Shiloh Septic System - Dog Waste Septic Tank

The S3-Mark I

Note - S3 Mark II Will Be Released End April 2008!! Stay Tuned!!
"Shiloh Septic System"

In recognition of Earth Day 2007 we thought that there had to be something better that we could do in order to reduce the amount of household waste going to the local landfill. At Bold Canine we are already very active recyclers, and utilize a composter for organic kitchen waste.

In the summer of 2006 I had purchased a commercial Dog Waste System which a friend had recommended. To the tune of almost $100 CAD, the "extra large" unit might have sufficed for a one dog household - but certainly not with four Shiloh Shepherds. So, the unit never actually went into use (interested parties can contact me or look for it on ebay), but due to it's simple design, did prompt some thought into how I could make my own style of unit that would handle the "volume" of waste that four Shiloh Shepherds would produce on a daily basis. My web quest had begun.

I came across a site that had already done exactly that. Built a simple, cheap, and effective Dog Waste System. The idea looked perfect, and after cross referencing with various Septic principles, there was no reason for it not to achieve the required results.

All Septic Systems work by utilizing three basic components - a means to leech into the ground, water, and bacteria to break down the solids. This can be achieved quite easily, and cost effecitively too.

Total Time From Start to Finish of Project - 1 hour
Total Cost for Materials - Approx. $20.00 CAD (Garbage Pail, Bag of Drainage Stones, & Commercial Septic Powder)

Step One - Standard Rubber Garbage Pail

Standard Rubber Garbage Pail ($9.99)

Step Two - Drill Holes in Pail

Using a 3/4 drill bit, drill staggered holes, around all sides of the pail, approximately 4 inches apart (10 minutes)

Step Three - Hole In Bottom of Garbage Pail

Cut out hole in bottom of pail - approximately 14-16 inches diameter (2 minutes).

Step Four - Dig Hole in Ground

Only hard part of setup... digging a deep hole. Dig wider than the pail, and deep enough so when pail placed in hole just the top few inches will protrude (to allow lid to be snapped on). This will take anywhere from 20 minutes, to 6 hours (depending on how many beverage breaks you opt to take).

Step Five - Place Pail in Hole

Fairly self explanatory. Place the pail in your freshly dug hole.

Step Six - Place Drainage Stones in Bottom

Place enough drainage stones (bag maybe $5.00) in bottom of pail to cover base approximately 1-2 inches deep.

Step Seven - Add Septic Powder & Water

Yes, this is the big "action" shot in the project (notice powder pouring in as water being injected - ooohhhh - and no special effects used!). Seriously though, the system should have an inital "kick" start, so in this case I utilized two small packs of commerical septic powder, and filled the system approximately 2/3rd full of water.

Step Eight - Place Lid and Await Production of Waste

That's it! The system is now ready for operation with relatively little maintenace.
a) Add water as required. System WILL NOT run without water. The speed at which water is required is dependant on soil type.
b) Add septic powder every week or two in order to aid with breakdown of solids.

You can paint the lid to be a bit more attactive, or to aid with identification. I'll back fill in around the tank, and maybe add some wild flowers or something for a nicer presentation.

Note: System should be keep sufficiently away from where children play (don't want anyone falling into it - this is not a kiddie pool or a newfie hot tub - just kidding Leslie!), and keep a sufficient distance from wells. Since it's a much smaller version of a household septic system, similar principles should apply, but given it's limited use and depth, that really aren't too many concerns.

I'm looking at ways of improving the system. Possible thoughts include an automated watering system utilizing a float switch and buried water line, or a secondary stage (much like household systems) with leeching pipes to accelerate the process. I will update this page as the system is modified.

Of course if you have suggestions on how to better the system, please don't hesitate to let me know!