{"id":39634,"date":"2026-09-17T20:17:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T17:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/?p=39634"},"modified":"2026-09-17T20:21:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T17:21:58","slug":"holding-tank-small-plot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/holding-tank-small-plot\/","title":{"rendered":"Sewage holding tanks for small plots: location, dimensions and access"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On a compact plot the hard question is rarely which tank holds enough; it is where a tank of that size can physically go. A sewage holding tank (<em>reoveemahuti<\/em>; in legal texts <em>reovee kogumismahuti<\/em>) only stores wastewater until a tanker pumps it out (<em>purgimine<\/em>); UK readers may know a sealed tank like this as a cesspool or cesspit. With no outlet it needs no infiltration field, but it still takes room: the pit, a zone kept free of vehicles, any distance your municipality sets, and a route for the tanker&#8217;s hose. This article works through each with Vesmaco&#8217;s real model dimensions, so you can plan a holding tank on a small plot before asking for a quote.<\/p>\n<h2>How much ground does each model need?<\/h2>\n<p>Vesmaco&#8217;s <a href=\"\/en\/#mudelidjajoonised\">model table<\/a> lists 19 horizontal cylindrical tanks from 2 to 15 m\u00b3, most volumes in two diameters. From above, a tank is a rectangle: length \u00d7 diameter. Vesmaco&#8217;s installation guide adds two margins:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No-drive zone on a lawn.<\/strong> Outside trafficked areas, accidental driving onto the tank must be ruled out, with a safety zone 1 m larger than the tank in every direction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Working space in the pit.<\/strong> The text gives no figure for a single tank, but the guide&#8217;s drawing of several tanks in one pit shows about 100 cm between the outer tanks and the pit wall. For a single tank, agree the working space with your installer. The Ministry of the Environment&#8217;s 2015 guide says only that the pit must allow proper backfilling and compaction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With 1 m on every side, both margins give the same rectangle:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Volume<\/th>\n<th>Model<\/th>\n<th>Tank L \u00d7 D (about)<\/th>\n<th>Tank + 1 m all round<\/th>\n<th>Area<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>4 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-4 D1100<\/td>\n<td>4.55 \u00d7 1.1 m<\/td>\n<td>6.55 \u00d7 3.1 m<\/td>\n<td>20 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-4 D1400<\/td>\n<td>2.9 \u00d7 1.4 m<\/td>\n<td>4.9 \u00d7 3.4 m<\/td>\n<td>17 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-5 D1100<\/td>\n<td>5.7 \u00d7 1.1 m<\/td>\n<td>7.7 \u00d7 3.1 m<\/td>\n<td>24 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-5 D1400<\/td>\n<td>3.6 \u00d7 1.4 m<\/td>\n<td>5.6 \u00d7 3.4 m<\/td>\n<td>19 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-6 D1400<\/td>\n<td>4.2 \u00d7 1.4 m<\/td>\n<td>6.2 \u00d7 3.4 m<\/td>\n<td>21 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-6 D1600<\/td>\n<td>3.3 \u00d7 1.6 m<\/td>\n<td>5.3 \u00d7 3.6 m<\/td>\n<td>19 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-8 D1400<\/td>\n<td>5.5 \u00d7 1.4 m<\/td>\n<td>7.5 \u00d7 3.4 m<\/td>\n<td>26 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-8 D1600<\/td>\n<td>4.3 \u00d7 1.6 m<\/td>\n<td>6.3 \u00d7 3.6 m<\/td>\n<td>23 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-10 D1400<\/td>\n<td>6.7 \u00d7 1.4 m<\/td>\n<td>8.7 \u00d7 3.4 m<\/td>\n<td>30 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10 m\u00b3<\/td>\n<td>MK-10 D1600<\/td>\n<td>5.3 \u00d7 1.6 m<\/td>\n<td>7.3 \u00d7 3.6 m<\/td>\n<td>26 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Lengths are taken from the site&#8217;s model table; the drawing file names show 100 mm less, so check the drawing for your model when every centimetre counts. For example, at 5 m\u00b3 the D1400 needs about 5.6 \u00d7 3.4 m, against 7.7 \u00d7 3.1 m for the D1100. The 2 and 3 m\u00b3 tanks come only as D1100, 2.4 and 3.5 m long. For comparison, the ministry guide&#8217;s planning table allows 20 m\u00b2 to build a holding-tank system for 1\u20135 residents and 40 m\u00b2 for 6\u201315.<\/p>\n<p>The rectangle is the pit at its base. The guide&#8217;s drawings show sloping pit walls, so the opening at ground level is larger, by an amount your installer sets for the soil and depth. Ask also where the excavated soil and the sand for bedding and backfill will go during the work.<\/p>\n<h2>Long and slim or short and wide?<\/h2>\n<p>In the table, the larger diameter is 0.9\u20132.1 m shorter and only 0.2\u20130.3 m wider, so it usually suits a tight plot better. The cost is depth: with the inlet at the same depth, a D1400 tank bottom sits roughly 300 mm lower than a D1100, and a D1600 another 200 mm lower. With high groundwater or rock near the surface, a shallower pit may matter more; <a href=\"\/en\/holding-tank-dimensions-drawings\/\">Sewage holding tank dimensions and drawings<\/a> works out pit depth per diameter.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Orientation.<\/strong> On the order drawings the inlet is at one end, so the long axis usually points towards the house. Depth follows the building&#8217;s sewer pipe (ministry guide); the drawings allow an inlet depth <em>h<\/em> of up to 1500 mm.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Riser position.