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What is a cesspit?
Cesspits explained
A cesspit, also referred to as a cesspool, is an off-mains drainage system that consists of a single underground holding tank with one opening in which wastewater (liquid waste and sewage) is temporarily stored.
Wastewater stored in a cesspit remains untreated. Instead, all the liquid and sludge has to be regularly pumped out and taken away for safe treatment and disposal.
This increases the frequency with which the tank has to be emptied, compared with other off-mains tank systems (septic tanks and sewage treatment plants). In turn, it can make this off-mains drainage system more costly to maintain.
A cesspit may be chosen if there is no opportunity to discharge treated effluent into a drainage field or a water course due to lack of space or an inability to comply with off-mains drainage general binding rules.
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