Section 905.20  General Requirements

 

a)         Rate of Flow for Domestic Sewage.  Each unit of the private sewage disposal system shall be designed to treat the volume of domestic sewage discharged to it.  The volume of sewage flow shall be determined from Appendix A, Illustration A of this Part.  For non-residential establishments, the Department will consider the use of actual flow volumes obtained from similar installations in lieu of the quantities contained in Appendix A, Illustration A of this Part, when the flow data is documented.  Examples of the documentation that could be accepted would be actual measurements of the quantity of wastewater, or water use receipts.  In the design of a private sewage disposal system, peak flows shall be designed for and/or attenuated.  When the sewage flow exceeds 1500 gallons per day, and there is a surface discharge, then approval shall be obtained from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

 

b)         Type of Waste.  A private sewage disposal system shall be designed to receive all waste from the buildings served.  No cooling water, groundwater, discharge from roof drains, discharge from footing tile drains, swimming pool wastewater, or other clear water discharges shall be directed to the private sewage disposal system.  Drains or fixtures receiving any product other than domestic sewage shall be discharged to a holding tank and not to a private sewage disposal system.

 

1)         Backwash water from a water softener shall discharge to one of the following:

 

A)        A septic tank followed by a seepage field, sand filter or waste stabilization pond.

 

B)        A separate subsurface seepage system, provided the seepage field is designed to accommodate the flow from this device on a daily basis.  A septic tank is not required in front of a seepage field receiving flow from this device.

 

2)         Hot Tub Wastewater.  Wastewater generated by a hot tub or other similar device shall be discharged to one of the following:

 

A)        A separate subsurface seepage system, provided the seepage field is designed to accommodate the liquid capacity of the hot tub on a daily basis.  A septic tank is not required in front of a seepage field receiving flow from this device.

 

B)        The seepage field serving the domestic wastewater flow, provided the seepage field is increased in size to accommodate the additional flow from the hot tub on a daily basis.  This drainage shall be piped around the septic tank and directly into the seepage field.

 

3)         Motorized Equipment.  Waste products such as automotive grease, oils, solvents, and chemicals shall not discharge to a private sewage disposal system.  These waste products shall be handled according to rules for disposal of oil, gas and grease promulgated under the Environmental Protection Act, or according to 35 Ill. Adm. Code, Subtitle G, or shall be taken to an oil and gas reclamation center.  The floor drain of any non-residential property that meets the requirements of subsection (b)(3)(A) or (B) of this Section, and is connected to a public sewer shall be connected to an approved gas and oil interceptor meeting the requirements of Section 890.520 of the Illinois Plumbing Code. Wastes from floor drains in areas where vehicles or motorized equipment are serviced and parked shall be treated in accordance with the following:

 

A)        For any non-residential property in which a floor drain may receive fluids from vehicle or motorized equipment repair or maintenance activities, floor drains shall be connected to a public sewer or holding tank and not to a private sewage disposal system.  Repair and maintenance facilities shall include, but shall not be limited to, service stations and auto body, muffler, transmission, small engine, and brake repair shops.  Floor drains in any facility that performs vehicle or motorized equipment repair work shall be connected to a public sewer or holding tank.  If the floor drain is connected to a public sewer, then the floor drain shall be connected to an approved gas and oil interceptor meeting the requirements of Section 890.520 of the Illinois Plumbing Code.  If the floor drain is connected to a holding tank, a gas and oil interceptor is not required.

 

B)        For any non-residential property in which vehicles or motorized equipment are parked or stored and repair or maintenance are not performed, floor drains may discharge to a public sewer or a private sewage disposal system, provided floor drains are only used to receive water from motorized equipment or vehicle washing or to drain melted snow.  When floor drains in such properties are connected to a private sewage disposal system, the system must be increased in size based upon the anticipated daily flow.  When a maintenance area is adjacent to a parking area, physical barriers, such as a raised curb or recessed floor in the maintenance area, must be provided to assure oil and gas are not discharged to floor drains.

 

C)        For any residential property with a garage of any size, floor drains may discharge directly to a private sewage disposal system.  No increase in size of the residential private sewage disposal system is required to handle this liquid waste.

 

c)         Individual Service.  The use of a private sewage system to serve more than one property is prohibited except where a common property is provided, under joint ownership of the users, or where the system is under public jurisdiction or managed by a district established for the maintenance of such systems.

 

d)         Water and Sewer Line Separation.  The following criteria shall govern the separation of water supply lines and sewer lines:

 

1)         Horizontal Separation.  Sewers shall be installed at least 10 feet horizontally from any existing or proposed water line.  When local conditions prevent a lateral separation of 10 feet, a sewer may be laid closer than 10 feet to a water line provided that the elevation of the crown of the sewer is at least 18 inches below the invert of the water line.

