How to Prepare for a Household Sewage Treatment System Inspection - Ohio

 

     In 2015 the State of Ohio implemented operation and maintenance (O&M) requirements for household sewage treatment systems in Ohio. Counties were given leeway about when to start the process, how much to charge for inspections and operation permits, and which systems to include or exclude. Some counties are just beginning to go forward with these requirements and others have had them in place for several years now. Of course, no one wants to get an unforeseen bill for approximately $125, $50 for the operation permit and $75 for the inspection. That is one example of an operation permit that will last 10 years. Operation permits may last 10 years, 5 years, or another timespan, depending on the county. The costs also vary by county. Some can be fairly high and at short intervals, potentially causing financial hardships for low-income residents. Non-payment typically results in a late fee and eventually adding the costs onto one’s property taxes, if deemed necessary. One could apply for a grant for things like system repairs but as far as I know the grants won’t help with O&M program charges.

     Ohio Department of Health runs the program. Tuscarawas County Health Department describes it as follows in a FAQ page:

What is the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Program, and why do I need an Operation Permit?

The O&M Program is a statewide initiative to ensure proper maintenance of Home Sewage Treatment Systems (HSTSs) to protect public health, minimize pollution of Ohio waters, and extend the lifetime of private sewage systems. Operation permits are required for all private sewage treatment systems by the Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-29. Permits also provide homeowners with education on system maintenance.

     If you get something from the county health department about obtaining or renewing an operation permit after a required inspection, they might give you two choices: to have the system inspected by a service provider or by health department personnel. It is recommended to have it inspected by a service provider, since they have tools, supplies, and repair knowledge. The cost is comparable. If the system needs to be pumped, most can do that as a package deal, perhaps at a discount.

 

     One can inspect one’s own septic system to determine if there are issues. If there are inspection ports on the far end of the leach field, one can look in them. They should be dry. If there is any water in them it should be at a low level. If you walk around the leach field you should look out for any water surfacing. This suggests an issue, perhaps a biomat, or mat of bacteria, clogging the leach trench or previously undetected shallow groundwater or runoff entering the leach field. A biomat can be a serious problem leading to leach line failure or system failure. Ideally, gutter drainage from the house or any other source of runoff that could add water to the leach field, should be diverted via a diverter drain, basically a perforated pipe and gravel drainage.

 

     Sewage effluent should seep into the soil slowly. It is oxygen in the open chambers (or in open pore spaces in gravel in pipe and gravel in older systems) that supports the anaerobic bacteria that devour the sewage particles. Saturated ground leads to lower oxygen conditions, which can slow or even stop decomposition. Another thing to look for is isolated green growth which could be from retained water and the nutrients in the leaked sewage effluent.

 

     Septic tanks may be pre-cast concrete or plastic. Most older ones and newer ones too are concrete. They usually have two compartments. The one on the inlet side usually facing the house is the solids compartment, where the solids are retained. They decompose slowly. One rule of thumb is that when the solids, called the sludge layer, are more than 30% of the inlet compartment, then it should be pumped. I think that is conservative and levels could be significantly higher, especially if the system is low use, giving more time for additional decomposition to happen. The level is also hard to determine since the level will be higher near the inlet T as indicated in the picture below. For people who use lots of oils and soaps there may be a scum layer on top which can also impede determining the solids level. The outlet side of the tank should have a filter, usually a simple plastic filter with holes. Older systems often do not have filters. Filters can get clogged with things like toilet paper. They usually have a handle where they can be pulled up. Often there is an arrow on top showing the direction of flow, pointing to the outlet. It is important that they are put back in the same way. Just pulling the filter out may unclog it. It can be pulled out and sprayed off with a hose if needed. If it is super clogged the tank can fill up and leak out of the top. I saw this happen once. Some aeration tanks have sock filters that also need to be cleaned periodically. Filters should be checked about once a year or if a problem is suspected.   

