North Carolina Administrative Code

15A NCAC 18E .0202 APPLICATION (a) An application for an IP, CA, and existing system authorization shall be submitted to the LHD, and approved in accordance with these Rules, for each site prior to the construction, location, or relocation of a residence, place of business, or pl…

15A NCAC 18E .0203 IMPROVEMENT PERMIT (a) Upon receipt of a complete application for an IP, an authorized agent shall evaluate the site to determine whether the site is suitable or unsuitable for the installation of a wastewater system in accordance with Section .0500 of this Sub…

15A NCAC 18E .0204 CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION (a) The applicant shall obtain a CA after an IP has been issued and prior to the construction, location, or relocation of a facility, or the construction or repair of a wastewater system. (b) Conditions of an IP shall be completed pri…

15A NCAC 18E .0205 OPERATION PERMIT (a) The applicant shall obtain an OP after the wastewater system has been installed or repaired and the authorized agent has inspected the system. The inspection shall occur prior to the system being covered with soil. The authorized agent shal…

15A NCAC 18E .0206 EXISTING SYSTEM APPROVALS FOR reCONNECTIONS AND PROPERTY ADDITIONS (a) Approval by an authorized agent shall be issued prior to any of the following: (1) a facility being reconnected to an existing system; or (2) other site modifications as described in Paragra…

15A NCAC 18E .0207 ALTERNATIVE WASTEWATER SYsTEM PERMITTING OPTIONS (a) An applicant may choose to use an EOP for wastewater systems in accordance with G.S. 130A-336.1 or an AOWE in accordance with G.S. 130A-336.2. The EOP shall be used if the wastewater system design requires a …

section .0300 - responsibilities 15A NCAC 18E .0301 OWNERS (a) The owner of a wastewater system shall: (1) comply with G.S. 130A, Article 11, the rules of this Subchapter, and permit conditions regarding wastewater system location, including repair area; (2) identify property lin…

15A NCAC 18E .0302 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT (a) The permitting of a wastewater system shall be the responsibility of agents authorized by the Department in accordance with G.S. 130A, Article 4 and 15A NCAC 01O .0100, and registered with the North Carolina State Boar…

15A NCAC 18E .0303 LICENSED OR CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS (a) Any wastewater system that meets one or more of the following conditions shall be designed by a PE if required in G.S. 89C: (1) the system has a DDF greater than 3,000 gpd, as determined in Section .0400 of this Subchapte…

15A NCAC 18E .0304 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND REPORTS PREPARED BY LICENSED PROFESSIONALS FOR SYSTEMS OVER 3,000 GALLONS/DAY All wastewater systems with a DDF greater than 3,000 gpd shall be designed by a PE, with site evaluation by an LSS, and LG, as ap…

15A NCAC 18E .0305 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND REPORTS PREPARED BY LICENSED PROFESSIONALS FOR SYSTEMS LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 3,000 GALLONS/DAY Plans, specifications, and reports for wastewater systems with a DDF less than or equal to 3,000 gpd that are re…

section .0400 – design daily flow and effluent characteristics 15A NCAC 18e .0401 Design daily FLOW (a) The minimum DDF for dwelling units shall be based on: (1) 175 gpd for a one bedroom dwelling unit with no more than two occupants and 400 square feet of living space or less; o…

15A NCAC 18E .0402 SEPTIC TANK EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS (a) Septic tank effluent standards for DSE shall be as set forth in Table III of this Paragraph. Effluent that exceeds these standards for any constituent shall be considered HSE. When measured, effluent characteristics shal…

15A NCAC 18E .0403 ADJUSTMENTS TO DESIGN DAILY FLOW (a) The authorized agent or the Department shall approve an adjusted DDF relative to the values in Table II of Rule .0401(b) of this Section for new or existing facilities in accordance with this Rule. The water use information …

section .0500 – soil and site evaluation 15A NCAC 18E .0501 SITE EVALUATION (a) Upon receipt of an application, an authorized agent shall investigate each proposed site in accordance with this Section to determine whether the site is suitable or unsuitable for the installation of…

15A NCAC 18E .0502 TOPOGRAPHY AND LANDSCAPE POSITION (a) Uniform stable slopes less than or equal to 65 percent shall be suitable with respect to topography. (b) The following shall be unsuitable with respect to topography: (1) slopes greater than 65 percent; and (2) areas subjec…

15A NCAC 18E .0503 SOIL MORPHOLOGY The soil morphology shall be evaluated in accordance with the following: (1) Texture – The texture of each soil horizon in a profile shall be classified into 12 soil textural classes based upon the relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay si…