<\/strong> The tanker&#8217;s hose connects at the emptying riser. The MK-10 D1600 drawing offers three positions along the tank; the MK-5 D1400 drawing shows one. If you can choose, take the end nearer the truck; the order drawing for your model shows which positions it offers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Two tanks.<\/strong> Vesmaco&#8217;s guide covers several tanks in one pit, at least 50 cm apart. If you are considering two smaller tanks instead of one long one, ask the supplier and your installer how they would be connected and emptied.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Distances your municipality may set<\/h2>\n<p>There is no national setback (<em>kuja<\/em>) for holding tanks: the Minister of the Environment&#8217;s Regulation No 31 of 2019 does not cover them. According to Keskkonnaamet&#8217;s handbook, a municipality may set one in its rules for on-site wastewater treatment and removal (<em>reovee kohtk\u00e4itluse ja \u00e4raveo eeskiri<\/em>), adopted under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/122022019001?leiaKehtiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Water Act<\/a> \u00a7 104(7) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/en\/eli\/509092026003\/consolide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English translation<\/a>; only the Estonian text has legal force). A setback is measured from the structure&#8217;s outer contour, so a shorter tank also shortens the zone. Zones around drinking-water wells, yours or a neighbour&#8217;s, also matter; ask your municipality which zone applies to the wells near your chosen spot.<\/p>\n<p>Three municipal examples, as published in September 2026, show what can decide a small plot (rules change, so always read the current text):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Saaremaa vald<\/strong> requires sufficient distance from buildings and wells and gives the holding-tank setback as a 5 m radius from the outer contour; where that overlaps a well&#8217;s protection zone, the stricter rule applies. Around an MK-5 D1400 the zone measures about 13.6 \u00d7 11.4 m; around an MK-5 D1100, about 15.7 \u00d7 11.1 m.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vinni vald<\/strong> requires at least 5 m from the neighbouring plot&#8217;s boundary, less with the neighbours&#8217; written agreement, and keeps on-site systems out of a well&#8217;s maintenance zone (10 m from the well).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harku vald<\/strong> requires a holding tank of at least 8 m\u00b3, placed to ease a later connection to public sewerage, so the footprint starts at about 23 m\u00b2 (MK-8 D1600 in the table).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check your own municipality&#8217;s rules first; <a href=\"\/en\/holding-tank-location-setbacks\/\">Where can a sewage holding tank go?<\/a> explains how to find them.<\/p>\n<h2>Access for the emptying truck and its hose<\/h2>\n<p>The ministry guide lists access for the emptying vehicle as a necessity, and all three municipal examples add that it must be possible all year round. Plan three things:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Where the truck stands.<\/strong> It must not drive onto the ground above the tank; the ministry guide suggests barriers such as large stones, and Vesmaco&#8217;s 1 m zone serves the same purpose. Saaremaa advises placing the tank near the access road.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How far the hose must reach.<\/strong> Measure the route from that standing place to the riser, with fences, steps and rises in the ground, and ask local emptying companies whether their equipment covers it. Hose reach varies by truck, so there is no single figure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Which truck fits.<\/strong> Small tankers hold 4\u20135 m\u00b3, the largest about 10 m\u00b3 (ministry guide). If only a small truck can reach you, a tank bigger than the truck&#8217;s cannot be emptied in one visit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>More on the route: <a href=\"\/en\/tanker-access-holding-tank\/\">Tanker access: planning for sewage holding tank emptying<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Draw a plot sketch before you ask for a quote<\/h2>\n<p>The ministry guide calls a scaled site plan the most practical way to establish building conditions. Mark:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>boundaries, neighbouring plots and roads;<\/li>\n<li>buildings, and where and how deep the sewer pipe leaves the house;<\/li>\n<li>your drinking-water well and its protection zone, plus neighbours&#8217; wells near the boundary (the guide wants the system downslope of the drinking-water well);<\/li>\n<li>any water body or flood-prone ground alongside;<\/li>\n<li>the candidate tank position with its tank + 1 m rectangle and any municipal distance;<\/li>\n<li>the truck&#8217;s standing place, the hose route and the gate width;<\/li>\n<li>trees, slopes and underground cables or pipes you know of.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A photo of a hand-drawn sketch with measurements is enough to start, and the same sketch helps later with the building notice (<em>ehitusteatis<\/em>); see <a href=\"\/en\/holding-tank-rules-estonia\/\">Sewage holding tank rules in Estonia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Would a smaller tank solve the space problem?<\/strong> It saves ground but adds emptyings. With the ministry guide&#8217;s 100\u2013150 litres per person per day and nominal volume (the usable volume is somewhat lower, because the alarm level leaves a reserve; check the drawing for your model), four people fill 3 m\u00b3 in about 5\u20137.5 days (3000 L \u00f7 600 or 400 L a day) and 5 m\u00b3 in about 8\u201312.5 days. The guide suggests at least 5 m\u00b3 for a family of four living permanently; your own water-meter readings give a better figure. A municipal minimum, such as Harku&#8217;s, comes first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can the tank go right next to the boundary or the house?