Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Regulations, and Any Board Policies in Effect at the Time Application Is Made for the Permit

Onsite Wastewater Regulations

Effective May 4, 2018

Elk Falls Staunton State Park

ONSITE WASTEWATER
REGULATIONS

This Regulation was originally adopted by the Jefferson County Board of Health on April 1, 1967 and subsequently amended (effective dates) on:

November 10, 1973 December 6, 1974, December 5, 1977, June 20, 1980, July 1, 1986, August 1, 1995, November 17, 1998, July 4, 2003, August 4, 2007 May 30, 2014, and

May 4, 2018

Jefferson County Board of Health

Bonnie McNulty, President

Kimberley Krapek Greg Deranleau
Dr. R. Dawn Comstock
Lane Drager

Lindsey Gonzales, Clerk to the Board
Amanda B. Cruser, Esq., Counsel for the Board

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Jefferson County Public Health

645 Parfet Street, Lakewood CO 80215

https://www.jeffco.us/public-health

Mark B. Johnson, MD, MPH

Executive Director

James Rada, REHS

Director, Environmental Health Services Division

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Mission: To promote and protect health across the lifespan through prevention, education and partnerships.

Vision: Healthy People, Healthy Places

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Section 1 – AUTHORITY

1.0 Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Act ............................................................................ 1 1.1 Division Authority to Administer and Enforce ......................................................................... 1

Section 2 – DECLARATION, APPLICABILITY, PURPOSE AND SCOPE

2.0 Declaration............................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Applicability.............................................................................................................................. 1 2.2 Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 1 2.3 Effluent Discharged to Surface Waters.................................................................................... 1 2.4 Jurisdiction .............................................................................................................................. 2 2.5 General Requirements ............................................................................................................. 2 2.6 General Prohibitions ................................................................................................................ 2 2.7 Severability............................................................................................................................... 3 2.8 Materials Incorporated by Reference...................................................................................... 3

Section 3 – DEFINITIONS, TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

3.0 Definitions and Terms ............................................................................................................ 5 3.1 Abbreviations and Acronyms.................................................................................................. 21

Section 4 – APPLICABILITY AND PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS

4.0 Design Capacity ..................................................................................................................... 22 4.1 Permit Application Requirements and Procedures ............................................................... 23 4.2 Minimum Property Size Requirements.................................................................................. 23 4.3 Permit Term ........................................................................................................................... 25 4.4 Repair Permits........................................................................................................................ 25 4.5 Expanded Use of an OWTS..................................................................................................... 25 4.6 Liability ................................................................................................................................... 26 4.7 Access to Site.......................................................................................................................... 26 4.8 Site and System Identification................................................................................................ 26 4.9 Easements .............................................................................................................................. 26 4.10 Preliminary Site Investigation ................................................................................................ 27 4.11 Application Review and Permit Issuance............................................................................... 27 4.12 Denial of a Permit .................................................................................................................. 28 4.13 Changes in Plans or Specifications......................................................................................... 28 4.14 Changes in Terms or Conditions after Permit Issuance......................................................... 28 4.15 Inspections ............................................................................................................................. 28

Section 5 – BOARD OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

5.0 Responsibility for Enforcement............................................................................................... 29 5.1 Variance Requests from the Requirements of this Regulation .............................................. 30 5.2 Variance Requests from the Requirements of Regulation 43 ................................................ 30 5.3 Outcome of the Variance Proceeding .................................................................................... 31 5.4 Review Procedures.................................................................................................................. 31 5.5 Prohibition of System Installation in Unsuitable Areas .......................................................... 31

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5.6 Conceptual Approvals ............................................................................................................. 32 5.7 Hearing Procedures................................................................................................................. 32 5.8 Review of Applications Denied by the Health Officer............................................................. 32 5.9 Reconsideration of Applications Denied by the Board of Health........................................... 33 5.10 Findings on Appeal ................................................................................................................ 33 5.11 Appeal of Board Decisions ...................................................................................................... 33

Section 6 – ENFORCEMENT

6.0 Cease and Desist Orders ......................................................................................................... 33 6.1 Penalties Per §25-10-113, C.R.S.............................................................................................. 34

