Section R18-9-A309. General Provisions for On-site Wastewater Treatment Facilities

A.      General requirements and prohibitions.

1.        No person shall discharge sewage or wastewater that con- tains sewage from an on-site wastewater treatment facil- ity except under an Aquifer Protection Permit issued by the Director.

2.        A person shall not install, allow to be installed, or main- tain a connection between any part of an on-site wastewa- ter treatment facility and a drinking water system or supply so that sewage or wastewater contaminates the drinking water.

3.        A person shall not bypass or release sewage or partially treated sewage that has not completed the treatment pro- cess from an on-site wastewater treatment facility.

4.        A person shall not use a cesspool for sewage disposal.

5.        A person constructing a new on-site wastewater treatment facility or replacing the treatment works or disposal works of an existing on-site wastewater treatment facility shall connect to a sewage collection system if:

a.         One of the following applies:

i.         A provision of a Nitrogen Management Area designation under R18-9-A317(C) requires connection;

ii.        A county, municipal, or sanitary district ordi- nance requires connection; or

iii.      The on-site wastewater treatment facility is located within an area identified for connection to a sewage collection system by a Certified Area-wide Water Quality Management Plan adopted under 18 A.A.C. 5 or a master plan adopted by a majority of the elected officials of a board or council for a county, municipality, or sanitary district; or

b.        A sewer service line extension is available at the property boundary and both of the following apply:

i.         The service connection fee is not more than

$6000 for a dwelling or $10 times the daily design flow in gallons for a source other than a dwelling, and

ii.        The cost of constructing the building sewer from the wastewater source to the service con- nection is not more than $3000 for a dwelling or $5 times the daily design flow in gallons for a source other than a dwelling.

6.        The Department shall prohibit installation of an on-site wastewater treatment facility if the installation will create an unsanitary condition or environmental nuisance or cause or contribute to a violation of an Aquifer Water Quality Standard.

7.        A person shall operate the permitted on-site wastewater treatment facility so that:

a.         Flows to the facility consist of typical sewage and do not include any motor oil, gasoline, paint, varnish, solvent, pesticide, fertilizer, or other material not generally associated with toilet flushing, food prepa- ration, laundry, or personal hygiene;

b.        Flows to the facility from commercial operations do not  contain  hazardous   wastes  as  defined  under

A.R.S. § 49-921(5) or hazardous substances;

c.         If the sewage contains a component of nonresiden- tial flow such as food preparation, laundry service, or other source, the sewage is adequately pretreated by an interceptor that complies with R18-9-A315 or another device authorized by a general permit or approved by the Department under R18-9-A312(G);

d.        Except as provided in subsection (A)(7)(c), a sew- age flow that does not meet the numerical levels for typical sewage is adequately pretreated to meet the numerical levels before entry into an on-site waste- water treatment facility authorized by this Article;

e.         Flow to the facility does not exceed the design flow specified in the Discharge Authorization;

f.         The facility does not create an unsanitary condition or environmental nuisance, or cause or contribute to a violation of either a Aquifer Water Quality Stan- dard or a Surface Water Quality Standard; and

g.        Activities at the site do not adversely affect the oper- ation of the facility.

8.        A person shall control the discharge of total nitrogen from an on-site wastewater treatment facility as follows:

a.         For an on-site wastewater treatment facility operat- ing under the 1.09 General Permit or proposed for construction in a Notice of Intent to Discharge under a Type 4 General Permit and the facility is located within a Nitrogen Management Area, the provisions of R18-9-A317(D) apply;

b.        For an on-site wastewater treatment facility pro- posed for construction in a Notice of Intent to Dis- charge under R18-9-E323, the provisions of R18-9- E323(A)(4) apply;

c.         For a subdivision proposed under 18 A.A.C. 5, Arti- cle 4, for which on-site wastewater treatment facili- ties are used for sewage disposal, the permittee shall demonstrate in the geological report required in R18-5-408(E)(1) that total nitrogen loading from the on-site wastewater treatment facilities to groundwa- ter is controlled by providing one of the following:

