Whenever Venice features in a TV programme, I am mystified as to how do the residents dispose of their sewage, with all the canals surrounding the buildings already being at sea level.
Is it a case of bucket-and-chuck-it and the age-old profession of Night Soil Men?
Not exactly, at least not anymore.
For some reason ( which I can’t recall- it was explained in the programme the following came from but I don’t recall it), the sea water around Venice is unusually salty - ie more salty than normal. As a result, it acts as a disinfectant - some swimming pools use salt rather than chlorine, as you probably know, chlorine isn’t pleasant.
Until the 1960s or so, that was it. Since then, rules requiring local treatment tanks / systems for new buildings were introduced - the treated output being pumped into the canals.
I think the programme was a BBC documentary - possibly one of Portillo’s Railway trips, we often watch those. You may find it on IPlayer. That said, it could have been another programme.
That is much more detailed than my post. I note it mentions ‘brakish water’
- I think that means slightly salty, different to my post.
I wonder which is correct.
Also, septic tanks. I’ve never really understood how much ‘processing’ septic tanks do. We once considered a house with one but decided against it for other reasons.
Venice is built on a salt water lagoon, which is fed by several major rivers, so there are salinity gradients across the lagoon. Both are probably right, depending upon which part of the lagoon you are talking about.
Lots of detailed answers available online that explain it far better than I could.
Mine does the full monty. Shit goes in, clean potable water comes out. Has a motor to aerate it so aerobic bacteria can do their stuff
Answers the question, thank-you.
I am bemused by the comment that it is a regularly asked question!
Ours is a very dubious system, otherwise known as a sceptic tank :-)
It's a good thing those come with instructions :-/
Paul
I didn’t realise they - or some of them- were so effective, at least not domestic ones. I vaguely recall something about ways of recycling waste in space - more for future missions- and a demo where they recycled it to drinking water. I’ve also seen systems based on reed beds etc but I assume they then further treated the water for drinking.
Some motorhomers use a SOG system ( no idea what SOG stands for) instead of chemicals in the toilet cassette.
As I understand it, you add a fan which vents the cassette and, while you still empty it, you let it ‘ ferment’ for want of a better word to break down the solids. Normally, you add a chemical to help break up the solids - we use little sachets like tea bags, one per ‘fill’. SOG systems are cheaper - no chemicals to buy- but I remain unconvinced. As the sachets work out at about 50p etc, we will stick with them.
Am 05.05.2023 um 07:45 schrieb Brian:
See Timeline 1994
It is not a question that had occurred to me before you asked.
Interesting, although AFAIK, there is no suction involved - unless you count the fan.
Possibly a good thing:
Why wouldn’t you? It’s sucking air from the cassette and expelling it outside so that there is negative pressure in the cassette when you flush.
Tim
Would you not think after all this time it would pong a bit?
The problem is and I'll name no names here, Sewage in many countries around the med do minimal processing before chucking it into the see. Considering the close proximity to tourists, how do they get away with it? Brian
I have heard it said that you don't go for a proper swim in the Med, you just go through the motions :-)
I believe the fan is very small. It is to ensure any smell is expelled outside the vehicle ( yes a bit anti social) rather that creating any real vacuum, sucking liquid, etc.
We don’t have one and I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject.
You don't usually see floating turds, dunny paper or nappys.
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