 

2)         Crossings.  Where sewer lines must cross water lines, the sewer line shall be laid at such an elevation that the crown of the sewer line is at least 18 inches below the invert of the water line.  This vertical separation shall be maintained for that portion of the sewer line located within 10 feet horizontally of any water line it crosses. When sewer lines must cross above water lines, the sewer lines shall be Schedule 40 or equivalent material with watertight joints.

 

e)         Sanitary Sewer.  New or renovated private sewage disposal systems shall not be approved where a sanitary sewer operated and maintained under permit of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is available for connection.  A sanitary sewer is available for connection when it is within 200 feet of a residential property or a non-residential property with a sewage flow less than 1500 gallons per day, or within 1000 feet of a non-residential property with a sewage flow greater than or equal to 1500 gallons per day unless a physical barrier or local ordinance exists which prevents connection to the sewer.  If connection from the property to the sanitary sewer cannot be made with an individual line (i.e., 4" line), then a private sewage disposal system may be installed.

 

f)          Acceptable Pipe Materials.

 

1)         All piping located more than 5 feet from the building foundation, used to convey wastewater to a private sewage disposal system, shall be considered a part of the private sewage disposal system and shall be watertight. This piping shall be ductile iron, vitrified clay, or plastic pipe.  Only vitrified clay or plastic pipe shall be used from the septic tank and after the distribution box (where used). Perforated pipe or open-jointed tile shall be used only as provided in this Code.

 

2)         Use of plastic pipe and fittings shall conform to the uses designated in Appendix A, Illustration C of this Part.

 

3)         Piping used to carry domestic sewage under areas such as driveways, roads, or parking areas shall be Schedule 40 equivalent or greater.

 

g)         Pipe Size and Slope.  All solid pipes carrying domestic sewage by gravity flow shall have a nominal diameter of at least 4 inches and a minimum slope of 12 inches per 100 feet.  Solid header lines used for equal distribution shall be level.

 

h)         Prohibited Discharges.  There shall be no discharge of raw or improperly treated domestic sewage to the surface of the ground or to farm tiles, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, or other collectors of water.  Improperly treated domestic sewage is sewage that does not meet the effluent requirements of Section 905.110(b) or sewage which comes directly from a septic tank or building sewer.  Domestic sewage or effluent from any private sewage disposal system or component shall not be discharged into any well, cistern, basement or into any underground mine, cave, sinkhole or tunnel.

 

i)          Pipe Length.  Building sewers in excess of 50 feet in length which carry wastewater from the buildings served to the septic tank, distribution box or aeration treatment plant shall be provided with at least one clean-out every 50 feet that terminates at grade.

 

j)          Private Sewage Disposal System Development.  The following factors shall govern the development of a private sewage disposal system:

 

1)         Drainage.  A private sewage disposal system shall not be located in areas where surface water will accumulate.  Provisions shall be made to minimize flow of surface water over the private sewage system. Examples of such provisions would be the use of dikes, embankments, ditches or flow diverters.

 

2)         Distances.  The location of the various components of a private sewage disposal system shall comply with Appendix A,  Illustration D of this Part.

 

3)         Area Reserved for Sewage Disposal.  The area to be used for a private sewage disposal system shall be selected and maintained so that it is free from encroachment by driveways, accessory buildings, swimming pools, parking areas, buried lawn sprinkling systems and underground utility services, patios, slabs, additions to the original structure or any other structure which limits free access to the system for maintenance, servicing or proper operation.

 

4)         Creviced Limestone Formations.  A subsurface seepage system shall not be constructed in an area where there is less than 4 feet of soil between the lowest point in a subsurface seepage system and the top of a creviced limestone formation.  In areas where creviced limestone is known to occur, a soil boring to a depth of at least 4 feet below the bottom of the subsurface seepage system shall be made to verify that creviced limestone is not present.

 

k)         Electrical Devices.  Any component of a private sewage disposal system which is electrically activated shall be provided with a visible and audible warning device placed within the building served.  All electrical devices shall be wired in accordance with the National Electrical Code or a municipal, county, or local electrical code, whichever is more stringent.

 

l)          Variances.  If conditions exist at a proposed installation which make impractical or impossible compliance with the requirements of this Part, a variance may be requested by submitting to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health, or appropriate local authority a written proposal that is to be used in lieu of compliance with this Part.  Such written request shall include pertinent data such as soil conditions, water table elevations, drainage patterns and distances to water supplies in order to support the request.  The capability of the system to comply with the intent of this Part will be the basis for approval or denial of the variances.  The Department or local authority will notify the applicant in writing of its decision to either grant or deny the variance.  A variance shall be requested and approved before construction begins.

