cesspit cesspit cesspit, cesspool and soak pit in some contexts are terms with various meanings: they are used to describe either an underground holding tank (sealed at the bottom) or a soak pit (not sealed at the bottom). a cesspit can be used for the temporary collection and storage of feces, excreta or fecal sludge as part of an on-site sanitation system and has some similarities with septic tanks or with soak pits. traditionally, it was a deep cylindrical chamber dug into the ground, having approximate dimensions of 1 metre (3') diameter and 2–3 metres (6' to 10') depth. their appearance was similar to that of a hand-dug water well. scheme of a cesspit that is constructed like an underground holding tank the pit can be lined with bricks or concrete, covered with a slab and needing to be emptied frequently when it is used like an underground holding tank. in other cases (if soil and groundwater conditions allow), it is not constructed watertight, to allow liquid to leach out (similar to a pit latrine or to a soak pit). uses an empty, old cesspool in slovakia holding tank in the uk a cesspit is a closed tank for the reception and temporary storage of sewage; in north america this is simply referred to as a "holding tank". because it is sealed, the tank must be emptied frequently – on average every 6 weeks – but frequency varies a great deal and can be as often as weekly or as rarely as quarterly. because of the need for frequent emptying, the cost of maintenance of a cesspit can be high. if owners in the uk do not maintain their cess pits they can be fined up to £20,000. infiltration systems a cesspool was at one time built like a dry well lined with loose-fitting brick or stone, used for the disposal of sewage via infiltration into the soil. liquids leaked out through the soil as conditions allowed, while solids decayed and collected as composted matter in the base of the cesspool. as the solids accumulated, eventually the particulate solids blocked the escape of liquids, causing the cesspool to drain more slowly or to overflow. a biofilm forms in the loose soil surrounding a cesspool or pit latrine that provides some degree of attenuation of the pollutants present, but a deep cesspool can allow raw sewage to directly enter groundwater with minimal biological cleansing, leading to groundwater pollution and undrinkable water supplies. it is for this reason that deep water wells on the property must be drilled far from the cesspool. most residential waste cesspools in use in the us today are rudimentary septic systems, consisting of a concrete-capped pit lined with concrete masonry units (cinder blocks) laid on their sides with perforated drain field piping (weeping tile) extending outward below the level of the intake connection. the concrete cover often has a cleanout pipe extending above ground. some are constructed with concrete walls on one or more sides. the waste cesspool is vulnerable to overloading or flooding by heavy rains or snow melt because it is not enclosed and sealed like conventional septic tank systems. it is also vulnerable to the entry of tree roots, which can eventually cause the system to fail. regulations modern environmental regulations either discourage or ban the use of cesspools, and instead connections to municipal sewage systems or septic tanks are encouraged or required. in many countries, planning and development regulations for the protection of the watershed prevent home-owners who live close to rivers and environmentally sensitive areas from installing a septic system, requiring a holding tank instead. united states in some localities in the u.s., existing rural residential waste cesspools are "grandfathered", i.e. allowed to continue operations until they no longer function. once defunct, they must be disconnected and replaced by modern septic systems. in areas that have a higher than usual water table or fail a percolation test, an above-ground drain field waste disposal system may be installed instead. in the case of sale or transfer of residential property that uses an existing waste cesspool system, local laws may differ. some counties or jurisdictions do not permit the sale of residential property that utilizes a waste cesspool. other counties or villages may recognize the "grandfather clause" and allow the property sale or transfer with the cesspool. history