Effluent sewer
Effluent sewers also currently serve fewer people than septic systems, which also use septic tanks, but simply dispose of the effluent by draining it into a leach field. About one quarter of United States homes dispose of their wastewater with septic tanks. However, effluent sewers are being looked at as a sewage treatment solution in areas where gravity sewer systems are not well-suited or when the high capital cost to build a gravity system is prohibitive. Areas that are less than ideal for gravity systems include areas that are large, but extremely flat and areas that require long-distance pumping, such as where homes are widely spread out or when several small villages or towns connect their sewage systems so that a centralized plant can be built.
Saneamento Básico
The people of Linha Cristal, a fictitious village of Italo Brazilian descendants in Serra Gaúcha, gather to discuss the construction of a septic tank for sewage treatment. They form a commission which is responsible in ordering the budget to the town hall. The secretary of the mayor recognizes the need of the tank, but informs that there is no budget available. There is, however, R$ 10,000 available for the production of a film. This money was sent by the federal government and will be sent back if not used soon. The people of Linha Cristal have the idea of using the money to make a low budget documentary about the construction of the tank, but the film has to be fictitious. Then, they decide to make a science fiction B movie which tells the story of a monster who lives in the building site of a tank.According to Ana Paula Sousa, film reviewer of "Carta Capital", "Saneamento Básico" is one of a few really funny films in recent Brazilian cinema. On the other hand, Dayanne Mikevis, reviewer of "Folha de S.Paulo", says the film is a "light entertainment" and a "naïve comedy".