Onsite Sewage Treatment And Disposal

(1) ADEM -- the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. (2) ADPH -- the Alabama Department of Public Health, the administrative arm of the Board, including variations in the name such as State of Alabama Department of Public Health, State Department of Public Health, Stat…

(1) No person shall occupy, rent, lease, sell, possess, or allow a building to be occupied as a dwelling or establishment unless said building is provided with an approved sewage disposal system. (2) An OSS/ED8 shall be properly sited, designed, constructed, installed, operated, …

(1) Permit to Install (Repair). No person shall begin the installation or repair of an OSS/EDS, or component thereof, until the responsible person has been issued a valid Permit to Install (Repair) an Onsite Sewage System (OSS) by the LHD. (a) When an Engineered OSS is required, …

(1) Proprietary Products. ADPH may issue a permit to a manufacturer of a proprietary treatment or disposal. product. These permits shall include conditions and requirements for design, installation, maintenance, and reporting that shall be adhered to by the manufacturer, designer…

(1) Except as allowed in this rule, no part of any installation shall be covered or used until the LHD is afforded an opportunity to inspect and any necessary corrections are made, An OSS/EDS shall not be used until an Approval for Use has been issued by the LHD. Any part of an O…

(l) The following systems or site characteristics shall require a design by an engineer: (a) The system has a design flow of more than 1,800 gpd of sewage. See 420-3-1-.52 Design Flow and Wastewater Concentrations. (b) The system will serve a food establishment that is classified…

(1) Any lot for which an OSS/EDS is proposed to be installed shall be large enough to accommodate the proposed development, the proposed EDF, a 100 percent REDF, or discharge area, and shall meet all setback requirements of these rules. (a) Advanced treatment systems that are own…

(1) Easements or rights-of-way for underground utilities, roads, streets, thoroughfares, and easements for reservoirs and impoundments, and flood zones shall not be used in computing lot size or be used for placement of any part of an OSS/ EDS. An effluent line may be installed i…

(1) An application for a new permit or reissuance of an existing permit shall be submitted using the following forms designated by ADPH: (a) ADPH Form CEP-2 is used to apply for a Permit to Install for Small-Flow developments and individual Small-Flow Systems in a Large-Flow Deve…

(1) All ADPH applications shall be submitted to the LHD or the ADPH as applicable. (a) The LHD or ADPH shall fulfill any request for a permit within 28 calendar days after receiving the application or notify the responsible person of the reason for failure to issue the permit. Af…

(1) A developer shall complete the Site Development Plan process for a Large-Flow Development in coordination with the LHD. (2) The following activities shall not be subject to Large-Flow Development requirements: (a) Dividing a parcel of land for the purpose of a bona fide gift.…

(1) Performance Permits are required for a Large-Flow OSS, Cluster Wastewater Systems, and for other systems where ADPH, in consultation with the LHD, concludes that additional action is needed to protect the public's health or the environment. (2) The Performance Permit may be i…

(1) Any person operating a Cluster Wastewater System as defined by these rules and §22-25B-l, et seq., Code of Ala. 1975, is a wastewater management entity and, as such, shall meet the requirements of this rule. (2) Small-Flow Cluster Systems that are operated by wastewater manag…

(1) Concrete Tanks. These tanks shall be designed, constructed, and tested in accordance with the most recent American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C1227 standard. (a) Cast in-place tanks shall have a minimum wall, bottom, and lid thickness of standard. (b) Precast co…

(1) An inspection shall be made upon initial application for a new tank series. At the discretion of the LHD, tanks greater than 1,500 gallons may not be required to be available for inspection at the manufacturing facility or at a staging area. (2) The LHD or ADPH may perform pe…

(1) No pre-made septic tank, grease trap, or holding tank shall be installed unless a permit for the tank series has been issued by the LHD. The permit number (series number), issued by the LHD for the specified tank, and the effective liquid capacity of the tank, shall be perman…

(1) Tanks shall be installed on a level, firm, and compacted surface such that the tank is placed both longitudinally and laterally level. A minimum layer of 2 inches of sand or gravel placed level in the tank hole is recommended for leveling purposes. (2) Installation instructio…

All effluent filters shall comply with the most current NSF Standard 46, shall beinstalled in the septic tank on the outlet side, and shall be properly sized for the system in accordance with the filter manufacturer's recommendations. The requirement for a septic tank effluent fi…

(1) Any establishment using commercial kitchen equipment shall install a grease trap that complies with 420-3-1-.17 Septic Tank, Grease Trap, and Holding Tank Specifications. An establishment which, by the nature of its operations or the product proposed, produces little grease w…

(1) Applications that propose using holding tanks as a temporary substitute for an OSS shall be submitted by an engineer and shall be permitted in the same manner as an OSS. (2) The permanent use of a holding tank for a dwelling as part of a permanent OSS is prohibited. (a) Use o…

When the use of a sewage tank is discontinued; or when the system cannot be made to comply with these rules, the tank shall be abandoned, and its further use prohibited. An abandoned tank shall be pumped out by an AOWB-licensed pumper. An empty tank may be removed at the property…

(1) The following systems, sites, and/or conditions shall require advanced treatment: (a) Any system with a design flow of over 4,000 gpd of sewage. (b) Any system that is producing high strength sewage of over 1,800 gpd shall treat to secondary effluent standards under a Perform…

(1) A person proposing to market a proprietary advanced treatment system (ATS) shall submit ADPH Form CEP-13. The application shall include the following information: (a) Documentation that the ATS has been certified as meeting the appropriate NSF, Committee for Standardization (…

