Sewage & Septic Management

Disease Prevention

The goal of the Land Use Program is to reduce and prevent the existence of many diseases such as dysentery, infectious hepatitis, typhoid and paratyphoid, and various types of gastrointestinal problems that may be transmitted from one person to another through the fecal contamination associated with improperly maintained septic systems. Primary duties include oversight and regulatory compliance to assure the proper disposal of human wastes. The regulatory framework for this program is found in the Department of Human Resources Rules for On-Site Sewage Management Systems, Chapter 290-5-26.

Waste Water Management

Safe disposal of all wastes, human, domestic and industrial, is necessary to protect the health of the individual family. All waste should be disposed in such a manner that:

It will not contaminate any approved drinking water supply.
It will not create a public health hazard by being accessible to insects, rodents or other possible carriers of disease that any come into contact with food or drinking water.
It will create a public health hazard by being accessible to children.
It will not violate laws or regulations governing water pollution or sewage disposal
It will not pollute or contaminate the water of any bathing beach, shellfish breeding ground, stream or lake used for public or domestic water supply or for recreational activity.
It will not create a nuisance due to odor or unsightly appearance.

On-Site Sewage Management

On-site sewage management includes permitting and inspection of systems for residential and commercial use and review of subdivision developments utilizing on-site sewage management. Regulation of theses systems ensures correct installation and proper repair to minimize health problems related to untreated human sewage and helps protect groundwater, drinking water, and surface water from harmful organisms and chemicals that can cause illness.

Regulated systems include individual residential and commercial septic and advanced treatment systems, small community systems, and other on-site waste management systems including portable toilets and the pumpers/haulers used to remove waste. New systems and existing systems that are being upgraded are inspected and permitted. On-site system failures, such as raw sewage appearing on the ground, are investigated. All repairs are then inspected and permitted.

Not all lots are suitable for on-site sewage management. Site reviews of individual and subdivision lots prior to development ensure that the lots are suitable for on-site sewage management and that installation of an appropriate system is planned. Pre-purchase site evaluations can also be performed.