New Mexico Toughens Onsite Regulations

Beginning July 1, all concrete septic tanks installed in New Mexico are required to have a cast-in resilient connector certified to meet or exceed ASTM Standard C923 on the outlet connection.

Beginning July 1, all concrete septic tanks installed in New Mexico are required to have a cast-in resilient connector certified to meet or exceed ASTM Standard C923 on the outlet connection.

Only licensed installers or qualified homeowners may install or modify onsite systems. Qualified homeowners, however, may install only conventional systems, and only at their primary residence. Installers are designated Specialist 1 for graywater and conventional onsite systems, and Specialist 2 for all types of onsite systems.

Only installers, site evaluators/system designers, or professional engineers with a specialty subdiscipline of onsite wastewater engineering may inspect onsite systems for property transactions. Manufacturers of advanced treatment systems must provide training and certification for maintenance service providers on a yearly basis.

Michigan

A proposed state Senate bill would require homeowners to hire only licensed inspectors to inspect conventional or alternative treatment systems, and to have their systems inspected every 10 years. If passed, these rules would activate on Jan. 1, 2010.

Beginning July 1, 2010, the Department of Health would have to approve all alternative systems, and installers would need a groundwater discharge permit. The bill also would create an Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Advisory Council.

Licensed septage haulers in Michigan may be entitled to reimbursement of conference registration fees and continuing education courses under an existing state law. More than $73,000 still exists in a contingency account set up for that purpose. One hauler per company may apply. Information is at www.michigan.gov/deqseptage.

Kansas

Officials in Topeka want urban households with onsite systems to switch to the municipal sewer system. To locate septic tanks, Topeka’s GIS staff crafted a map with layers showing houses near sewer mains that receive water service but no sewer service. Tap-in fees cost citizens more than $1,000.

Idaho

The state Senate voted to overturn rules issued by the Depart-ment of Environmental Quality to increase the drainfield capacity of onsite systems, thereby bringing the state’s septic code more in line with the rest of the nation. The state House of Representatives is expected to follow suit.

Idaho’s standards, among the least stringent in the nation, are about half what the U.S. EPA expects. DEQ officials and representatives of Idaho’s regional health districts may resort to gathering more data on system failures and requiring property owners to pump their septic tanks periodically.

Pennsylvania

A state Senate bill to amend the Regulatory Review Act would require agencies submitting proposed regulations to present detailed explanations of how data in the regulation was obtained and why it is acceptable. The Indepen-dent Regulatory Review Commis-sion would then have to determine whether agencies have the statutory authority to promulgate the regulations and whether the regulations conform to the intention of the General Assembly.

If the regulations are consistent, the commission would have to consider whether they are in the public interest based on economic or fiscal factors, the protection of public health, the possible conflict with or duplication of existing regulations, and the substantial nature of the policy. Every step would have to be supported by acceptable data.



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