(1) The pump specified for an OSS/EDS shall: (a) Be capable of passing minimum one-half (%) inch spherical solids, in the event of filter failure. However, if an engineer, for design considerations, specifies a pump that will not pass one-half (½) inch solids, adequate precaution…

(1) In remote areas of the state or in certain transient or temporary locations, pit privies may be utilized. Due to their limited capacities, these systems shall be restricted to receive excreta only. Typical locations of pit privies are rural camps, seasonal recreation areas, p…

(1) Composting Toilets. Composting toilets may be used to handle waste for which they are designed. If there is other sewage generated at this site that the composting toilet is not designed to handle, then an appropriate OSS shall be used. (a) A composting toilet shall be certif…

(1) An Innovative EDS may be used for dwellings, not part of a Large-Flow Development, in situations where: (a) The site has vertic soil characteristics or a permeability of greater than 240 MPI. For the minimum number of soil tests required, see Table 19. (b) Design flow shall n…

(1) For purposes of regulating sewage disposal, a site may be designated a Recreational Vehicle (RV) Park by the LHD if it meets the following conditions: (a) The RVs shall be mobile, (b) The lots and all appurtenances and utilities, including the OSS, shall be owned and operated…

(1) The LHD may investigate reports of a failing or an inadequate OSS/EDS. The LHD shall require the owner or responsible person to abate an unsanitacy condition caused by a failing OSS/EDS or an unpermitted surface discharge of sewage by repairing or replacing the system or comp…

(1) When requested by a responsible person or a lending institution representing the seller or buyer, an evaluation of an existing OSS/ EDS may be performed by the LHD. The evaluation of an existing OSS/EDS does not express or imply any guarantee that theOSS/EDS will function sat…

(1) Prior to issuance of the Permit to Install (Repair), the soil professional or PHESS shall certify that the soil tests are true and accurate by signing the certification in ADPH Form CEP-2/3 Part C. (2) For a permit application for Small-Flow Developments or Systems, the respo…

It is the responsibility of any person preparing or submitting an application to ensure that all studies, engineering reports, plans and specifications, soils reports, and other technical submittals required by state lawor these rules, are prepared according to applicable licensu…

(1) The LHD shall sign a surveyed plat, if applicable, to be recorded when the appropriate ADPH application forms have been completed and approved. (2) A plat to be recorded for lots that will have an OSS shall have one of the following statements on the plat: (a) For lots with i…

(1) Site evaluations may be performed using percolation tests, soil mapping, soil morphology, or the unified system as described in these rules. (2) The site evaluation shall be completed by one of the following who shall be licensed, registered, and certified in the state of Ala…

(1) EDF sites with slopes greater than 25 percent require an Engineer Design. EDF sites with slopes greater than 40 percent are considered unsuitable for the installation of an OSS. Table 8 shall be consulted for the required trench spacing and required amount of cover needed for…

(1) Permeability shall be determined as part of a site evaluation by one or more of the following methods:The percolation testing method described in 420-3-1-.43 General Percolation Procedure through 420-3-1-.46 Extended Saturation Procedure. (a) The unified method described in 4…

(1) The correct testing depth to determine permeability shall be the least permeable horizon that is at or within 18 inches below the EDF bottom or EDS discharge area. If a restriction is present, the correct testing depth shall be the least permeable horizon that is at or within…

(1) See Table 19 for the minimum number of tests required per site. (2) Soil tests shall be in the proposed EDF or discharge area, and in the proposed REDF when required, except for soμ mapping which shall be performed in accordance with 420-3-1-.49 Soil Maps. The method by which…

(1) The MVS between the deepest EDF bottoms and any noted restriction as defined by these rules shall be required. See Table 7 for specific depth requirements. (2) The depth to the ASHES is approximated by the shallowest occurrence of contemporary redoximorphic features containin…

(1) A site may be evaluated using the percolation method by first boring a hole or digging an observation pit to establish the depth of the ASHES or other restrictive layer or horizon. The test hole depth is determined by 420-3-1-.40 Soil Testing Depth Requirements. For the minim…

(1) A minimum of two soil borings or two observation pits shall be dug from 5 to 15 feet from the anticipated percolation test location in accordance with the following: (a) Soil borings shall be dug to a minimum depth of 48 inches to determine the restrictive horizon depth, unle…

(1) The percolation test hole shall be dug or bored to the appropriate testing depth according to 420-3-1-.40 Soil Testing Depth Requirements, but not less than 12 inches deep. The diameter of the hole shall be 4 to 8 inches (except when a permeameter is used). (2) In order to re…

(1) Certain soils, especially those with high, very high, and sometimes moderate shrink:-swell potential require extended saturation periods before percolation or permeameter testing can be done. This process is necessary to allow sufficient time for swelling to occur in these so…

(1) An engineer or geologist may evaluate a site using the unified system method. (2) The percolation test method may be used in combination with this method to aid in evaluating a site. (3) Lab analysis may be substituted for estimates at any time but is required for Texture Gro…

(1) A professional soil classifier may evaluate a site using the soil morphology method. (2) A PHESS may evaluate sites for a Conventional OSS. The PHESS shall be currently employed by ADPH1 conduct these evaluations only in counties approved by ADPH for this program, and adhere …

(1) Types of Soil Maps. (a) Preliminary maps may be made using a wide variety of scales, but not smaller than 1:24,000. They usually provide sufficient information to make decisions about further land development. Minimum size delineation is approximately 3 acres. A preliminary s…

(1) The primary purpose for requiring protection of the EDF and REDF is to prevent any disturbance to these areas that will affect the integrity of the soil and the performance of the OSS, to avoid costly and untimely delays, and to identify these areas as EDFs. These areas shall…