Recently, a car fell into a 3-meter deep hole that appeared in the septic tank area of a house. This unexpected incident drew attention because it happened in the person’s own home and the hole created was quite large.
According to the Head of Operational Control at the Depok City Fire and Rescue Service (DPKP), one cause of the carport floor collapsing right above the septic tank was the thin soil layer.
“The septic tank frame was thin, so it became fragile. Suddenly it caved in when the car parked,” they said.
From this incident, should septic tanks not be installed in the carport of a house? Where is the correct location to install a septic tank?
According to a contractor and CEO, generally septic tanks are installed in outdoor areas and not too close to the building. The location could be in the backyard or at the front of the house. However, the problem is that currently houses in urban areas are close together and do not have large yards. Some people are forced to install septic tanks in the carport or garage of the house.
The contractor said that location is not a problem, but make sure the carport location is not directly under where car or motorcycle tires often stop. This is because the weight from those vehicles pressing on the carport or garage floor can cause the ground to collapse, like the incident in Depok.
“The weight is on the car’s tires. The car has weight, and that weight is supported by the four tires. So if the hole is under one of the tires, and it keeps bearing weight there, the pressure eventually pushes downward onto the septic tank, damaging it,” they said.
Additionally, they reminded that the septic tank must be far from the clean water source in the house. This is often overlooked because the distance between houses is getting narrower.
“It should be about 10 meters from clean water. So the septic tank waste does not contaminate the clean water,” they explained.
Furthermore, according to the SNI 2398:2017 standard, the minimum safe distance for a septic tank from the house foundation is 1.5 meters.
“So if it is too close, the septic tank is a hole. The concern is that the foundation could sink toward the septic tank. It needs a distance of 1.5 meters,” they stated.
Similarly, the distance between the septic tank point and the neighbor’s house also needs attention, at least around 1.5-2 meters.
Other distances for septic tanks that must be followed based on the SNI 2398:2017 standard are as follows:
- The upflow filter septic tank and drinking water well must be separated by a distance of at least 1.5 meters.
- The sanitation garden or artificial wetland of the septic tank must also be at least 1.5 meters from the drinking water well.
Reasons Why a Septic Tank Must Have Distance from Vital Locations
Providing this distance is not only to prevent ground collapse or septic tank explosion, but also because if waste from the hole leaks and contaminates the clean water in the house, it can cause environmental and health problems.
Water contaminated with feces can contain various dangerous pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Giardia, which cause diarrhea, typhoid, and other digestive disorders.
Meanwhile, regarding the case of the car falling into the septic tank in Depok, the car was evacuated with the help of the Depok Fire Department. The incident occurred on Thursday at 1:20 PM Western Indonesian Time on Jalan Al Barakah, Jatijajar, Depok. The car that fell into the hole was pulled out using a rope.
The evacuation process reportedly took 12 hours due to the narrow garage and carport space.
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