GENERAL
§ 73.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Absorption area—A component of an individual or community sewage system where liquid from a treatment tank seeps into the soil; it consists of an aggregate-filled area containing piping for the distribution of liquid and the soil or sand/soil combination located beneath the aggregate.
Act—The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (35 P. S. § § 750.1—750.20).
Aggregate—Coarse material manufactured from stone, gravel or slag, having Type B characteristics as described in Department of Transportation specifications, Form 408, section 703.3, Table B and uniform size and grading equivalent to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials No. 57, as described in Form 408, section 703.3, 2 Table C.
Agricultural areas—Areas used primarily for the production of crops and where the soil is without vegetative cover during certain periods of the year.
Alternate sewage system—A method of demonstrated onlot sewage treatment and disposal not described in this part.
Bonded disposal system—An individual sewage system located on a single lot serving a single family residence, where soil mottling is within 20 inches of the mineral soil surface, the installation, operation and replacement of which is guaranteed by the property owner.
Building sewer—Piping carrying liquid wastes from a building to the treatment tank or holding tank.
Buried sand filter—A system of piping, sand media, aggregate and collection piping in a buried liner used for the intermittent filtration and biochemical treatment of sewage.
Clean Streams Law—The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S. § § 691.1—691.1001).
Conventional sewage system—A system employing the use of demonstrated onlot sewage treatment and disposal technology in a manner specifically recognized by this chapter. The term does not include alternate or experimental sewage systems.
Dosing pump—The pump housed in a dosing tank which provides a measured volume of sewage effluent to the pressurized distribution system in an absorption area.
Experimental sewage system—A method of onlot sewage treatment and disposal not described in this title which is proposed for the purpose of testing and observation.
Filter tank—The tank housing the piping and sand of the free access sand filter.
Forested areas—Areas where the predominant vegetative cover is comprised of trees with a closed canopy.
Free access sand filter—An accessible system of tanks, dose piping, sand media, aggregate and collection piping used for the intermittent filtration and biochemical treatment of sewage.
Geotextile—Material consisting of mesh polypropylene, polyester, nylon or similar material, used to prevent migration of fine aggregate into coarser aggregate.
Grassed area—An area where the predominant vegetative cover is comprised of grasses, bushes or trees not forming a closed canopy.
Individual residential spray irrigation system—An individual sewage system which serves a single dwelling and which treats and disposes of sewage using a system of piping, treatment tanks and soil renovation through spray irrigation.
Individual sewage system—A system of piping, tanks or other facilities serving a single lot and collecting and disposing of sewage in whole or in part into the soil or into waters of this Commonwealth or by means of conveyance to another site for final disposal.
Industrial waste—A liquid, gaseous, radioactive, solid or other substance, which is not sewage, resulting from manufacturing or industry or other plant or works and mine drainage, silt, coal mine solids, rock, debris, dirt and clay from coal mines, coal collieries, breakers or other coal processing operations. The term includes substances whether or not generally characterized as waste.
Lift pump—A submersible pump used to convey effluent to the sand filter and from the sand filter to the chlorine/retention tank.
Municipality—A city, incorporated town, township, borough or home rule municipality other than a county.
NSF—National Sanitation Foundation.
Official plan—A comprehensive plan for the provision of adequate sewage systems adopted by a municipality possessing authority over the provision of the systems and submitted to and approved by the Department as provided by the act and Chapter 71 (relating to administration of sewage facilities program).
Person—The term includes an individual; association; public or private corporation for-profit or not-for-profit; partnership; firm; trust; estate; department; board; bureau or agency of the United States or the Commonwealth; political subdivision; municipality; district; authority; or other legal entity which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties. The term includes the members of an association, partnership or firm and the officers of a local agency or municipal, public or private corporation for-profit or not-for-profit.
Qualified registered professional engineer—A person registered to practice engineering in this Commonwealth who has experience in the characterization, classification, mapping and interpretation of soils as they relate to the function of onlot sewage disposal systems.
Qualified registered professional geologist—A person registered to practice geology in this Commonwealth who has experience in the characterization, classification, mapping and interpretation of soils as they relate to the function of onlot sewage disposal systems.
Qualified soil scientist—A person certified as a sewage enforcement officer and who has documented 2 years’ experience in the characterization, classification, mapping and interpretation of soils as they relate to the function of onlot sewage disposal systems and either a Bachelor of Science Degree in soils science from an accredited college or university or certification by the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops and Soils.
Retaining tank—A watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage and is designed and constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of the sewage at another site. The term includes the following:(i) Chemical toilet. A permanent or portable nonflushing toilet using chemical treatment in the retaining tank for odor control.
(ii) Holding tank. A tank, whether permanent or temporary, to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.
(iii) Privy. A tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
(iv) Incinerating toilet. A device capable of reducing waste materials to ashes.
