septic

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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Sorry everyone I have been out of the area and now I am back. Here is my question. What has to happen as far as septic systems in the DR. Do people just surface disacharge the sewage leagally or is it one of those wink and nod with rules in place that are not enforced.
I have no intention of being apoluuter but if there are no rules I can use alternatives that are hard to do in the states.
John
P.S.
2 days until terminal leave.
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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back

Yes I will be.
Especially since I will be coming down in a few months to relocate. My plans are to rent and go to school someplace until I can speak Spanish and then get a degree. Then I will use the profit from selling my property stateside and do something. I am going to get the lay of the land first.
John
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
jsizemore said:
Sorry everyone I have been out of the area and now I am back. Here is my question. What has to happen as far as septic systems in the DR. Do people just surface disacharge the sewage leagally or is it one of those wink and nod with rules in place that are not enforced.
I have no intention of being apoluuter but if there are no rules I can use alternatives that are hard to do in the states.
John
P.S.
2 days until terminal leave.
They build verticle septic systems without leach fields. This is one of the reasons that the water is undrinkable. A lot of the dirt that I have seen perks so quickly even leach fields are not the answer. What I can't understand is why they don't have municipal treatment facilities at least in the towns and populated areas.

Escott
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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artificial marsh

an artificial marsh used instead of aleach field with break down the excess nutirients in the effluent. So there are options.
John
One day until terminal.
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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15 m2

For a three bedroom house it opnly takes about 15m2 for the marsh so it would be basically a water garden feature.
But I would more than likely be in the Campo if I cansidered that.
I will be down beach bumming it for a year before I even look for a property.
John
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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Explain how this works. I have only built in the US and seen the systems built in the DR. If it would only take 15m2 and was sanitary I would think it would be an option in the US. I always found it difficult to build homes on 4100m2 in the states because of the setback requirements from running water and well so this sounds like it would be unacceptable to any engineer and wouldnt work. What the heck do I know!

Escott
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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special permits required

The system work. The water plants break down the excess nutrients in the effluent and then it is clean. The trouble is in the states it has tyo be designed by an expert and special permits are required. Each locality has its own rules so it requires proving the concept each time.
It is something that is in the tree hugger area of expertise so it is not accepted by the mainstream .
As far a specifics I am going by memeory from a TV show a few years ago so I can not say exactly how big deep and so forth. I found a link to some EPA case studies
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/ConstructedWetlands-Complete.pdf
I have seen B&Bs us it the wetlan rather than be a swamp is a gravel bed with march plants used as a garden and the discharge tunred into a water garden.
And remeber the same governement that says what needs to happen when it comes to septic systems is the same one that says factory slaughter houses are safe but a famer can't slaughter a cow and sell you the ground beef unless it has been processed in an approved oiperation thus leading to ecoli and mad cow scares.
John
PS 1 DAy until Terminal
 
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TCIDR

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Sep 7, 2003
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I've often wondered about the septic system in DR.
I've notice alot of houses on 300m2 (just over 3000 sq feet) and I wonder where do septic system goes, where does the pool goes, back yard space?
Whoa!
In Providenciales, we don't have a city septic. Even individual house have thier own waste management. We use a system call Klagaster, a newer system to the island, which works like a centrifuge and with a reducing agent will which produces alot of water to be re-used for irrigation purposes. This is especially in providenciales for landscaping because it is relatively dry here often not raining more than 30 minutes when it do rain.
The older septic systems were concrete structures with a drain field

The minumum sized lot that people suppose to build on in providenciales is 0.25 of an acres (just over 10K sq' or 1000 sq meters) however there are people who've built on less land in some of those densed, less desirable areas.
We have strict setback being no less than 20 feet from the road, and no less than 10 feet from the other sides of the property. In the case of waterfront property no less than 40feet from the vegetation line and 60 feet for beach

It would be enlightening to know more about how the septic system work there in the DR on properties with small amount of land area, and what are the setback for building?