[Shuangbei sewage and sewer takeover] The old building abolished the septic tank and replaced it with direct drainage! Construction subsidies from the Taipei City/New Taipei City Sanitation Department, radical elimination of fecal odor in basements, and doubling of property value

The basement nightmare of the old building in Shuangbei: septic tank and stench

In Taipei City and New Taipei City, many medieval buildings and apartment communities that are over 30 years old have traditional "building sewage treatment facilities (septic tanks)" in the basements. Every summer, there is always a disgusting smell of methane and excrement from the basement parking lot; the management committee needs to budget tens of thousands of dollars every year to hire an environmental protection company to "pump water and fertilizer", and the sewage pump (submersible motor) in the basement frequently gets stuck and burned due to toilet paper and debris, causing sewage to overflow into the basement. What's more serious is that the hydrogen sulfide and methane gas produced by septic tanks will corrode the steel structure and electromechanical pipelines of the building. To completely solve this bottomless pit of odor and maintenance costs, the only ultimate solution is to respond to the Shuangbei government policy and implement "Abolish septic tanks and replace them with public sewage sewers (direct drainage method)".

Fact check: Shuangbei Sanitation Department sewage and sewer takeover policies and subsidies

The Taipei City Sanitary and Sewerage Engineering Office (Sanitary Engineering Office) and the New Taipei City Government Water Conservancy Bureau have vigorously promoted the "Sewage and Sewer User Takeover Project" in recent years. According to the "Taipei City Sewage and Sewer Construction Subsidy Points" and relevant New Taipei City regulations, the government provides extremely generous technical support and financial subsidies in order to encourage the abolition of septic tanks in old buildings:

• Full exemption of public lane takeover construction fees: As long as the main public sewer pipes in the construction section of the building have been laid, the government will construct the sewage drainage main pipes in the back alleys of the lanes for the community free of charge.
• Septic tank abolition project subsidy: For building management committees or apartment residents who are willing to cooperate in opening and draining old septic tanks in basements, filling them with sand (or transforming them into rainwater recycling tanks), and converting sewage pipes to direct discharge to public sewers, Taipei City and New Taipei City Government provide subsidies for modification costs ranging from NT$ 40,000 to NT$ 150,000 per septic tank.

Engineering steps for abolition of septic tanks (direct discharge of sewage)

Abolish the septic tank of the old building and replace it with a direct drainage method. The project usually takes 3 to 7 days. The main steps are as follows:

1. On-site investigation and waterway re-mapping: Plumbing and sanitation experts went to the basement to investigate, confirm the gathering positions of all toilet fecal pipes and domestic drainage pipes (grey water pipes) in the building, and calculate the slope of the slope that discharges outward to the road manhole cover.
2. Septic tank extraction and thorough disinfection: Contact an environmental protection company to completely drain the remaining feces and sewage in the septic tank, and perform high-pressure water gun flushing and chemical disinfection.
3. Pipeline redrawing and direct discharge pipe modification (Bypass Line): Construct a new PVC-U pressure-resistant sewage pipe, bypassing the sedimentation tank of the old septic tank, and pump the sewage from upstairs directly to the outdoor public sewage manhole cover by gravity flow (or via a new sewage pump).
4. Old tank filling or renovation: Open the bottom of the old septic tank (to avoid water accumulation), and fill it with clean yellow sand and concrete to completely seal the source of biogas.

ROI calculations of commercial real estate investors and management committees

The abolition of septic tanks is not only an improvement in environmental sanitation, but also an asset value enhancement with great commercial benefits:

Conclusion: Say goodbye to the stench and realize the green transformation of real estate assets

Abolition of the septic tank in the basement of the building and connection to public sewage sewers is the most critical step for the old properties in Shuangbei to get rid of the "old, smelly and dirty" label. Making good use of the takeover subsidy provided by the government's Department of Health and Welfare to solve the decades-old methane odor and sewage pump maintenance burden in the community at once will not only create a healthy and refreshing living environment for residents, but also significantly enhance the commercial acquisition valuation and competitiveness of the entire building in the real estate market.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs' latest "Regulations on Consumer Electrical Equipment Installation" and the key points of electricity safety in old houses

Due to the popularity of high-power household appliances (such as air fryers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, instantaneous electric water heaters, and IH furnaces) in recent years, the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has revised the "Regulations on Consumer Electrical Equipment Installation" many times to strictly require the diversion and protection mechanisms of residential electricity circuits. Statistics show that more than 30% of building fires in Taiwan are caused by electrical factors, among which "old wire insulation deteriorates and short circuits", "socket contacts are oxidized and loose, poor contact" and "non-fuse switch (NFB) overloaded and failed to trip" are the three main fatal causes.

Old apartments in Shuangbei that are more than 30 years old have a total original designed power capacity of only 30A to 40A, and several rooms often share the same 1.6mm or 2.0mm circuit. In the modern standard safety configuration, kitchen electrical cabinets, bathroom equipment, and air-conditioning and heating machines must all be equipped with 5.5mm² dedicated circuits (single circuit and single socket). It is recommended that the main switch box be upgraded to a busbar (Busbar) integrated distribution board, and the total amperage is increased to 75A or 100A (a qualified electrical appliance contractor needs to be entrusted to Taipower to review the additional power capacity).

Residential electricity self-test and regular inspection checklist

• Appearance and temperature of the socket: Touch the outer cover of the commonly used socket lightly with the back of your hand. If it feels lukewarm or if you find that the plastic socket is yellowed and charred, or the plug is loose and shaking after being plugged in, it means that the internal copper plate clamping force is exhausted or the contact resistance is too high, and you should immediately cut off the power and replace it.
• Regular testing of leakage circuit breakers (ELCB): For leakage circuit breakers in humid places such as balconies, bathrooms, and kitchen sinks, regulations require that the "TEST button" on the switch be pressed once every 1 to 3 months to confirm that it can automatically trip and cut off the power supply instantly.
• Serial connection and overloading of extension cords are strictly prohibited: Extension cords should be purchased with 2.0mm thick wire diameter products that have CNS certification and automatic overload power-off protection. Do not share the same extension cord with high energy-consuming appliances to ensure zero hidden danger to life and property at home.