Cesspool VS Septic Tank

[dxf]

I think that one of the problems here is terminology. A cesspit is a simple tank, which will need emptying. A septic tank is a simple digesting system that breaks down the effluent and cleanish water soaks away, it may need emptying eventually if it fills up with sediment.
Pozo negro is not really a technical term and you could have anything from a sealed cesspit ,or a simple tank with some bricks knocked out, through to a proper 3 chamber septic tank.

Hola

A pozo negro or cesspit, around here is simply four walls, a roof and if you're lucky a gravel on earth floor through which everything drains.

A fosa septica / septic tank is a multi chamber tank that has an inlet to the first chamber, and an "overflow" from the last chamber

Either may need emptying at some stage in their lives

Davexf

[spanish_lad]

I don't agree with the Bot's description of having a pozo negro. Ours is completely sealed and you cannot access it and it never fills up nor needs emptying. It would have backed up the drain if it had become full. Ones we've had in previous houses and friends' ones are the same. There is no inspection cover apart from to one access the drain where is exits the house, but otherwise I'm not even sure exactly where it is as it is under concrete somewhere.

Where as ours has a round metal lid, like a access plate on top.

[JTSpain]

I've been researching this subject a lot in the last months (We're closing on a country home next week). Here's what I think I know:

My understanding is that the typical spanich Pozo Negro is this thing (https://www.netjet.es/principales-venta ... negro/amp/). Supposedly they will last a long time and don't need maintenance as long as you don't flush anything other than human waste (no fats, oils, tampons, paper towels, medications, bleach). Some people claim toilette paper is no-no, others say simple toilette paper is fine. The previous owner of our home is native to the area - he recommends against flushing toilette paper. I decided to give the bidet a try, but will not try to force any guests to do the same

Its legal to buy/sell a property with a Pozo Negro, but it is not legal to build a new one. It is also not possible to get a rental license if you have a pozo negro.

[casita-bonita]

I've been researching this subject a lot in the last months (We're closing on a country home next week). Here's what I think I know:

My understanding is that the typical spanich Pozo Negro is this thing (https://www.netjet.es/principales-venta ... negro/amp/). Supposedly they will last a long time and don't need maintenance as long as you don't flush anything other than human waste (no fats, oils, tampons, paper towels, medications, bleach). Some people claim toilette paper is no-no, others say simple toilette paper is fine. The previous owner of our home is native to the area - he recommends against flushing toilette paper. I decided to give the bidet a try, but will not try to force any guests to do the same

Its legal to buy/sell a property with a Pozo Negro, but it is not legal to build a new one. It is also not possible to get a rental license if you have a pozo negro.

Been flushing 2ply toilet paper down our for 15 years. No problems so far. We are careful with toilet cleaners/bleach, tampons a distant memory. When it comes to oil we use hardly any as we rarely deep fry, preferring either the air fryer or a brief spray into the pan. As long as common sense is used you shouldn't have a problem...

[Wicksey]

We put some toilet paper in the bin, but a fair bit still goes down the loo. Had pozo negros at our houses here for years without any problems.

What you do need to be careful of is though, is the drainage. Our drains lay very shallow with little drop and this is where we have potential problems. We never put anything much down the kitchen sink. Anything oily or greasy is wiped out with paper and rinsed in a washing up bowl before being put in the dishwasher. The washing up bowl is emptied onto the garden. I do use cleaning chemicals and a little bleach but as we dont have a septic tank, this doesn't seem to affect anything. It is the drainage system to the outside that often causes problems as there never seems to be sufficient drop to get stuff to run away properly.