Editing Cesspit (section)

== Society and culture ==

=== Accidents ===
In [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]], New York, most households still use cesspools for waste drainage.<ref>{{citation|title=Shovel Ready|date=2011-01-24|url=http://www.johnderbyshire.com/Opinions/Straggler/098.html|author=John Derbyshire|author-link=John Derbyshire|journal=National Review|volume=63|issue=1|page=55|issn=0028-0038|department=The Straggler}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2024|reason=The source does not make this claim and references this article itself}}  Cesspool collapses have occurred in the area, for example on December 8, 2009, when two workers in a decommissioned cesspit were trapped, requiring a two-hour rescue mission. Since 1998, six cases have been reported of cesspools collapsing and sucking in human residents standing over them, injuring a total of seven people, and killing one in 2001,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192807,00.html|title=Man, Son, Neighbor Sucked Into N.Y. Cesspool|work=Fox News|date=25 March 2015 |access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> one in 2007,<ref>[http://www.1010wins.com/pages/572593.php?contentType=4&contentId=602247 L.I. Landscaper Dies After Falling Into Cesspool] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614074603/http://www.1010wins.com/pages/572593.php?contentType=4&contentId=602247|date=June 14, 2007}}</ref> and one in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/03/01/2010-03-01_teen_dies_after_falling_into_open_cesspool_outside_of_long_island_dunkin_donuts.html|title=Teen dies after falling into open cesspool outside of Long Island Dunkin' Donuts|work=nydailynews.com|access-date=7 September 2015}}</ref>

On June 1, 2011, two teenagers, from the Suffolk County neighborhood of [[Farmingville, New York|Farmingville]], drowned after becoming overwhelmed by fumes and trapped in a backyard cesspool measuring {{convert|16|ft}} deep.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fatal-cesspool-idUSTRE7516AP20110602|title=Two teens die after trapped in backyard cesspool on Long Island|date=2011-06-02|newspaper=Reuters|access-date=7 September 2015|archive-date=2015-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153335/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/02/us-fatal-cesspool-idUSTRE7516AP20110602|url-status=live}}</ref> Collapsing cesspools are mostly older ones, built with brick or [[concrete masonry unit|cinder block]]. Those structures weakened over their lifespan leading to increased risk of collapse. Newer cesspools are made from [[precast concrete]], which dramatically decreases the risk of collapse. All new construction in areas without sewerage systems use the new precast cesspools. In addition, cast concrete cesspools are used commonly in commercial construction, for storm water collection.

=== Archaeology ===
Archaeologists often use the term cesspit (or cess pit) to refer to a pit dug to receive human waste.<ref>{{Citation|last=Darvill|first=Timothy|title=cess pit|year=2009|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199534043.001.0001/acref-9780199534043-e-756|work=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|doi=10.1093/acref/9780199534043.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-953404-3|access-date=2020-04-23|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The word "cess" is sometimes used by archaeologists to refer to the contents found in cesspits, despite this not being etymologically correct.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://research.historicengland.org.uk/redirect.aspx?id=2225%7CTHE%20ENVIRONMENTAL%20ARCHAEOLOGY%20OF%20GARDEROBES,%20CESSPITS,%20SEWERS,%20AND%20LATRINES|title=The environmental archaeology of garderobes, sewers, cesspits and latrines|last=Greig|first=James|page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cesspool#English|title=Cesspool|date=25 February 2021}}</ref>