Editing Cesspit (section)

== Uses ==
[[File:Cess Pool in Slovakia.jpg|thumb|An empty, old cesspool in Slovakia]]

=== Holding tank ===
In the UK, a cesspit is a closed tank for the reception and temporary storage of [[sewage]]; in North America, this is simply referred to as a "holding tank". Because it is sealed, the tank must be emptied frequently – on average every 6 weeks<ref name="randa">{{Cite web|url=https://www.randacleansing.co.uk/how-often-should-cesspit-emptying-be-carried-out|title = How Often Should Cesspit Emptying be Carried Out?|date = 2 January 2019}}</ref> – but frequency varies a great deal and can be as often as weekly or as rarely as quarterly. Because of the need for frequent emptying, the cost of maintenance of a cesspit can be high. If owners in the UK do not maintain their cesspits, they can be fined up to £20,000.<ref name="randa" />

=== Infiltration systems ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2021}}
A cesspool was at one time{{when|date=April 2016}} built like a [[dry well]] lined with loose-fitting brick or stone, used for the disposal of sewage via infiltration into the soil. Liquids leaked out through the soil as conditions allowed, while solids decayed and collected as composted matter in the base of the cesspool. As the solids accumulated, eventually the particulate solids blocked the escape of liquids, causing the cesspool to drain more slowly or to overflow.

A [[biofilm]] forms in the loose soil surrounding a cesspool or [[pit latrine]] that provides some degree of attenuation of the pollutants present, but a deep cesspool can allow raw sewage to directly enter [[groundwater]] with minimal biological cleansing, leading to [[groundwater pollution]] and undrinkable water supplies. It is for this reason that deep water wells on the property must be drilled far from the cesspool.

Most residential waste cesspools in use in the US today are rudimentary septic systems, consisting of a concrete-capped pit lined with [[concrete masonry unit]]s (cinder blocks) laid on their sides with perforated [[drain field]] piping ([[weeping tile]]) extending outward below the level of the intake connection. The concrete cover often has a cleanout pipe extending above ground. Some are constructed with concrete walls on one or more sides.

The waste cesspool is vulnerable to overloading or flooding by heavy rains or snow melt because it is not enclosed and sealed like conventional septic tank systems. It is also vulnerable to the entry of tree roots, which can eventually cause the system to fail.