The following general procedures shall apply for private on-site sewage systems being installed and/or reused in the county.
(A) Septic tanks. New and existing on-site sewage systems requiring a new septic tank shall be fitted with an effluent filter, one riser with a minimum inside diameter of 20 inches positioned over the filter, and fitted with a gas tight lid.
(B) Dosing chamber and septic tank sizing.
(1) Minimum dosing chamber capacity shall be 800 gallons for pump assisted systems or otherwise shall be sized no less than one bedroom equivalent less than the total number of bedroom equivalents for the dwelling as indicated on the permit application.
(2) Minimum septic tank sizing for all systems shall be 1,000 gallons.
(C) Reuse of existing private on-site sewage systems. Requests for re-utilization of existing private on-site sewage systems in conjunction with dwelling reconstruction and/or replacement may proceed as follows.
(1) Continued use of an existing private on-site sewage system may be considered when public health concerns have been demonstrated to have been taken into account and the system is not contributing to a nuisance condition nor exhibiting signs of failure. A review of each individual private on-site sewage system record for the affected address must be made prior to issuance of a zoning clearance and/or building permit for dwelling reconstruction and/or replacement. Permission to use an existing private on-site sewage system does not imply further trouble-free service. The Health Department will require prompt repair and/or replacement upon observation and documentation of any private on-site sewage system failure.
(2) In the interest of public health, application for use of existing private on-site sewage systems will be scrutinized on an individual case-by-case basis and will be prohibited unless all of the following conditions are verified and confirmed:
(a) A record of a Health Department permit having been issued, inspected and approved exists for the system;
(b) Adequate septic tank capacity and absorption field area exists for the proposed use;
(c) Direct observation of system functioning (no obvious or apparent signs of failure) is required and may be provided by a septic pumper/hauler. The tank(s) must be pumped and cleaned for this evaluation of the tank(s) and absorption field. The septic pumper/hauler must provide a report as to the functioning, capacity and condition of the existing system;
(d) A “to scale” drawing must be provided as required to ensure that isolation distances will remain intact; and
(e) A set of floor plans for the dwelling reconstruction and/or replacement must be provided.
(D) Isolation distances.
(1) Isolation distances and encroachments shall meet the requirements set forth in 410 I.A.C. 6-8.3-57 Separation Distances.
(2) Isolation distances shall remain intact on new construction. Discretion may be utilized on repair or replacement systems on a case by case basis, but never shall well, seasonal high water table or 100-year flood plain isolation distances be reduced. Isolation distances are specified in 410 I.A.C. 6-8.3 and 410 I.A.C. 6-10-1.1. The isolation distance from a seasonal high water table shall be 24 inches (vertical separation) for conventional systems and 20 inches for elevated sand mound systems.
(E) On-site visits. Proposed improvements to property where a building permit is required will necessitate an on-site visit by the Health Department when:
(1) No record of a private on-site sewage system is found or exists within the Health Department permit data files; or
(2) An on-site system resides on the property and is ten years or older in age where the Health Department has an inspection record in the permit data files with measurements but improvements are proposed outside the original foundation of the dwelling.
(F) Minimum private on-site sewage system sizing for stand-alone systems. The minimum sizing requirement for dwellings or outbuildings is 300 GPD.
(Ord. 2012-153, passed 4-16-2012)