Cabin with outhouse

[fishingdad]

I have a completely "non-fishing" question. We are very close to dealing on a cabin on the east end that has an outhouse with no sewer option, but it has an outhouse that needs to be replaced. For those of you that have cabins with one I have a few questions 1). How deep do you dig a new pit. Is there any companies that do that sort of thing? 2) does anyone have theirs pumped out periodically? How often? What companies ( if any) do this? 3) any suggestions on making one? Concrete pit, some sort of plastic liner or just go for it and dig a new one every how many years? Sorry for so many questions but with 3 girls in the family I'm afraid there would be way too many trips into town if this was done sh#%tty (pun intended)

[shamrock7]

Usually, people that have outhouses try to not have to dig new holes very often because digging by hand is very difficult to almost impossible with all the rock here. A properly maintained pit will last a long time. The biggest thing is keeping the water out of it. Something about amoebic vs some other type of action. Little to deep for me.

[delcecchi]

There is information on outhouses on the St. Louis County web site. You also need a permit. Has there been an inspection prior to the sale? You really need the information and to talk to the county about this. Saves a lot of trouble to talk first.

Go to

http://stlouiscountymn.gov/LANDPROPERTY/BuildingZoning/SepticSystems.aspx

Here is excerpt from the worksheet at that site:

b. Type I, privies. Pit privies shall not be installed where the bottom of the pit is less than three feet above the Water Table. A vault privy shall be used in areas of high ground water. The vault of a vault privy shall be constructed in the same manner as a Septic Tank.

Privies shall be set back from surface waters the same distance as required for buildings and from property lines and water supply wells the same distance as required for Soil Treatment Areas.

Pits or vaults shall be of sufficient capacity for the residence they serve, but shall have at least 27 cubic feet of capacity.

The sides of the pit shall be curbed to prevent cave-in.

The superstructure shall be constructed so as to be easily cleaned, and it shall be insect proof. The door and seat shall be self-closing. All openings including vent openings, shall be screened.

Privies shall be adequately vented. When the pit is filled to within one foot of the top, the solids shall be removed or a new pit shall be constructed. The abandoned pit shall be filled with clean earth and slightly mounded to allow for settling. Removed solids shall be disposed of by land application in accordance with this standard.

[fishingdad]

Thanks Del- I will look into this further & decide what to do based on our options

[SkunkedAgain]

We bought one with an outhouse a decade ago. There's just a 55 gallon drum in there and we drop in some RidX every once in a while to chow down on the stuff. It's worked well so far.

As for the ladies, one thing that you'll need to consider is the winter. You may want to consider an ice fishing situation inside, meaning a bucket with a toilet seat on top lined with a yard bag. That way the ladies can go in a back room where it's warm, versus running outside in -20 just to take care of #1. My wife just puts the bucket outside so everything freezes, reaches out the back door to grab it when needed, and the toilet seat stays inside so that it's always warm.

[delcecchi]

Now you have to have some sort of inspection when the property changes hands, and the sanitary system has to be code or some agreement that it will be code.

I think code for a privy is either a hole 3 feet above water table or a tank like they use for septics.

[chaffmj]

I have the same as skunkedagain. A hole with a 55 gallon barrel in it with holes drilled in the barrel. We had it inspected by John the John guy from St. Louis County I believe. That was about 7 years ago so I don't know if things have changed since then. We are on a water access only property so it doesn't get used much at all in the winter and with my kids gone I guess it doesn't get used that much in the summer but anyways there is barely anything in the bottom of the barrel at all. Not that I stick my head in there or look at it that close.

[Scupper]

This is just information of what my wife had to do to comply with the sale of her property near Mille Lacs Lake - Aitkin County.

Privy's within 1000' feet of shore line must be cleaned out and back filled and no new privy to be installed.

I realize we are talking about 2 different areas of the state and possibly different situations as to the lake area but if your going thru a realtor, they should have information as to legal locations of privy's. If your going directly thru the owner you may want to call the county for further research.

Back in the mid ninety's, when it was a option to have a privy in our area, I replaced the old one with a 55 gallon plastic barrel. I was younger and a lot dumber and digging was easy once you got thru the 2 feet of rooted loam. She hired a local sewer outfit to do the pumping out once a year even though it didn't need it. The sewer outfit also serviced portable toilets and supplied the wife with a few extra gallons of the sweet smelling solution that they put in the portables. She would add it as needed to comply with her aroma requirements.

Possibly a portable toilet is an option...

Scott

[fishingdad]

Thank You everyone for the suggestions & comments on the outhouse Dilema. But after all was said & done we had to move on from one property to a different one that has an old Dry-Well that has to be replaced with a Holding Tank (The only option). So I have to find a septic designer, Installer, & maintainer to see what cost may be involved. Any recommendations, suggestions on anybody around Vermilion that does all or any of those things & if anybody has had to do something similar & who you used. By the way I was up 2 weeks ago & Wow was the weather nice.

[delcecchi]

Thank You everyone for the suggestions & comments on the outhouse Dilema. But after all was said & done we had to move on from one property to a different one that has an old Dry-Well that has to be replaced with a Holding Tank (The only option). So I have to find a septic designer, Installer, & maintainer to see what cost may be involved. Any recommendations, suggestions on anybody around Vermilion that does all or any of those things & if anybody has had to do something similar & who you used. By the way I was up 2 weeks ago & Wow was the weather nice.

My personal recommendation would be Sherri Sawatzky (and lauren/bubba). She is up on all the stuff. One recommendation is to not talk to county guy without her or some other designer/installer present. They like to ask for more than the law requires.

[fishingdad]

Del- That is exactly what I was told by someone else that has a cabin in cook county. The county wanted to request more than was neccessary until the designer/installer showed up with the plans on a 2 nd visit. Thanks for the tip