25 Pa. Code § 73.71 - Experimental sewage systems
(a)
Experimental systems may be considered for individual or community systems in
any of the following cases:
(1) To solve an
existing pollution or public health problem.
(2) To overcome specific site suitability
deficiencies, or as a substitute for systems described in this chapter on
suitable lots.
(3) To overcome
specific engineering problems related to the site or its proposed
uses.
(4) To evaluate new concepts
or technologies applicable to onlot disposal.
(5) To evaluate the applicability to onlot
disposal of established concepts or technologies having successful use in
comparable applications in the field of engineering.
(6) To demonstrate a design having successful
use in other jurisdictions under environmental conditions similar to or more
restrictive than those in this Commonwealth.
(7) To utilize under varying site conditions
an experimental design, either in whole or in part, which has been deemed
successful by the Department.
(b) A person desiring to install an
experimental sewage system or alter a component of an existing system using a
method, technology or design determined to be experimental by the Department
shall submit complete preliminary design plans and specifications to the sewage
enforcement officer and the Department for review and comment prior to
submitting an application for a permit. The Department will determine if
classification as an experimental system, method, technology or design is
appropriate for the submission and provide review comments to the sewage
enforcement officer.
(c) The
following criteria shall be considered in the design of experimental systems:
(1) The volume and rate of sewage flow,
including reductions attributed to water conservation devices and recycling
devices.
(2) The chemical and
bacteriological characteristics of the flow, including the varying nature, if
any, of the contributing sources.
(3) The treatment of the sewage flow,
including, if appropriate:
(i) The type of
treatment, that is aerobic, anaerobic, chemical, or other.
(ii) The degree and extent of treatment
afforded, including the chemical and biological characteristics of the
effluent.
(iii) The hydraulic
design, including flow rates, retention time, settling rates, and sludge and
scum storage.
(4) The
materials of construction including durability and chemical resistance of all
system components.
(5) The
characteristics and limitations of the disposal site, including, if
appropriate:
(i) The depth, composition and
projected effects of any limiting zone identified through extensive onsite
evaluation of the soils present.
(ii) The determination of the soil
permeability through percolation tests, hydraulic conductivity tests or other
acceptable testing procedures conducted on the site.
(iii) The chemical and bacteriological
characteristics of the subsurface or other waters.
(iv) The natural and modified slope of the
disposal site and contiguous areas, with particular attention to downslope
areas.
(v) The relationship of the
disposal site to existing and proposed drainage patterns, including surface and
subsurface flows.
(vi) The
stability and renovative abilities of controlled fill areas.
(6) The design of the absorption
area, including:
(i) Dimensions.
(ii) Method of distribution and hydraulic
design considerations of the distribution system.
(iii) Rate of application.
(iv) Relationship to other sewage disposal
systems or features, water supply sources, surface waters, recharge areas, rock
outcrops and other site improvements.
(v) Determination of hydraulic loading
limitations-that is, interface acceptance rate of hydraulic conductivity of
receiving soils-in accordance with accepted principles of hydraulic
flow.
(7) The effect upon
the groundwater, including:
(i) Fecal
coliform.
(ii) Chlorides.
(iii) Nitrates.
(iv) Nutrients.
(v) Other degrading material.
(8) Other considerations as may be
appropriate to comply with the act.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (f),
experimental designs will be approved for use only when it has been determined
that an individual or community sewage disposal system meeting the requirements
of this chapter or another successful experimental design, or that sewage
services meeting the requirements of the Clean Streams Law and Article II
(relating to water resources), may be installed if the experiment is deemed a
failure.
(e) Except as provided in
subsection (f), monitoring, observation, testing or other requirements which
are deemed necessary to verify the success of the experiment shall be
required.
(f) A replacement area, as
specified in subsection (d), and monitoring as specified in subsection (e), may
not be required where the experimental design is an attempt to solve an
existing pollution or public health problem.
(g) An application for an experimental system
shall include the following:
(1) Detailed
plans and specifications sufficient to comply with this section.
(2) A description of the system, device or
process; its capabilities; and scheduled maintenance, if any, which are
necessary for continued function.
(3) The identity of the person responsible
for the design of the system; performance of scheduled maintenance, if
required; and responsibility for repair or replacement in event of failure of
the system.
(h) Each
application for an experimental system shall be accompanied by a statement
acknowledging the requirement that the sewage enforcement officer be notified
of any malfunction or modification of the original system design.
(i) Prior to issuing a permit for an
experimental sewage system, the sewage enforcement officer shall consider the
comments of the Department.
Notes
The provisions of this § 73.71 amended under section 9 of the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (35 P. S. § 750.9); The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S. §§ 691.1-691.1001); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 510-20).
This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 73.3 (relating to policy).
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