July 2009 in the Veg Patch

The start of the hole for thr septic tank

We had by now also met a few of our neighbours, one of which was Anton. Being the same age as us, and having more or less similar interests, we quickly struck up a friendship, and of course when friends offer their help, then one does not decline.

Also knowing what back breaking work it would be to dig the hole for the septic tank, it certainly was a great offer in exchange for a beer ... or two. :)

So Jan and Anton dug, and I took photos... very nice spread of labour.. hehehe.. we chatted, and had beer, and generally solved all the problems of the world.

Anton and Jan digging

Little did they know that at some point they would hit clay, and this in itself was a nightmare to dig up.. after a long battle with the picks they hit bedrock... this hole just did not want to be dug. We compared the depth that they had managed to dig with the height of the tank, and decided that it would be fine to just submerge it 2/3 of the way... the drop from the spot where the pipe would be coming out the wall was enough, and the run off would also be fine. So they rested and had... a beer! :)

In the mean time the boys were carting up wheelbarrow loads of sand for the bottom of the hole.

Boys carting riversand

The septic tank was placed in the hole, and all the attachments attached according to the instructions. The trench for the run-off/overflow was dug also with Antons help, and we now had a functioning septic tank ready for a toilet..