15a ncac 18E .0504 SOIL WETNESS CONDITION (a) SWC, such as those caused by a seasonal high-water table, a perched water table, tidal water, seasonally saturated soil, or by lateral water movement, shall be determined by field observations of soil wetness indicators as follows: (1…

15A NCAC 18E .0505 SOIL DEPTH (a) The soil depth shall be measured from the naturally occurring soil surface to rock, saprolite, or parent material. (b) Soil depth to saprolite, rock, or parent material greater than or equal to 18 inches shall be suitable. (c) Soil depth to sapro…

15A NCAC 18E .0506 SAPROLITE (a) Sites classified unsuitable due to depth to saprolite or other LC may be reclassified suitable in accordance with this Rule. (b) Sites with saprolite shall be classified as suitable if an investigation of the site using pits at locations approved …

15A NCAC 18E .0507 RESTRICTIVE HORIZONS (a) Soils in which restrictive horizons are three inches or more in thickness and at depths greater than or equal to 18 inches below the naturally occurring soil surface shall be suitable. (b) Soils in which restrictive horizons are three i…

15A NCAC 18E .0508 AVAILABLE SPACE (a) Sites shall have available space to allow for the installation of the initial wastewater system and repair area for a system identified or approved in Sections .0900, .1500, or .1700 of this Subchapter. The available space provided shall mee…

15A NCAC 18E .0509 SITE SUITABILITY AND CLASSIFICATION (a) A site evaluated in accordance with Rules .0502 through .0508 of this Section with all parameters determined as suitable shall result in an overall site classification of suitable. Any parameter determined as unsuitable s…

15A NCAC 18E .0510 SPECIAL SITE EVALUATIONS (a) A special site evaluation shall demonstrate that the proposed use of the site with a specific wastewater system design and configuration will not result in effluent discharge to the ground surface or contravention of groundwater or …

section .0600 – location of wastewater systems 15A NCAC 18E .0601 LOCATION OF WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (a) Every wastewater system shall be located the minimum setbacks from the site features specified in Table IX. The setback shall be measured on the ground surface, unless otherwise s…

15A NCAC 18E .0602 APPLICABILITY OF SETBACKS (a) The minimum setback requirements in Table IX of Rule .0601(a) of this Section for SA waters, basements, property lines, and cuts of two feet or more vertical height, shall not apply to the installation of a single wastewater system…

section .0700 – collection sewers, Raw Sewage Lift Stations, SEPTIC TANK EFFLUENT PUMP SYSTEMS, and Pipe Materials 15A NCAC 18E .0701 COLLECTION SEWERS (a) Collection sewers shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following criteria: (1) Building drains and build…

15A NCAC 18E .0702 RAW SEWAGE LIFT STATIONS (a) Raw sewage lift stations permitted by the LHD shall meet all setbacks for wastewater systems in accordance with Table IX of Rule .0601(a) of this Subchapter. (b) Raw sewage lift stations shall meet the following design and construct…

15A NCAC 18E .0703 PIPE MATERIALS (a) The gravity pipe between a septic tank, gravity distribution device, and the dispersal field shall be a minimum of three-inch Schedule 40 PVC, Schedule 40 polyethylene, or Schedule 40 ABS. (b) Three-inch or greater non-perforated polyethylene…

section .0800 – tank capacity, leak testing, and installation requirements 15A ncac 18e .0801 SEPTIC TANK CAPACITY REQUIREMENTs (a) Minimum liquid capacities for septic tanks shall be in accordance with the following: (1) The minimum capacity of any septic tank shall be 1,000 gal…

15A NCAC 18E .0802 PUMP TANK CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS (a) The minimum pump tank liquid capacity shall be greater than or equal to the required septic tank liquid capacity as set forth in Rule .0801 of this Section. (b) For a flow equalization system, the minimum pump tank capacity s…

15A NCAC 18E .0803 GREASE TANK CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS (a) Grease tanks or grease tanks used with grease traps shall be required for food preparation facilities, food processing facilities, and meat markets; churches, institutions, and places of public assembly that include a full …

15A NCAC 18E .0804 SIPHON TANK CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS Siphon tanks shall be sized to provide the minimum dose requirements of Rule .1101(d) of this Subchapter, plus three inches of freeboard above the siphon trip level. History Note: Authority G.S. 130A-335(e), (f), and (f1); Eff.…

