More work for the Septic Sages

[Markit]

Now for the next installment of my ongoing journey of discover about all things toilet and water here in Bali.

Went into my downstairs bathroom tonight to find to my delight and edification a worm swimming in the bottom of the toilet.

Well there are only 2 possibilites that spring to mind and one is bad and the other is worse:

Bad: the worm has swum up out of my septic tank

Worse: the worm came out of me

Since I can't even think about "Worse" lets deal with "Bad" - is it possible for things to swim out of a septic tank back into the house? Can I kill the whole fecking thing - think napalm or neutron bomb? What happens if I poison the septic tank?

Oh wise Septic Sages I await your Blessings

Markit

 

[ronb]

Why don't you flush it back to where you think it came from, and then see if it can repeat it's journey? Any attempt to poison it would be likely to harm the bacteria which are the essential component of theseptic system.

 

[biomicrobe]

Dear Markit,

hahaha
Both are possible, i hope for you, it didn't came out of your behind.
septic systems over-here are of low quality, older systems leak in to the ground (even new 1s), so pollute your well,if you have 1
question is how is your upkeep, with your septic tank?
does your septic system smell bad or no problem their, is it full?
to check if its full:l et the water run on 2 spots(somewhere in the house) check the drain coming from the septic-tank out into public drainige.
If there is sludge/food etc. coming out together with the water, you should take action!
I advise a probiotic product, instead of a tank service truck (suction unit), because that just a temporary solution.
to bad my product is not available in Bali yet!

 

[mariaandrobert]

Curious?? Worm?? Septic Tank?? Water bore??

Markit, did it come back after you flushed it again as Ron suggested? Was it the same smiling one or a different one, lol??

Not yet being on the ground there I'm trying to educate myself on all things water, wastewater and catchment too. Our 18-are property is located in Desa Kayuputih, nearly Melake, (Markit's favorite spot) and as we plan our construction project I'm curious to know about septic tank percolation experiences (performance) in the area and whether effluent is generally sent to a leach field or chlorinator/public gutter in that area? Perhaps a septic tank is too high-tech for that area and cesspits are more common? I'm curious to know if Ron has ever pumped his tank and how far they come/from where? I'm planning for my tank to be accessible from the roadside more so than the property due to building/garden locations or does this sound problematic? If thetank works as it should pumping should be very infrequent if at all.

I'm hoping to have greywater re-use deployed and some affordable rain catchment. Supposedly, community spring water is immediately available but I'm curious if anybody has experience with a well bore in the immediate area and how deep they might of went and what water quality/availability they achieved. We are high up and so boring a hole sufficiently deep may prove way too expensive.

We'd appreciate any insight from those of you experienced types on the ground and hopefully others may benefit as well.

 

[gilbert de jong]

start drilling for your water mariaandrobert...desa kayuputih is well known for it's lack of water during the musim panas.
Frans also a on-off resident in kayuputih has a well going down 40 meters...but is dry in the musim panas..

as for the septic tank suction...bit dependable as to how high up the mountain you are, if they can/will come or not.

 

[spicyayam]

Water or lack there of is a good thing to check before you buy any land. Kayuputih is beautiful in the rainy season but is dry as a bone when it stops raining.

 

[SHoggard]

re septic

@mariaandrobert seems we're in a similar position re land & investigating the build.
For the septic tank, I'm considering biogas... see this thread:

Biogas - anyone tried it?

This is related to Markit's question about Septic Tanks, but rather than hijack his thread I thought I'd start one: Has anyone tried to install a domestic Biogas Digester (or generator) in Bali? I thought these were mega-structures until I found myself doing some research a few years back...

balipod.com

 

[mariaandrobert]

We agree

Thanks for the help Spicy, we agree it is important to know whether water is available and we had wrote it is at least immediately available from a community spring system but we also plan to catch rain and greywater.

Your cite about the dryness up there can be a good thing as it relates to my septic percolation question. If the ground is able to dry out some then we'd tend to think it should me more absorbent and less water-logged.

 

[mariaandrobert]

Hi Gil,

We are about 4.2 km up from Lovina but immediately fronting the very narrow paved village road. So you think the suction truck is still iffy if ever required? Did you install bonafide septic tank and drain field at your place or different sewer solution?

 

[mariaandrobert]

Replied on your biogas thread. Sounds as we are indeed in the same perahu.

 

[gilbert de jong]

if the truck that brings buildingmaterials can make it up there, then the suction truck should be able to make it up there...no idea though about prices.
I have a septic tank...no idea if it's bonafide...just a big underground tank, one inlet and one outlet, the outlet doesn't lead into a section of wide perforated pipes (so no drainfield),
but normal size pipe goes into the got. The water that goes through this got, is connecting to the ricefield.

be sure to talk about the big difference in groundwaterlevel with your architect/engineer.

 

[gilbert de jong]

oow, almost forgot..that community springwater you mention, do you mean is the water wich is being controlled by the 'subak' ?

 

[mariaandrobert]

Ah yes, duit..

Selamat Tahun Baru!

Regarding trucks, duit makes anything happen.

You wrot "normal size pipe into the got," more explanation please. 10cm 4" pipe or 2.5cm 1"? Exuse my ignorance, but what is a "got"? Gutter, canal.

Bet the rice grows well. Smart use of Mother Nature's filter I suppose. Requires less bebek.

The community water seems to be controlled by a bule for a flat monthly rate though beyond seeing the pipe on the ground in the nehborhood I haven't yet investigated further its source. I recall being told it was his spring but for all I know it could be subak water he is selling.

 

[gilbert de jong]

yeah you got that right...money can make a lot of things happen on Bali :highly_amused:

got = gutter..yeah the rice is doing good :icon_biggrin:..as we speak he's making the padi ready for planting. about the pipes, both inlet and outlet are 10cm pipes.

ehm...a foreigner controlling the desa/village watersupply...wish it was that simple, me having land where a river runs through that would have been an easy way to make money
while sleeping.
but seriously, I never heard of a Bule being in control of water on Bali.
As far as I know the irrigation systems for plantages and padi's are controlled by the Subak, (balinese guy who gets elected by the people, a foreigner can't run for this position)
he sort of decides when the water goes where..then there's the natural spring water, wich can be linked to either the PDAM (Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum) or to BPAB (Badan Pengelola Air Bersih). I remember when we started building I (architect) payed the subak for accessing the water, so cement could be mixed etcetc...when the house was done we got hooked up
with a meter from the BPAB.
If I were you, especially in Kayu Putih, I would try to get to the bottom of the water 'issue'.