New Septic System Rules

House bill 231 which passed the Ohio General Assembly in 2005 mandates new household sewage regulations. The new rules were enacted mid 2006 and effective January 1, 2007. The new rules will apply to a property owner that is installing and new system or has one that is failing. A septic system that is in the ground and functioning properly will be grandfathered under the previous regulations.

The septic bill was passed in order to establish standards for sewage treatment systems such as siting, design, installation, operation and monitoring. Here are some new rules homeowners can expect to see.

1. All system owners will not be required to upgrade their existing systems as long as the systems are operating or operational, unless they are causing a public nuisance. No. ORC 3718.02.

2. A mound system will not be required to be installed after January 1, 2007 by everyone. The new rules allow for a variety of approved system components which can be used to design a system suitable for the site conditions of the lot.

3. All systems will not need a service contact. The level of maintenance required for a sewage treatment system is dependant on the system design and the components. System owners will be able to determine the level of maintenance required for a particular system.

4. The new rules do not reduce the number of sites that can be built on. The new rules provide many more system design options than the old rules.

5. Traditional leach lines will still be allowed to be used. Conventional septic tank to leach line systems in the soil are still permitted where soil is suitable.

6. The use of curtain drains is not prohibited. Proper use of drains is still permitted. Interceptor drains can be used whenever needed to divert water away from soil based systems. Gradient drains will be allowed to move water away from systems installed at sites with seasonal high water near the surface.

7. All existing and new lots are not required to have systems subject to the new rules. There is a grace period where lot owners with system designs approved prior to January 1, 2007 will have until January 1, 2010 to obtain a permit, then an additional year to install under that permit.

8. Home owners with failing systems will not be forced to abandon their homes if they cannot install a new soil based sewage system under their home. A general permit was developed by the Ohio EPA that will authorize certain approved discharges under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

For more information you can visit http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/eh/sewage/sewrules.aspx

Questions or comments write or email:
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