i.         For a subdivision platted for a single family dwelling on each lot, calculations that demon- strate that the number of lots within the subdi- vision does not exceed the number of acres contained within the boundaries of the subdivi- sion;

ii.        For a subdivision platted for dwellings that do not meet the criteria specified in subsection (A)(8)(c)(i), calculations that demonstrate that the nitrogen loading over the total area of the subdivision is not more than 0.088 pounds (39.9 grams) of total nitrogen per day per acre calculated at a horizontal plane immediately beneath the active treatment of the disposal fields, based on a total nitrogen contribution to raw sewage of 0.0333 pounds (15.0 grams) of total nitrogen per day per person; or

iii.      An analysis by another means of demonstration showing that the nitrogen loading to the aquifer due to on-site wastewater treatment facilities within the subdivision does not cause or con- tribute to a violation of the Aquifer Water Qual- ity Standard for nitrate at the applicable point of compliance.

9.        Repairs.

a.         A Notice of Intent to Discharge is not required for routine work that maintains a facility.

b.        The following work is not considered routine work and a Notice of Intent to Discharge is required:

i.         Converting a facility from operation only under gravity to one requiring a pump or other pow- ered equipment for treatment or disposal;

ii.        Modifying or replacing a facility operating under the 1.09 General Permit with a different

type of treatment or disposal technology;

iii.      Changing the treatment works or disposal works of a facility authorized under one or more Type 4 General Permits to a technology covered by any other Type 4 General Permit;

iv.       Extending the disposal works more than 10 feet beyond the footprint of the original disposal works;

v.        Reconstructing any part of the disposal works in soil that is inadequate for the treated waste- water flow or strength;

vi.       Expanding the footprint of the facility into or within setback buffers established  in R18-9- A312(C);

vii.     Reconstructing the disposal works so that it does not meet the vertical separation require- ments specified in R18-9-A312(E);

viii.    Modifying a treatment works or disposal works to accommodate a daily design flow or waste load greater than the daily design flow or waste load applicable to the original facility; or

ix.       Replacing the treatment works.

c.         Components used in a repair shall meet the design, installation, and operational requirements of this Article.

d.        A permittee shall comply with any local ordinance that provides independent permitting requirements for repair work.

e.         A person shall not modify the facility so as to create an unsanitary condition or environmental nuisance or cause or contribute to an exceedance of a water quality standard.

10.     Cumulative flows. When there is more than one on-site wastewater treatment facility on a property or on a site under common ownership or subject to a larger plan of sale or development, the Director shall  determine whether an individual permit is required or whether the applicant qualifies for coverage to discharge under a gen- eral permit based on the sum of the design flows from the proposed installation and existing on-site wastewater treatment facilities on the property or site.

a.         If the sum of the design flows is less than 3000 gal- lons per day, the Department will process the appli- cation under R18-9-E302 through R18-9-E322, as applicable.

b.        If the sum of the design flows is equal to or more than 3000 gallons per day but less than 24,000 gal- lons per day, the Department will process the appli- cation under R18-9-E323.

c.         If the sum of the design flows is equal to or more than 24,000 gallons per day, the project does not qualify for coverage under a Type 4 General Permit and the applicant shall submit an application for an individual permit under Article 2 of this Chapter.

