(A) Construction and maintenance. It shall be unlawful for any person to construct or maintain any premises which is not equipped with adequate facilities for the disposal of sewage in a sanitary manner. All facilities shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. Under no conditions may the sewage from an existing or hereafter constructed premises be deposited on the surface of the ground, into roadside ditches or watercourses.
(B) Privies. All privies and other toilet devices shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the regulations adopted by the State Council of Health June 6, 1940, entitled, “A Regulation Pertaining to the Construction and Maintenance of Outhouses and to Safeguard the Public Health by Preventing the Spread of Disease and Existing of Contamination in Accordance with Public Act No. 273 of 1939” and amendments thereto. No privy shall hereafter be constructed on or moved to any premises where the service of a publicly operated sewage system is accessible.
(C) Connection to public service. All flush toilets, lavatories, sinks, bath tubs, showers and laundry drains hereafter constructed shall be connected with said publicly operated sewage system.
(D) Septic tanks.
(1) Location. No portion or part of any sewage disposal system shall be located within 50 feet, or in the case of public or commercial places 75 feet, of any well, spring or other drinking water supply, or within ten feet of any lot line, or within 18 feet of any watercourse. All septic tanks shall be at least five feet from footings or foundations and so located as to be accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(2) Capacity. Every septic tank shall have at least the capacity of the average volume of water flowing into it during a 24-hour period but in no case less than 750 gallons.
Table Showing Minimum Capacities for Septic Tanks | |
Number of Bedrooms | Minimum Liquid Capacity (Gallons) |
2 or less | 750 |
3 or 4 | 1,000 |
Each additional bedroom beyond 4, add | 250 |
Note: The capacities in this table provide for the plumbing fixtures and appliances used in a single- family residence including an automatic washer, mechanical garbage grinder and dishwasher | |
(3) Construction. Every septic tank shall be constructed in a workmanlike manner of materials not subject to corrosion or decay, shall be of water-tight construction and shall be provided with openings and covers to permit inspection and cleaning. The outlet shall be two inches below the inlet, and so designed so as to draw off the liquid from the mid third of the liquid depth, and prevent the escape of floating or settled solids. The inlet shall be so designed so as to permit gas above the liquid level to pass through the inlet line and out the vent pipe serving the sewer leading to the tank. The septic tank shall have at least 48 inches of liquid depth, shall be at least twice but not more than three times longer than the width, shall have at least eight inches of air space between the liquid level and the cover.
(4) Dosing chambers. The Health Officer may require dosing tanks provided with automatic siphons or pumps of a type approved by the State Department of Health on installations where the capacity of the tank is over 2,000 gallons.
(5) Disposal field.
(a) 1. The tile lines shall be laid on a grade of not more than two inches per 100 feet, and parallel lines shall be at least four feet apart.
2. Tile shall be laid in trenches not less than 18 inches in width except where approval by the Health Officer is given to install a filter bed and then not less than 36 inches apart. Tile shall be laid on at least four inches of gravel and be covered with a depth of at least two inches. The tile lines of the disposal field shall have a capacity of at least one-fourth of the tank, or a minimum total of not less than 200 feet or four-inch tile, or more if percolation tests indicate need in the case of adverse soil conditions as follows:
Soil Perk Test Minimum Drainage Area 3 Bedrooms of less Time | |
Course sand or gravel, 5 min. or less | 200 sq. ft. |
Pine sand or loam, 6—15 min. | 300 sq. ft. |
Sandy clay, 15—30 min. | 450 sq. ft. |
Clay, 30—60 min. | 600 sq. ft. |
(b) Tile shall be laid to a uniform grade, shall have one-fourth inch space between tiles and space shall be covered with tar paper. Tile field shall be at least eight inches but not more than 20 inches below the finish grade. Filter material shall be washed gravel one-half inch to one and one-half inch in size. No dry wells, open sand filters, under drains or any other method of disposal of septic tank effluent shall be installed without the written approval and under the direction of the Health Officer.
(E) Sewer. Whenever the Health Officer shall determine that improperly treated sewage is flowing from the outlet of any public or private drain of unknown course and origin, he or she may issue public notices requiring persons owning premises from which such sewage originates, to connect such sewage flow to a publicly operated sewage system, if available, or in the absence thereof to comply with provisions of divisions (C) and (D) above. Public notice shall consist of the posting of at least five conspicuous notices in the probable area served by said drain. After not less than 30 days following posting of the notices, the Health Officer, with the approval of the County Health Committee and the County Drain Commissioner may plug or cause to be plugged the outlet of said drain, until such time as the sources of the sewage have been located. Owners of properties known to be discharging improperly treated sewage in any drain for which notice mentioned above have been posted, shall be given written notices to make necessary corrections within the time allowed by the posted notices. Failure to comply shall be considered a violation of these regulations.
(F) Existing installation. The Health Officer shall be empowered to condemn any existing sewage disposal system where the effluent is exposed to the surface or is permitted to drain on or to the surface of the ground or into any lake, river or stream, or where the seepage of effluent therefrom may endanger the public or private nuisance is created by a system improperly constructed or maintained. It shall be the duty of owner to cause the system to comply with the provisions of this subchapter.
(Ord. 6, eff. 9-1-1965) Penalty, see § 90.99