(v) Composting toilet. A device for holding and processing human and organic kitchen waste employing the process of biological degradation through the action of microorganisms to produce a stable, humus-like material.
(vi) Recycling toilet. A device in which the flushing medium is restored to a condition suitable for reuse in flushing.
Sewage—A substance that contains the waste products or excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals; a substance harmful to the public health, to animal or aquatic life or to the use of water for domestic water supply or for recreation; or a substance which constitutes pollution under The Clean Streams Law.
Sewage enforcement officer—An official of the local agency who reviews permit applications and sewage facilities planning modules and issues permits as authorized by the act and conducts the investigations and inspections that are necessary to implement the act and regulations thereunder.
Sewage facilities—A system of sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal which will prevent the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage or other waste into waters of this Commonwealth or otherwise provide for the safe and sanitary treatment and disposal of sewage or other waste. The term includes:(i) Individual sewage system—A system of piping, tanks or other facilities serving a single lot and collecting and disposing of sewage in whole or in part into the soil or into waters of this Commonwealth or by means of conveyance to another site for final disposal.
(A) Individual onlot sewage system—An individual sewage system which uses a system of piping, tanks or other facilities for collecting, treating or disposing of sewage into a soil absorption area or spray field or by retention in a retaining tank.
(B) Individual sewerage system—An individual sewage system which uses a method of sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal other than renovation in a soil absorption area, or retention in a retaining tank.
(ii) Community sewage system—A sewage facility, whether publicly or privately owned, for the collection of sewage from two or more lots, or two or more equivalent dwelling units and the treatment or disposal, or both, of the sewage on one or more of the lots or at another site.
(A) Community onlot sewage system—A community sewage system which uses a system of piping, tanks or other facilities for collecting, treating and disposing of sewage into a soil absorption area or retaining tank.
(B) Community sewerage system—A publicly or privately owned community sewage system which uses a method of sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal other than renovation in a soil absorption area, or retention in a retaining tank.
Small flow treatment facility—An individual or community sewerage system designed to adequately treat sewage flows not greater than 2,000 gpd for final disposal using a stream discharge or other methods approved by the Department.
Soil horizon—A layer of soil approximately parallel to the soil surface with characteristics produced by soil-forming processes.
Soil mottling (redoximorphic features)—A soil color pattern consisting of patches of different colors or shades of color interspersed with the dominant soil color which results from prolonged saturation of the soil.
Soil profile—The collection of soil horizons, including the natural organic layers on the surface.
Solids retainer—A deflection device at the outlet tee or baffle of a septic tank designed to deflect buoyed solids from escaping the tank.
Spray field—Piping, spray heads and ground surface to the outside edges of the wetted perimeter, used for the application and treatment of the sewage effluent in an individual residential spray irrigation system.
Treatment tank—A water-tight tank designed to retain sewage long enough for satisfactory bacterial decomposition of the solids to take place. The term includes the following:
(i) Septic tank—A treatment tank that provides for anaerobic decomposition of sewage prior to its discharge to an absorption area.
(ii) Aerobic sewage treatment tank—A mechanically aerated treatment tank that provides aerobic biochemical stabilization of sewage prior to its discharge to an absorption area.
Undisturbed soil—Soil or soil profile, unaltered by removal or other man-induced changes, except for agricultural activities, that would adversely affect the siting or operation of onlot systems.
Water of this Commonwealth—Rivers, streams, creeks, rivulets, impoundments, ditches, water courses, storm sewers, lakes, dammed water, ponds, springs and other bodies or channels of conveyance of surface and underground water, or any of their parts, whether natural or artificial within or on the boundaries of this Commonwealth.
Authority The provisions of this § 73.1 amended under sections 7.2 and 9 of the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (35 P. S. § § 750.7b and 750.9); The Clean Streams Act (35 P. S. § § 691.1—691.1001); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 510-20).
Source The provisions of this § 73.1 adopted August 2, 1971, effective August 14, 1971, 1 Pa.B. 1649; amended April 26, 1974, effective May 13, 1974, 4 Pa.B. 817; amended August 30, 1974, effective September 16, 1974, 4 Pa.B. 1805; amended January 21, 1983, effective January 22, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 508; amended November 1, 1996, effective November 2, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 5347; amended November 7, 1997, effective November 8, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 5877. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (221905) to (221908).
Notes of Decisions Treatment Tank
A county zoning board’s description of a package treatment plant designed for twenty mobile home units, piping effluent 800 feet to the nearest perennial running creek, appears to fit the definition of aerobic sewage treatment tank in 25 Pa. Code § 73.1 (relating to definitions). Voortman v. Bucks County Zoning Hearing Board, 343 A.2d 393 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1975).
Cross References This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 73.161 (relating to general).
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Code full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
