Water ... Sanitation... Electricity ... Roads
(Page 3 of 3)
March/April 1970
By the Mother Earth News editors
Sewage Disposal
RELATED CONTENT
If you don't have city sewage disposal there are three practical solutions to your sewage problem: a cesspool, a septic tank, or a septic tank with a siphon discharge system.
Maybe you can use a cesspool, but on a long term basis you should consider spending a little more money and getting a septic tank.
After we bought our place, we discovered that our septic tank didn't have a siphon discharge system. This caused fouling of the ground near the tank. We had to dig up the whole system and found a siphon discharge tank was needed. The siphon discharge method distributes the sewage more forcefully so it spreads over a much wider ground area. Sometimes you can get by without the siphon discharge feature in a vacation home.
Electricity
If your house has never been sup plied with electric power, measure the distance to the nearest power line. In our area the cost of getting this power to the house is about 25¢ a ft. You can reduce this cost by getting neighbors to come in with you. The more people on the line, the less each has to pay. Also, your contract with the power company should entitle you to a rebate when other people come in later. In wiring a house it's important not to underestimate the size of the wire needed. Some day you may want an electric stove, a freezer, electric power tools, or electricity in your barn and hen house so it's safer to use a no. 12 wire rather than a no. 14, the legal minimum.
Roads
Particularly today when land values are high you may save hundreds of dollars by buying land off the road and building your own road to it. Land not touched by a road may be a far more desirable site and usually sells at 30% or 50% less. If you build a road acceptable to your town or county, you can get it declared a public highway and have it kept up by the town.
Suggested Reading:
Plans for Building a Septic Tank or C esspool, $1.00. Plumbing Installation and Repair by H. P. Manly, $2.00. House Wiring Made Easy, $1.65.
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