Section 7 - SYSTEMS CONTRACTORS, OWNER INSTALLERS AND SYSTEMS CLEANERS

7.0 General Requirements for Systems Contractors and Owner Installers.................................. 35 7.1 General Requirements for Systems Cleaners ......................................................................... 36

Section 8 – PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PERMITS

8.0 General Requirements ............................................................................................................ 37

Section 9 – USE PERMITS

9.0 Applicability............................................................................................................................. 39 9.1 Application Requirements....................................................................................................... 39 9.2 Minimum Criteria for Approval............................................................................................... 40 9.3 Issuance of a Use Permit......................................................................................................... 41 9.4 Renewal of a Use Permit......................................................................................................... 41 9.5 Waiver of a Use Permit ........................................................................................................... 41 9.6 Revocation of a Use Permit..................................................................................................... 41 9.7 Penalties.................................................................................................................................. 41

Section 10 – OPERATING PERMITS

10.0 Applicability............................................................................................................................ 42 10.1 Minimum Application Requirements..................................................................................... 42 10.2 Operating Permit Requirements ........................................................................................... 42 10.3 Inspection and Maintenance Requirements.......................................................................... 43 10.4 Renewal of an Operating Permit............................................................................................ 44 10.5 Penalties................................................................................................................................. 44 10.6 Service Provider Requirements.............................................................................................. 44

Section 11 – SITE AND SOIL EVALUATION AND DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

11.0 General Requirements .......................................................................................................... 45 11.1 Preliminary investigation ..................................................................................................... 45 11.2 Reconnaissance .................................................................................................................... 46 11.3 Detailed Soil Investigation .................................................................................................... 46 11.4 Visual and Tactile Evaluations............................................................................................... 47 11.5 Determination of a Limiting Layer ........................................................................................ 47 11.6 General Requirements for Percolation Tests........................................................................ 48 11.7 Percolation Tests in Sandy Soils............................................................................................ 49 11.8 Percolation Tests in Special Soil Types.................................................................................. 50 11.9 Percolation Rate Determination and Reporting ................................................................... 50

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11.10 Alternate Percolation Testing ............................................................................................... 50 11.11 Report and Site Plan ............................................................................................................. 50 11.12 Design Document.................................................................................................................. 51 11.13 Qualifications for a Competent Technician .......................................................................... 52

Section 12 – WASTEWATER FLOW AND STRENGTH

12.0 Wastewater Flows.................................................................................................................. 53 12.1 Single Family Residential Homes ........................................................................................... 53 12.2 Accessory Buildings and Accessory Dwelling Units ............................................................... 53 12.3 Multi-Family and Commercial Systems.................................................................................. 54 12.4 Flow Equalization ................................................................................................................... 55 12.5 Wastewater Strength............................................................................................................. 55

Section 13 – DESIGN CRITERIA – GENERAL

13.0 General Requirements........................................................................................................... 56 13.1 Accessibility for Inspection, Maintenance, and Servicing...................................................... 57 13.2 Plumbing Codes ..................................................................................................................... 58 13.3 Electrical Equipment, if Used................................................................................................. 58 13.4 Indicators of Failure or Malfunctioning for Systems Utilizing Mechanical Apparatus .......... 58 13.5 Sampling Access..................................................................................................................... 58 13.6 Component Operating Instructions....................................................................................... 58 13.7 Surface Activity ...................................................................................................................... 59 13.8 Floodplains............................................................................................................................. 59 13.9 Business Commercial, Industrial, Institutional or Multi-Family Dwelling
Wastewater Systems .............................................................................................................. 59