B.       Notice of Intent to Discharge under a Type 4 General Permit. In addition to the Notice of Intent to Discharge requirements specified in R18-9-A301(B), an applicant shall submit the fol- lowing information in a format approved by the Department:

1.        A site investigation report that summarizes the results of the site investigation conducted under R18-9-A310(B), including:

a.         Results from any soil evaluation, percolation test, or seepage pit performance test;

b.        Any surface limiting condition identified in R18-9- A310(C)(2); and

c.         Any subsurface limiting condition identified in R18- 9-A310(D)(2);

2.        A site plan that includes:

a.         The parcel and lot number, if applicable, the prop- erty address or other appropriate legal description, the property size in acres, and the boundaries of the property;

b.        A plan of the site drawn to scale, dimensioned, and with a north arrow that shows:

i.         Proposed and existing on-site wastewater treat- ment facilities; dwellings and other buildings; driveways, swimming pools, tennis courts, wells, ponds, and any other paved, concrete, or water feature; down slopes and cut banks with a slope greater than 15 percent; retaining walls; and any other constructed feature that affects proper location, design, construction, or opera- tion of the facility;

ii.        Any feature less than 200 feet from the on-site wastewater treatment facility excavation  and reserve area that constrains the location of the on-site wastewater treatment facility because of setback limitations specified in R18-9- A312(C);

iii.      Topography, delineated with an appropriate contour interval, showing original and post- installation grades;

iv.       Location and identification of the treatment and disposal works and wastewater pipelines, the reserve disposal area, and location and identifi- cation of all sites of percolation testing and soil evaluation performed under R18-9-A310; and

v.        Location of any public sewer if 400 feet or less from the property line;

3.        The design flow of the on-site wastewater treatment facil- ity expressed in gallons per day based on Table 1, Unit Design Flows, the expected strength of the wastewater if the strength exceeds the levels for typical sewage, and:

a.         For a single family dwelling, a list of the number of bedrooms and plumbing fixtures and corresponding unit flows used to calculate the design flow of the facility; and

b.        For a dwelling other than for a single family, a list of each wastewater source and corresponding unit flows used to calculate the design flow of the facil- ity;

4.        A list of materials, components, and equipment for con- structing the on-site wastewater treatment facility;

5.        Drawings, reports, and other information that are clear, reproducible, and in a size and format specified by the Department; and

6.        For a facility that includes treatment or disposal works permitted under R18-9-E303 through R18-9-E323:

a.         Construction quality drawings that show the follow- ing:

i.         Systems, subsystems, and key components, including manufacturer’s name, model number, and associated construction notes and inspec- tion milestones, as applicable;

ii.        A title block, including facility owner, revision date, space for addition of the Department’s application number, and page numbers;

iii.      A plan and profile with the elevations of waste- water pipelines, and treatment and disposal components, including calculations justifying the absorption area, to allow Department verifi-

