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Cesspit

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:42am
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Posts: 21

Location: La Romana

Joined: 25 Feb 2024

We're considering buying a villa in Romana,  however if we do we will have to put in a new up to date cesspit AND water filters as the water supply comes from underground. 

Any advice is helpful re costs and whether it's worth it or not, as ghe villa doesn't come with the accommodation certificate. 

Thanks 

Steve 

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:21am

Basil brush

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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:21am

Hi,

I can not comment on the water filter side of things as it will depend on whether you have an individual bore hole and pump etc or if you have a shared supply and only need inline filters? I would guess minimum costs would be €500 upwards?

With the cess pit again depending on make / model and access etc for digger/ Muckaway then expect to pay €4000-€6000 at a guess?

Best of luck with it👍🏻

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:25am

stevecarrett

Original Poster

Posts: 21

Location: La Romana

Joined: 25 Feb 2024

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:25am

Basil brush wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:21am:

Hi,

I can not comment on the water filter side of things as it will depend on whether you have an individual bore hole and pump etc or if you have a shared supply and only need inline filters? I would guess minimum costs would be €500 upwards?

 

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With the cess pit again depending on make / model and access etc for digger/ Muckaway then expect to pay €4000-€6000 at a guess?

Best of luck with it👍🏻

Thank you for replying 

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:12am

stevecarrett

Original Poster

Posts: 21

Location: La Romana

Joined: 25 Feb 2024

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:12am

stevecarrett wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:25am:

Thank you for replying 

I've just been informed that the waste system in place right now, as its rural, it has a system 3 meters underground and every week you put a small " teabag looking bag" in the toilet " obtainable via supermarkets and the soakaway is maintenance free?

Never heard of this in UK

Apparently a new system needs emptying every 8 weeks or so at a cost of around 200 euros 

Again not heard of this in UK.

I'm confused. 

Steve

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:53am

paulsav

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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:53am

stevecarrett wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:12am:

I've just been informed that the waste system in place right now, as its rural, it has a system 3 meters underground and every week you put a small " teabag looking bag" in the toilet " obtainable via supermarkets and the soakaway is maintenance free?

Never heard of this in UK

 

Read more...

Apparently a new system needs emptying every 8 weeks or so at a cost of around 200 euros 

Again not heard of this in UK.

I'm confused. 

Steve

Hi Steve

We too have a cesspit (18yrs now since purchase), but as non residents we havent changed it. I put "teabag" type sachets from Mercadona (by the bleaches) once a wk while here but 2 first wk and its never needed emptying. I dont think you have to have the new tanks emptying as frequent as you,ve said, it obviously depends on size of household and if residents too. Maybe a yearly job but others will give you correct info. I was surprised by the fact you are buying the property without the seller being forced to change to the new system as we were informed we couldnt sell without us doing the change first. We dont have a habitation certificate either but its apparently easy to get but only if we,ve changed the cesspit to a new septic tank first and again told we have to have it to sell in the future. You could inform the solicitor to demand the seller pay for the septic tank but if you,re getting it at a low price then you may have to bear the cost. I know of someone who went half with their seller, it did cost £8k total, so £4 paid. If cost of property is well below the correct purchase price as seen by the government you could be forced to pay an extra tax after purchase on missing tax charged on sale. I wish you well whatever happens, keep us upto date

Regards 

Pauline 

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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:18am

stevecarrett

Original Poster

Posts: 21

Location: La Romana

Joined: 25 Feb 2024

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:18am

paulsav wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:53am:

Hi Steve

We too have a cesspit (18yrs now since purchase), but as non residents we havent changed it. I put "teabag" type sachets from Mercadona (by the bleaches) once a wk while here but 2 first wk and its never needed emptying. I dont think you have to have the new tanks emptying as frequent as you,ve s...

 

Read more...

...aid, it obviously depends on size of household and if residents too. Maybe a yearly job but others will give you correct info. I was surprised by the fact you are buying the property without the seller being forced to change to the new system as we were informed we couldnt sell without us doing the change first. We dont have a habitation certificate either but its apparently easy to get but only if we,ve changed the cesspit to a new septic tank first and again told we have to have it to sell in the future. You could inform the solicitor to demand the seller pay for the septic tank but if you,re getting it at a low price then you may have to bear the cost. I know of someone who went half with their seller, it did cost £8k total, so £4 paid. If cost of property is well below the correct purchase price as seen by the government you could be forced to pay an extra tax after purchase on missing tax charged on sale. I wish you well whatever happens, keep us upto date

Regards 

Pauline 

Excellent.  Thank you so much.

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:51pm

Posts: 42

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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:51pm

stevecarrett wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:12am:

I've just been informed that the waste system in place right now, as its rural, it has a system 3 meters underground and every week you put a small " teabag looking bag" in the toilet " obtainable via supermarkets and the soakaway is maintenance free?

Never heard of this in UK

 

Read more...

Apparently a new system needs emptying every 8 weeks or so at a cost of around 200 euros 

Again not heard of this in UK.

I'm confused. 

Steve

The cesspit, if looked after properly, doesn't need emptying. Maybe only if it stinks too much, or the waste water doesn't flow freely. It's based on the fact, that microflora processes the waste and turns it into gass and water. Water goes to soak ways. The "tea bags" are fresh bacteria supply. No harsh chemicals to be used for cleaning, no wet wipes flashed down the toilet. Kitchen waste disposed of responsibly. We don't pour fats down the drains. For washing clothes I am using any supermarket washing liquid, conditioner, oxy whitening liquid. No problem with the cesspit, topping up bacteria every 2 weeks. 

Good luck with everything 

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:23pm

Stephanie86

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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:23pm

Technically a cess pit and a septic tank are two different things. A cesspit is effectively a containment tank which will need emptying, a septic tank is a containment vessel which breaks down waste by bacteriological action, the water draining off in, usually in sub surface channels. It will need emptying now and then,  We’ve just had ours emptied after several years, cost 180

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:39pm

stevecarrett

Original Poster

Posts: 21

Location: La Romana

Joined: 25 Feb 2024

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:39pm

Stephanie86 wrote on Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:23pm:

Technically a cess pit and a septic tank are two different things. A cesspit is effectively a containment tank which will need emptying, a septic tank is a containment vessel which breaks down waste by bacteriological action, the water draining off in, usually in sub surface channels. It will nee...

 

Read more...

...d emptying now and then,  We’ve just had ours emptied after several years, cost 180

Thank you 

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:02am

Posts: 32

star1 helpful points

Joined: 12 Apr 2018

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:02am

Fossa Septicas are the "tea bags" for the cesspit.

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