 

m)        Experimental Use Permits.  If a private sewage disposal system or component is of a new and/or innovative type and does not comply with the requirements of this Code, the homeowner or private sewage contractor or manufacturer may request an experimental use permit.  Such a request shall be submitted in writing to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health, prior to construction or installation, and shall meet the following requirements:

 

1)         The request shall specify the type of proposed system or component to be used and be accompanied by plans, specifications, and engineering data to support the system's compliance with the general requirements under Section 905.20 and with the effluent criteria under Section 905.110 for surface discharges, if applicable.

 

2)         Information (such as topographical or plat maps) regarding the location of each installation shall be provided to the Department.

 

3)         The homeowner, private sewage disposal system installation contractor, and/or manufacturer shall provide the Department with proof that area is available for installation of an approved system should the experimental system fail.

 

4)         The homeowner, private sewage disposal system installation contractor, and/or manufacturer shall guarantee in writing the replacement of the experimental system with an approved system if the experimental system fails to perform in accordance with any of the Sections of this Part, or with criteria established as a condition to approval of the system.

 

5)         The private sewage disposal system installation contractor and/or the manufacturer shall notify the homeowner, or the person obtaining the experimental use permit, of the aforementioned guarantee, and of the minimum standards of the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Code which must be met, as determined through the process described in subsections (n)(3) and (4) of this Section for developing criteria to be used in the evaluation of the experimental system.

 

6)         Upon receipt of the information required by this subsection (m), the Department will review the experimental system to determine the system's capability of being considered equal to or more stringent than applicable Sections in this Code, and will notify the applicant, in writing, of its decision to grant or deny the request for an experimental use permit.  If approved, the Department will issue an "Experimental Use Permit" for each installation, up to 30 installations in the State.

 

n)         Experimental Use Evaluation.

 

1)         A minimum of 10 experimental installations shall be evaluated before an unconditional approval may be granted.

 

2)         The experimental permit shall be valid for a period of up to 2 years, during which time the Department will evaluate the performance of the experimental system.  At the end of the 2 year evaluation period, the Department will make a determination as to whether the system will be approved.

 

3)         The Department, in consultation with the experimental use permit applicant, shall develop a test method for the experimental system that will include the following information:

 

A)        purpose of the test;

 

B)        length of the test;

 

C)        analytical methods to be used;

 

D)        wastewater characteristics;

 

E)         loading requirements; and

 

F)         test criteria, including installation procedures, operating procedures, site evaluation criteria, control system criteria, start-up procedures, sampling procedures, and observation procedures.

 

4)         The Department, in consultation with the permit applicant, shall develop performance requirements that will detail the criteria to be used to evaluate the product to determine its ability to become an approved private sewage disposal system.  Such performance requirements shall include, but are not limited to, ponding in subsurface systems indicating that failure of the system is imminent.

 

5)         The experimental system will be deemed unacceptable:

 

A)        when sewage erupts from the ground;

 

B)        when effluent from the system does not meet the criteria of Section 905.110(d); or

 

C)        when the experimental system does not comply with the requirements of subsections (n)(3) and (4) of this Section.

 

6)         If acceptable, the experimental system shall become an approved private sewage system.  If found to be unacceptable, the experimental system shall not be approved for use as a private sewage disposal system and shall be replaced with an approved private sewage disposal system.  The Department shall notify the applicant, in writing, of its determination.

 

7)         A homeowner, private sewage contractor or manufacturer whose experimental system has been denied approval for use as a private sewage disposal system may request a hearing to appeal the Department's determination. The request shall be submitted in writing within 10 days after receipt of the Department's determination.  The Department's Rules of Practice and Procedure in Administrative Hearings (77 Ill. Adm. Code 100) shall apply to all proceedings conducted under this Section.

 

8)         When an experimental system has been designated by the Department as an approved private sewage disposal system, the Department will amend this Part to include design, construction, operation and maintenance criteria for the newly approved system and will add the system to a list of approved systems maintained by the Department.

 

o)         Garbage Grinders.  When garbage grinders are used in residential property, solids shall be retained by one of the following methods:

 

1)         A solids retention tank constructed in accordance with Section 905.40 shall be placed between the wastewater source and the septic tank to intercept solids from the garbage grinder.  This tank shall receive waste from the garbage grinders or the kitchen wastes only.  No other fixtures shall discharge into this tank.  The solids retention tank shall be at least 50% in liquid volume of the septic tank sized for the waste from the rest of the property; however, the minimum size tank to be used shall be 500 gallons.

 

2)         A septic tank receiving all flows from the property sized in accordance with Appendix A, Illustration F of this Part.

 

p)         Whenever an existing private sewage disposal system is repaired or replaced, that portion of the system being repaired or replaced shall comply with all the requirements of this Part.

 

(Source:  Amended at 27 Ill. Reg. 3074, effective February 10, 2003)