15A NCAC 18E .0805 TANK LEAK TESTING AND INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS (a) All tanks installed under the following conditions shall be leak tested: (1) when a SWC is present within four feet of the elevation of the top of a mid-seam pump tank; (2) with advanced pretreatment when requ…

section .0900 – subsurface dispersal 15A NCAC 18E .0901 GENERAL DESIGN AND INSTALLATION CRITERIA FOR SUBSURFACE DISPERSAL SYSTEMS (a) Wastewater systems shall be used on sites classified suitable in accordance with Rule .0509 of this Subchapter. The sizing and siting criteria in …

15A NCAC 18E .0902 CONVENTIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (a) A conventional wastewater system shall consist of a septic tank and a gravity distribution dispersal field. In addition to the requirements set forth in Rule .0901 of this Section, this Rule shall apply to conventional wastew…

15A NCAC 18E .0903 BED SYSTEMS (a) This Rule shall apply to bed systems receiving DSE. (b) Bed systems shall be limited to 600 gpd unless approved for a greater DDF in accordance with a PIA Approval. (c) Sites for bed systems shall meet the following criteria: (1) soil texture is…

15A NCAC 18E .0904 LARGE DIAMETER PIPE SYSTEMS (a) LDP systems consist of laterals composed of corrugated, polyethylene tubing encased in a nylon and polyester blend filter wrap that are installed in trenches in the dispersal field. The laterals shall be one of the following: (1)…

15A NCAC 18E .0905 PREFABRICATED PERMEABLE BLOCK PANEL SYSTEMS (a) PPBPS utilize both horizontal and vertical air chambers in a 16-inch PPBPS and are constructed to promote downline and horizontal distribution of effluent. PPBPS systems shall only be used with DSE. (b) The requir…

15A NCAC 18E .0906 SAND LINED TRENCH SYSTEMS (a) Sand lined trench systems receiving DSE may be used on sites originally classified unsuitable due to SWC, soil morphology, restrictive horizon, or soil depth that may be reclassified as suitable in accordance with this Rule when th…

15A NCAC 18E .0907 LOW PRESSURE PIPE SYSTEMS (a) LPP systems utilize a network of small diameter pipes with three feet to six feet pressure head to distribute effluent across the entire dispersal field. Any subsurface dispersal system listed in this Section may incorporate LPP di…

15A NCAC 18E .0908 DRIP DISPERSAL SYSTEMS (a) This Rule provides for the permitting of drip dispersal systems receiving DSE. Drip dispersal systems shall comply with the provisions of this Rule and Section .1600 of this Subchapter. (b) Drip dispersal systems with advanced pretrea…

15A NCAC 18E .0909 FILL SYSTEMS (a) Both new and existing fill systems are a system in which all or part of the dispersal field media is installed in fill material. The system includes both the basal area of dispersal field and the toe slope in all directions. (b) New fill system…

15A NCAC 18E .0910 ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (a) Artificial drainage systems are a site modification and may be proposed to reclassify sites as suitable that were originally classified unsuitable due to a SWC, lateral water movement, saturated soils, a perched water table, or o…

15A NCAC 18E .0911 PRIVIES (a) A privy shall be approved when it consists of a pit, floor slab, and seat assembly housed in a building that affords privacy and protection from the weather and meets the following criteria: (1) the pit shall consist of an excavation with a minimum …

section .1000 – Non-ground absorption wastewater treatment systems 15A NCAC 18E .1001 ALTERNATIVE TOILETS (a) Use of alternative toilets, such as incinerating, composting, and mechanical toilets, and privies shall comply with the North Carolina Plumbing Code and this Rule. (b) Us…

15A NCAC 18E .1002 RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEMS (a) An RCW system shall be one of the following: (1) an alternate management option as identified in 15A NCAC 02U .0401(c) for use with a system permitted in accordance with 15A NCAC 02U; (2) a conjunctive wastewater system, as defined i…

section .1100 – system dosing and controls 15A NCAC 18E .1101 GENERAL DOSING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (a) Dosing systems with a single pump or siphon shall be required to be used to deliver effluent into laterals when: (1) gravity distribution cannot be achieved between the septic tan…

15A NCAC 18E .1102 PUMP DOSING (a) The effluent pump shall be: (1) capable of handling a minimum of one-half inch solids or be a screened, high head pump designed for effluent; (2) designed to meet the pump operating flow rate and total dynamic head specified for the effluent dis…

15A NCAC 18E .1103 CONTROL PANELS (a) A control panel shall be provided for all systems that use a pump. The control panel enclosure shall be rated NEMA 4X at a minimum. A third-party electrical testing and listing agency shall list the control panel. The control panel shall incl…