| Current Events
This page is intended to provide current and time-sensitive information regarding the Sewage Treatment System (STS) Program. The content below may be pertinent to local health departments, STS designers, homeowners, STS contractors and other government agencies.
Announcements and Upcoming Events
Use of Remediation Sewage Products in Ohio
The Residential Water and Sewage Program, Bureau of Environmental Health, has recently received a number of questions from local health districts and industry requesting clarification on the regulation and use of remediation products for sewage systems. These products are typically placed inside the existing septic tank to help reduce the organic load in the sewage effluent to a failed soil absorption field, or reduce odors. These units do not make specific constituent reduction claims.
Currently, ODH is not reviewing or approving the use of remediation products including, but not limited to, units to be placed in septic tanks, or other septic tank additives. Local health districts may choose to regulate the use of these products. Based on the definition of alteration under OAC Rule 3701-29-01 (B), the addition of a treatment device constitutes an alteration and would require a permit.
We caution against the alteration of existing NSF Standard 40 aerobic treatment units as any change to the configuration of these units would result in a loss of NSF certification. The addition of a tank or chamber containing a remediation unit in the treatment train would not constitute an alteration of a certified aerobic treatment unit, but would be an alteration of the sewage system.
Please note that any pretreatment components authorized by the Sewage Treatment Systems Technical Advisory Committee and the Director of Health may not be altered before or after installation from the original approved treatment train with the addition of a remediation product. Please feel free to contact the sewage program staff if you have any questions.
ODH Regional Meetings
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is planning on hosting regional meetings for local health departments through the end of 2009. The meetings are held on a monthly basis in the northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest regions. Sewage program updates begin each meeting and are followed by an educational topic or specific training.
Local Health District Regional Meeting Schedule
September and October meetings canceled.
Example STS Inspection Forms
Per the suggestion of several local health districts, the Ohio Department of Health Sewage Program has drafted example inspection forms in Excel format for the inspection of sewage treatment systems (STS). One set of forms is for the complete inspection of newly constructed or repaired systems, and the second is for the annual inspection of previously installed and approved systems as required per Amended Substitute House Bill 119 Section 120.02 (E). All of these forms may be taken and customized by the local health districts.
OSU Curtain Drain Model Study - Final Report
This report contains the results of curtain drain modeling studies that evaluated the performance of subsurface drains to remove excess water from the soil profile with application to on-site wastewater treatment systems. In summary, 58 representative soil series were analyzed using the agricultural water management computer model DRAINMOD. The results modeled the predicted water table elevations based on different drain spacings (5 m, 15 m, 30 m and no drains) at a drain depth of 140 cm (4.5 ft) using soils and climatic data including average annual precipitation. For the 58 soil series selected, DRAINMOD was used to predict the number of days each year that the water table depth would be less than or equal to 30 cm (about 1 ft), less than or equal to 60 cm (about 2 ft), and less than or equal to 90 cm (about 3 ft). Please note that these scenarios represent the ability of drains to perform under normal average precipitation only, and do not consider the addition of wastewater. The condition of additional wastewater loading was modeled for four soils under a case study, and the results are shown in the report. The Ohio Department of Health will continue to work with the Ohio State University to accomplish modeling of the other soil series evaluated in the report for the additional loading of wastewater, and then evaluate these data to determine how and when drains can be used to effectively lower the water table during most of the year to allow the installation of soil-based systems on sites through either a special device approval or in future rules. The above link to the report summarizes the results and provides examples and discussion, and the appendices contain the model results.
ODH Survey for Amended Substitute House Bill 119
The Amended Substitute House Bill 119 requires the Director of Health to prepare a report under section 737.12 (B). For this report, the director conducted a survey of boards of health in this state concerning household sewage treatment system operations and the failure rates of those systems. The director issued this report to the Household Sewage and Small Flow On-Site Sewage Treatment System Study Commission on June 1, 2008. Boards of health were required to provide relevant information pertaining to the operation and failure rates of sewage treatment systems to assist with completion of the survey.
Report 2 - Survey of Household Sewage Treatment Systems Operation and Failure Rates in Ohio
Last reviewed 10/29/09
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