	cation of hydraulic and performance character-		g.     The name of the installation contractor and the Reg-
	istics;		istrar of Contractor’s license number issued to the
	iv.   Cross sections showing wastewater pipelines,		installation contractor; and
	construction details and elevations of treatment		h.     A certification that any septic tank installed as a
	and disposal components, original and finished		component of the on-site wastewater treatment facil-
	grades of the land surface, seasonal high water		ity passed the watertightness test required by R18-9-
	table if less than 10 feet below the bottom of a		A314(5)(d).
	disposal works or 60 feet below the bottom of a		3.     The Director shall specify in the Discharge Authoriza-
	seepage pit, and a soil elevation evaluation to		tion:
	allow  Department  verification  of  installation		a.      The permitted design flow of the facility,
	design and performance; and		b.     The characteristics of the wastewater sources con-
	v.     Drainage pattern, drainage controls, and ero-		tributing to the facility, and
	sion protection, as applicable, for the facility;		c.      A list of the documents submitted to and reviewed
	and		by the Department satisfying subsection (C)(2).
	b.     A draft operation and maintenance manual for the	D.	Closure requirements. A person who permanently discontin-
	on-site wastewater treatment facility consisting of		ues use of an on-site wastewater treatment facility or a cess-
	the tasks and schedules for operating and maintain-		pool, or is ordered by the Director to close an abandoned
	ing performance over a 20-year operational life;		facility shall:
C.	Additional requirements for a Discharge Authorization under a		1.     Remove all sewage from the facility and dispose of the
	Type 4 General Permit.		sewage in a lawful manner;
	1.     If the entire on-site wastewater treatment facility, includ-		2.     Disconnect and remove electrical and mechanical compo-
	ing treatment works and disposal works, will be permit-		nents;
	ted  under   R18-9-E302,  the   Director  shall  issue   the		3.     Remove or collapse the top of any tank or containment
	Discharge Authorization if:		structure.
	a.    The site plan accurately reflects the final location		a.      Punch a hole in the bottom of the tank or contain-
	and configuration of the components of the treat-		ment structure if the bottom is below the seasonal
	ment and disposal works, and		high groundwater table;
	b.     The applicant certifies on the Request for Discharge		b.     Fill the tank or containment structure or any cavity
	Authorization form that the septic tank passed the		resulting from its removal with earth, sand, gravel,
	watertightness test required by R18-9-A314(5)(d).		concrete, or other approved material; and
	2.     If the on-site wastewater treatment facility is proposed		c.      Regrade the surface to provide drainage away from
	under R18-9-E303 through R18-9-E323, either separately		the closed area;
	or in any combination with each other or with R18-9-		4.     Cut and plug both ends of the abandoned sewer drain pipe
	E302, the Director shall issue the Discharge Authoriza-		between the building and the on-site wastewater treat-
	tion  if   the  following   documents  are   submitted  to  the		ment facility not more than 5 feet outside the building
	Department:		foundation if practical, or cut and plug as close to each
	a.      As-built plans showing changes from construction		end as possible; and
	quality    drawings    submitted    under    subsection		5.     Notify the Department within 30 days of closure.
	(B)(6)(a);	E.	Proprietary and other reviewed products.
	b.     A  final  list   of  equipment  and  materials  showing		1.     The Department shall maintain a list of proprietary and
	changes from the list submitted under subsection		other reviewed products that may be used for on-site
	(B)(4);		wastewater  treatment   facilities  to   comply  with  the
	c.      A final operation and maintenance manual for the		requirements of this Article. The list shall include appro-
	on-site wastewater treatment facility consisting of		priate information on the applicability and limitations of
	the tasks and schedules for operating and maintain-		each product.
	ing performance over a 20-year operational life;		2.     The list of proprietary and other reviewed products may
	d.     A certification that a service contract for ensuring		include manufactured systems, subsystems, or compo-
	that the facility is operated and maintained to meet		nents within the treatment works and disposal works if
	the performance and other requirements of the appli-		the products significantly contribute to the treatment per-
	cable general permits exists for at least one year fol-		formance of the system or provide the means to overcome
	lowing the beginning of the operation of the on-site		site limitations. The Department will not list septic tanks,
	wastewater treatment facility, including the name of		effluent filters or components that do not significantly
	the service provider, if the on-site wastewater treat-		affect treatment performance or provide the means to
	ment facility is permitted under:		overcome site limitations.
	i.      R18-9-E304;		3.     A person may request that the Department add a product
	ii.     R18-9-E308 through R18-9-E315;		to the list of proprietary and other reviewed products. The
	iii.   R18-9-E316, if the facility includes a pump; or		request  may   include  a  proposed  reference  design  for
	iv.   R18-9-E318 through R18-9-E322;		review. The Department shall ensure that performance
	e.      Other documents, if required by the separate general		values in the list reflect the treatment performance for
	permits in 18 A.A.C. 9, Article 3, Part E;		defined wastewater characteristics. The Department shall
	f.      A Certificate of Completion signed by the person		assess fees under 18 A.A.C. 14 for product review.
	responsible for assuring that installation of the facil-	F.	Recordkeeping. A permittee authorized to discharge under one
	ity conforms to the design approved under the Con-		or more Type 4 General Permits shall maintain the Discharge
	struction Authorization under R18-9-A301(D)(1)(c);		Authorization and associated documents for the life of the
			facility.

Historical Note

New Section adopted by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 235, effective January 1, 2001 (Supp. 00-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 11 A.A.R. 4544, effective November 12, 2005 (05-3).