If require details of suppler of uncle septic tank send PM and I shall send details when over on 27th just for 3 week break from treatment in Uk. Giving all Grape crop away this year no time to press digger47

Peter_in_Hungary

Hi Adam4291
Whether you are allowed a septic tank or a cesspit depends upon local conditions and regulations. What Sachina describes is a cesspit, they need emptying when full. It is unusual for the authorities to allow the contents of cesspits to sprayed on to fields. One of the factors regarding a septic tank will be the amount of land you have available for the drainfield (and the area will depend upon expected quantity of water and the soil type).

Most cesspits develop leaks soon after they are constructed, inspected and passed (mainly due to the cost of emptying!!)

It depends how 'posh' you want your summer cottage. The wooden shack composting toilets work well and are generally acceptable - unless you are intending to rent out the cottage and even then they are acceptable in a lower class (= cheaper) holiday let, providing it is stated in the description. Managed properly they do not smell and do not attract flies.

If you stay with the composting toilet then you can put in a settlement tank and soak-away for the grey water. By the way you can buy modern composting toilets designed to go in houses but they take up quite a lot of space.

Planning rules have changed recently and quite a lot now comes under 'permitted development'. Plans still need to be drawn up but it is a notification of intended works that is sent to the authorities rather than a request for permission, so the cost will be drawing up the plans - providing what you intend to do comes within the local PD category. You will have to ask the engineer designing the system as to what is acceptable in your area. As always get quotes.

Whether you can connect to the mains drains will depend how far you will be from the pipe, but as your place will not be categorised as a permanent dwelling there will be no grant aid so you will have the whole cost yourself, probably too expensive but otherwise the easiest option.

fidobsa

I already had a septic tank at the Hungary house (now defunct as I was required to connect to the village sewage system) but my place in Croatia just had the pipe from the bathroom running into a sort of open ditch, actually not within the parcel of land I bought but on land still owned by the seller. This was clearly not satisfactory so I bought the tank mentioned above, dug 2 pits, put the tank in one and filled the other with gravel as a soakaway and that has been my sewage system for the last 2 years. I did not fully backfill the hole for the tank as I was a bit concerned that the weight of soil could damage the tank. There is probably only about 2 feet of soil on top of the tank whereas it would be about 5 feet if I fully backfilled. The soil is nearly pure sand so the depression above the tank never fills up with rainwater. The village mayor knows about my septic tank and his only comment was "That's a good idea, putting in the soakaway as it would fill up quite quickly otherwise" I knew when I did the job that it would not meet current requirements in UK or elsewhere but would the existing setup? I'm certainly not going to lose sleep about the remote chance of being investigated for polluting the environment or whatever.

Pollypaprika

I know this is off topic, but how are you finding life in Croatia Fidobsa?

PaulinEger

Not totally OT...
Are there grants or funding available to connect to the mains system? When we bought our house we were told we were connected....but we're not. There is a connection point in our garden but the house was never connected to it. Each year we get a "fine" based upon the amount of water we use because we are not connected. We contacted a couple of plumbers but neither were keen on doing the job ; maybe because the house is valyog and the connection is at the front and the current waste outlet is at the back.
We are planning on a new bathroom in a different place and connecting that to the mains although the waste pipe will have to run above ground along one side of the house when we do this. Hopefully this way we can avoid the annual fine.

Pollypaprika

Ouch! Same thing happened to us, we were blissfully unaware we were not connected and got a big fine each year...backdated of course. We finally sorted it out a few years ago, a team of guys turned up, dug a hole from the back of our house to the front...and we were up and running by the afternoon.

fidobsa

Paul, when I connected mine I just got someone to help with digging the trenches. You would probably find a neighbour who has done their own connection and would help with yours (for payment!). In my case I didn't need to get it inspected or anything and I just wrote to the water company to tell them it was done.

Polly, life is much easier in Croatia because so many people speak English. I was in Budapest last night, trying to get from the airport to my car parked in Kelenfold after midnight with no Metro trains running. There were bus and tram passengers who spoke English and advised me but none of the drivers did. That is in the capital, in Croatia I am mostly in small towns and small villages and yet it is easier to find people who speak English. I had to go to England for a funeral and needed to leave my dog with someone. My next door neighbour in the tiny village in Croatia speaks very good English and she offered to have Charlie for me when I told her about my trip.

PaulinEger

Part of my problem in getting the current system connected is the amount of concrete that would have to be dug up. Also the depth of the connection Asa's the driveway slopes down to the back of the house. Whatever the solution, it's going to be difficult.