<\/strong> Only if your municipality&#8217;s rules allow it; there is no national distance. In the examples above, Vinni asks for 5 m from the boundary unless the neighbours agree in writing, and Saaremaa sets a 5 m zone around the tank and asks for sufficient distance from buildings and wells.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The driveway is the only free space. Can the tank go under it?<\/strong> The ministry guide says a holding tank must not go under a road or parking area; Vesmaco&#8217;s guide allows it with a reinforced-concrete load-distribution slab and a hatch of suitable load class. Avoid it if you can; otherwise it needs a designed solution. See <a href=\"\/en\/holding-tank-under-driveway\/\">Can a sewage holding tank be installed under a driveway?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Send a plot sketch with your enquiry.<\/strong> Attach it to the <a href=\"\/en\/#order\">enquiry form<\/a>, which accepts up to 10 files, with the depth of the sewer pipe at the house and the volume you have in mind. Vesmaco manufactures the tanks, advises on model and diameter and delivers across Estonia; excavation and installation stay with your installer. The site says replies usually come within 2\u20133 days; you can also call +372 641 8550.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Vesmaco model table and enquiry form: <a href=\"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/#mudelidjajoonised\">https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/#mudelidjajoonised<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Vesmaco installation guide for GRP underground tanks (PDF, in Estonian, 26.01.2016): <a href=\"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/vesmaco-installation-tank-ee.pdf\">https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/vesmaco-installation-tank-ee.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Vesmaco order drawings, rev. B, 15.08.2025: <a href=\"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/files\/910014050B_MK-5_D1400-L3500_EN.pdf\">MK-5 D1400<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/files\/910016100B_MK-10_D1600-L5200_EN.pdf\">MK-10 D1600<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ministry of the Environment (2015), guidance on wastewater systems in sparsely populated areas (in Estonian; dated): <a href=\"https:\/\/kliimaministeerium.ee\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2021-10\/Juhendmaterjal%20hajaasustuse%20reoveek%C3%A4itluss%C3%BCsteemide%20kavandamiseks,%20valikuks,%20ehitamiseks%20ja%20hooldamiseks.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/kliimaministeerium.ee\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2021-10\/Juhendmaterjal%20hajaasustuse%20reoveek%C3%A4itluss%C3%BCsteemide%20kavandamiseks,%20valikuks,%20ehitamiseks%20ja%20hooldamiseks.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Water Act (<em>Veeseadus<\/em>) \u00a7 104(7): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/122022019001?leiaKehtiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/122022019001?leiaKehtiv<\/a> \u00b7 official English translation: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/en\/eli\/509092026003\/consolide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/en\/eli\/509092026003\/consolide<\/a> (only the Estonian text has legal force)<\/li>\n<li>Minister of the Environment Regulation No 31 of 31.07.2019 on setbacks of sewerage structures: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/106082019008?leiaKehtiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/106082019008?leiaKehtiv<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Keskkonnaamet handbook, setbacks of sewerage structures (<em>kanalisatsiooniehitiste kuja<\/em>): <a href=\"https:\/\/keskkonnaamet.ee\/kasiraamat-kohaliku-omavalitsuse-keskkonnaspetsialistile\/kanalisatsiooniehitiste-kuja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/keskkonnaamet.ee\/kasiraamat-kohaliku-omavalitsuse-keskkonnaspetsialistile\/kanalisatsiooniehitiste-kuja<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Saaremaa vald, water and sewerage (municipal example): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saaremaavald.ee\/vesi-ja-kanalisatsioon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.saaremaavald.ee\/vesi-ja-kanalisatsioon<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Vinni vald, rules for on-site wastewater treatment and removal (municipal example): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/407122021001?leiaKehtiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/407122021001?leiaKehtiv<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Harku vald, rules for on-site wastewater treatment and removal, \u00a7 10 (municipal example): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/407102025049?leiaKehtiv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/akt\/407102025049?leiaKehtiv<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How much ground a sewage holding tank needs on a small plot in Estonia: real model dimensions, the 1 m safety zone, municipal distances and tanker access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39634"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39875,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39634\/revisions\/39875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reoveemahutid.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}