15A NCAC 18E .0302 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT
(a) The permitting of a wastewater system shall be the responsibility of agents authorized by the Department in accordance with G.S. 130A, Article 4 and 15A NCAC 01O .0100, and registered with the North Carolina State Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners, as required in G.S. 90A, Article 4, unless the permit is issued in accordance with G.S. 130A-336.1 or G.S. 130A-336.2 and Rule .0207 of this Subchapter.
(b) When the wastewater system crosses county lines or the facility is in one county and the wastewater system is in another county, the LHD in the county that assesses property taxes on the facility shall implement the requirements of this Subchapter.
(c) The LHD shall issue an NOV to the owner in the following situations:
(1) the wastewater system is malfunctioning in accordance with Rule .1303(a)(2) of this Subchapter;
(2) the wastewater system creates or has created a public health hazard or nuisance by effluent surfacing, or effluent discharging into groundwater or surface waters;
(3) the wastewater system is partially or totally destroyed, such as components that are crushed, broken, damaged, or otherwise rendered unusable or ineffective so that the component will not function as designed;
(4) the owner does not meet the ownership and control requirements of Rule .0301(b) of this Section;
(5) the wastewater system was installed without a permit issued in accordance with Section .0200 of this Subchapter; or
(6) the facility was expanded without a permit issued in accordance with Section .0200 of this Subchapter.
(d) The authorized agent shall issue a written notice of non-compliance to the owner when the wastewater system is non-compliant with G.S. 130A, Article 11, the rules of this Subchapter, or the performance standards or conditions in the OP or ATO.
(e) The Department shall review and approve the wastewater system, including design, layout, plans, and specifications for all wastewater systems that serve a facility with a cumulative DDF greater than 3,000 gpd, as determined in Section .0400 of this Subchapter. The Department shall also review and approve plans and specifications for the following:
(1) IPWW systems required by this Section to be designed by a PE unless the wastewater has been determined to not be IPWW in accordance with Rule .0303(a)(17) of this Section;
(2) advanced pretreatment or drip dispersal systems not previously approved by the Department; and
(3) any other system so specified by the authorized agent.
(f) Department review shall not be required when the cumulative DDF for the facility is greater than 3,000 gpd as determined in Section .0400 of this Subchapter and:
(1) the wastewater system is made up of an individual wastewater system that serves an individual dwelling unit or several individual wastewater systems, each serving an individual dwelling unit; or
(2) the wastewater system meets the following criteria:
(A) the individual wastewater system(s) serves individual design units with a DDF less than or equal to 1,500 gpd;
(B) the initial and repair dispersal fields for each individual wastewater system(s) is, at a minimum, 20 feet from any other individual wastewater system;
(D) the wastewater is not HSE as identified in Section .0400 of this Subchapter.
(g) Department review shall not be required when a PE calculates the proposed DDF to be less than or equal to 3,000 gpd based on engineering design utilizing low-flow fixtures and low-flow technologies in accordance with Rule .0403(e) of this Subchapter. Pursuant to S.L. 2013-413, s.34, as revised by S.L. 2014-120, s.53, neither the Department nor any LHD shall be liable for a system approved or permitted in accordance with this Paragraph.
(h) For systems that require Department review and approval, an IP shall not be issued by the LHD until the site plan or plat and system layout, including details for any proposed site modifications, are approved by the Department. A CA shall not be issued by the LHD until plans and specifications, submitted in accordance with Rule .0304 of this Section, are approved by the Department in accordance with these Rules and engineering practices.
(i) The Department shall provide technical assistance to the LHD as needed for interpretation of this Subchapter, in accordance with the recognized principles and practices of soil science, geology, engineering, and public health.
History Note: Authority G.S. 130A-335;
Eff. January 1, 2024.