Septic tank
In the United States, the 2007 American Housing Survey indicated that about 20 percent of all households rely on septic tanks, and that the overwhelming majority of systems are located in rural (50%) and suburban (47%) areas. Indianapolis is one example of a large city where many of the city's neighborhoods still rely on separate septic systems. In Europe, septic systems are generally limited to rural areas.
Voutsaras, Ioannina
An architectural pattern typical for the village consists of a two-floor house: the top floor is fully walled and serves as the residential area for one or more families, whereas the ground floor is used for housing livestock (goats, sheep, swine). Less wealthy families, who cannot afford a two-floor house share living quarters with the livestock. There are plans to construct centralised plumbing facilities for the disposal of sewage in the near future, so as to replace the current practice of using septic tanks which drain in the nearby river Thyamis.