Section 14 – DESIGN CRITERIA FOR SEPTIC TANKS, VAULT AND APPURTENANCES

14.0 Watertightness....................................................................................................................... 60 14.1 Tank Anchoring ..................................................................................................................... 60 14.2 Identification and Data Marking ........................................................................................... 60 14.3 Sizing Requirements............................................................................................................... 60 14.4 Inspection and Testing of Septic Tank Watertightness ......................................................... 61 14.5 Septic Tank Design and Dimension Criteria........................................................................... 61 14.6 Concrete Septic Tank Structural Design................................................................................. 62 14.7 Fiberglass, Fiberglass-Reinforced Polyester, and Plastic Tanks............................................. 63 14.8 Metal Tanks ........................................................................................................................... 63 14.9 Abandonment of Tank and Vaults ....................................................................................... 63 14.10 Pipe Standards ..................................................................................................................... 63 14.11 Pipe Bedding Requirements................................................................................................. 64 14.12 Cleanouts ............................................................................................................................. 64 14.13 Distribution Box .................................................................................................................. 65 14.14 Drop Box .............................................................................................................................. 65 14.15 Stepdown/Relief Pipe ......................................................................................................... 65 14.16 Dosing Requirements........................................................................................................... 65 14.17 Dosing Siphons..................................................................................................................... 66 14.18 Wastewater Pumping Systems ............................................................................................ 66 14.19 Access for Pump and Dosing Tanks...................................................................................... 67 14.20 Splice Boxes.......................................................................................................................... 67

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14.21 Controls................................................................................................................................ 67 14.22 Effluent Screens ................................................................................................................... 68 14.23 Grease Interceptor Tanks..................................................................................................... 68

Section 15 – DESIGN CRITERIA FOR SOIL TREATMENT AREAS

15.0 Size and Design of a Soil Treatment Area ............................................................................ 69 15.1 Calculation of Infiltrative Surface of Soil Treatment Area ................................................... 69 15.2 Allowable Soil Treatment Area Sizing Adjustments............................................................. 70 15.3 General Requirements for Design of Distribution Systems ................................................. 70 15.4 Distribution Laterals ............................................................................................................ 71 15.5 Pressure Distribution............................................................................................................ 72 15.6 Soil Treatment Area Requirements for Trenches ................................................................ 72 15.7 Soil Treatment Area Requirements for Beds ....................................................................... 72 15.8 Serial and Sequential Distribution Systems ......................................................................... 73 15.9 Alternating Systems ............................................................................................................. 73 15.10 Sequencing Zone Systems.................................................................................................... 73 15.11 Inspection Ports ................................................................................................................... 73 15.12 Storage/Distribution Media................................................................................................. 74 15.13 Soil Replacement Systems ................................................................................................... 75 15.14 Repairs to an Existing OWTS................................................................................................ 76 15.15 Remediation Systems........................................................................................................... 79

Section 16 – DESIGN CRITERIA FOR HIGHER LEVEL TREATMENT (HLT) SYSTEMS

16.0 General Requirements for HLT Systems ............................................................................... 79 16.1 General Requirements for Sand Filters................................................................................. 80 16.2 Intermittent (Single Pass) Sand Filters.................................................................................. 80 16.3 Unlined (Open Bottom) Sand Filters..................................................................................... 82 16.4 Lined Sand Filters .................................................................................................................. 82 16.5 Recirculating Sand Filters...................................................................................................... 83 16.6 Mound Systems..................................................................................................................... 84 16.7 Rock Plant Filter (Constructed Wetland) Treatment Before a Soil Treatment Area ............ 85

Section 17 – DESIGN CRITERIA FOR EVAPORATION AND EVAPORATION/ABSORPTION SYSTEMS

17.0 Non-Pressurized Drip Dispersal System (NDDS) ................................................................... 86 17.1 General Design Criteria ......................................................................................................... 86 17.2 Evapotranspiration Beds....................................................................................................... 87 17.3 Evapotranspiration/absorption Beds.................................................................................... 87

Section 18 – DESIGN CRITERIA FOR OTHER FACILITIES

18.0 General requirements........................................................................................................... 88 18.1 Seepage Pits .......................................................................................................................... 89 18.2 Vaults, Other Than Vaulted Privies ....................................................................................... 89 18.3 Vaulted Privies....................................................................................................................... 90 18.4 Pit Privies............................................................................................................................... 90 18.5 Incinerating, Composting and Chemical Toilets – General Requirements ........................... 91 18.6 Incinerating Toilets................................................................................................................ 91 18.7 Composting Toilets................................................................................................................ 91 18.8 Portable Chemical Toilets ..................................................................................................... 92 18.9 Slit Trench Latrines................................................................................................................ 92