New rules for septic systems start Jan. 2

One official said a new system under the new regulations could cost anywhere from 5,500 to 25,000.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Health Board members have passed a list of regulations for increased maintenance and supervision of septic systems beginning in 2007.
According to Frank Migliozzi, department environmental director, before 2002 the board did not follow the minimum requirements for septic systems set forth by the state and were subsequently sued by the state Environmental Protection Agency. The new regulations are a result of that lawsuit.
"As a result of that [lawsuit] a consent order was drafted and ratified by the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas," he said. "In my opinion we are ahead of the game in implementing these [regulations]."
The new regulations will take effect Jan. 2.
The board adopted 18 state-mandated regulations for septic systems, which must be followed by every community in the county.
The board also adopted an additional six regulations that cities with their own health departments can choose to follow or ignore. Those five additional regulations deal with various inspections not mandated by the state but adopted by the county board of health.
Main change
Migliozzi said the main change for individuals with an off-lot septic system, meaning the material from the system is discharged off premises, will be the requirement to maintain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The system will also be inspected annually by health department officials.
The new regulations for on-premise systems will require a greater degree of separation between ground surface level, and seasonal water and high clay content soil. The minimum requirement will be 2 to 3 feet of separation.
Migliozzi said about 60 percent of soil with a septic system in the county will not meet the 2-to-3-foot separation requirement. Those systems will have to be upgraded, but only after inspected or checked by the county.
The county will inspect a system if the house is sold, an addition put on the home, a variance is requested for the existing system, a new system is installed or if there is a nuisance complaint about the system. If it passes inspection, the system will be given a "permit to operate" and yearly maintenance reminders will be sent to the property owner.
There are currently about 26,000 septic systems in the county. About 2,000 of those systems have received a permit.
Migliozzi said a new system under the new regulations could cost anywhere from 5,500 to 25,000.
The new regulations also list an increase in the cost for a site inspection. Migliozzi said the cost will increase from 125 to 250 because of the time involved in inspecting the systems under the new regulations.
jgoodwin@vindy.com