      Inspecting the system also requires looking in the distribution box and/or the drop boxes. A distribution box usually has one pipe coming in from the tank and multiple pipes exiting out to different leach lines, usually three. Due to the multiple pipes these are bigger boxes with bigger lids. These should have a vertical separation of about 2 inches, with each pipe being 2 inches lower than the previous one. Sometimes there are speed levelers, basically plastic disks that can be turned to allow water in when it reaches the level required. The idea is to utilize all leach lines equally. Distribution is a key to a functional septic system. Drop boxes just have one pipe coming in and two going out. Sometimes pipes can slip, settle, or they may be cut off inside the boxes at the wrong lengths, causing a leach line to be partially or fully bypassed. Some older systems have an elbow on one line in the distribution box that is supposed to be switched out yearly to give resting periods to the soil. One should not see water flowing in any of these boxes unless there is known water use in the house, such as from a washer, dishwasher, shower, or even a running toilet. The water level should be lower than the lowest open hole, obviously. If not, there is some serious clogging.

 

     There are general recommendations for owners of septic systems: Limit dumping of bleach and chlorine since it kills bacteria. Same with household chemicals. Do not flush anything large down a toilet – no baby wipes, even if they say they are flushable. Dumping grease and oils should be avoided or very limited. Too much hair is not good either. Just good ole shit and a reasonable amount of paper. Of course, there will also be dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo, and liquids poured down the kitchen drain. One may or may not use enzymes to add to the system to enhance decomposition. Most people in the septic industry say that these are not useful since they don’t add enough bacteria to the existing bacteria to make a difference. Others disagree. If one has an old system that has not been pumped for a while, one might use the enzymes to help maximize the decomposition of the solids to keep the sludge level from getting too high in the tank. This would probably work best in a system of low usage, typically one or two persons. Other useful additives that enhance decomposition rates include yeast and corn syrup. There are also products like Dr. Pooper that have higher amounts of bacteria, enzymes, and accelerators that claim to clear up septic tanks and leach lines. Enzyme and bacteria additives can also get decomposition going in a system that has not been in continuous use for a while

 

     High-use septic systems are more vulnerable to problems. They also need to be pumped and serviced more often. Service providers will say pump every 3-5 years but systems supporting one or two persons may be able to go many years without pumping.

 

     If your septic system has pre-treatment components such as an aerator, a chlorinator (where the effluent runs through chlorinated disks, a UV light, or a lift station pump to pump the effluent to a topographically higher leach field, then you should keep a service contract with a service provider. This runs about $200 per year and covers things like inspecting the system, repairing pumps and aerators (although that could mean additional costs depending on the repairs), cleaning filters, and fixing alarms, floats, and other components. Frankly, these systems are an O&M challenge, a nightmare for many. Many people will neglect to replace a pump or an aerator due simply to cost. Thus, many of these systems will not be functioning as designed. Some of these may be fine but others may end up causing a public health concern if there is sewage surfacing somewhere, or as is common with older systems that were grandfathered in, they discharge minimally treated effluent directly into the environment, commonly into ravines, creeks, and ditches. Septic tank lids should be secured effectively with screws since the holes are big enough for a small child to fall in. Distribution boxes and drop boxes should also be secured but are not a safety risk.

 

     Unfortunately, some older septic tanks and leach fields are hard to find. Tanks may settle and be further covered by sedimentation. Old concrete tanks may be breached by large tree roots or may corrode. When old tanks are abandoned, one typically obtains an abandonment permit from the county health department. The tank is then pumped, crushed, and filled. This usually happens when a new tank is installed by the same contractor. Replacing a tank requires an alteration permit from the county health department.

 

     With your septic information provided by the county health department, you may have a drawing or two depicting your system. Typically, the first drawing is a design layout provided by the health department. That drawing is often tweaked or changed by the installer to better adapt to conditions on the site. That is the installer layout. The final drawing depicts the system “as built.” For my system, the only info I have is the health department design layout. The tank was moved a bit from where that depiction shows it. The ‘as-built’ is the most accurate drawing. It is important not to build anything over the leach field. The leach field should not be driven over or have heavy equipment over it. Existing trees are fine but one should not plant too many trees on it. Mowing over it with a riding mower is fine. Below is a design layout example from a local health department.

 

References:

 

Tuscarawas County Health Department Home Sewage Treatment System (HSTS)/Septic Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). faqupdated2023.pdf (tchdnow.org)