section .1300 – operation and maintenance

15A NCAC 18E .1301      OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF WASTEWATER SYSTEMS

(a)  Wastewater systems shall be operated and maintained in accordance with the conditions of the OP, PIA Approval, and the Rules of this Section, including the manufacturer's operation and maintenance instructions, as applicable. Dispersal field repair areas shall be maintained in accordance with the Rules of this Subchapter.

(b)  System management in accordance with Table XXXII shall be required for all systems installed or repaired after July 1, 1992. System management in accordance with Table XXXII shall also be required for all Type V and VI systems installed on or before July 1, 1992.

TABLE XXXII. Management responsibilities based on wastewater system classification type and description

System Classification Type and Description	LHD Compliance Inspection Frequency	Management Entity	Management Entity Minimum Maintenance Inspection Frequency
Ia – Privy or vault privy	N/A	Owner	N/A
Ib – Chemical toilet	N/A	Owner	N/A
Ic – Incinerating toilet	N/A	Owner	N/A
Id – Composing toilet system	N/A	Owner	N/A
Ie – Other toilet system	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIa – Conventional system for a single family or 480 gpd or less	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIb – Accepted wastewater gravity system	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIa – Conventional wastewater system greater than 480 gpd excluding single family residences	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIb – Wastewater system with a single pump or siphon	5 years N/A	Owner or Certified Operator	N/A 5 years
IIIc – Gravity fill system	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIId – Alternating dual fields with gravity distribution	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIe – PPBPS gravity system	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIf – LDP gravity system	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIg – Other non-conventional systems	N/A	Owner	N/A
IIIh – Gravity groundwater lowering system	5 years	Owner	N/A
IVa – LPP distribution	3 years	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	2/year
IVb – System with more than one pump or siphon	3 years	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	2/year
IVc – Off-site system serving two or more facilities with any components under common or joint control	5 years	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	1/year
IVd –Alternating dual fields with pressure dosed gravity distribution including off-site systems	3 years	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	1/year
Va – Advanced pretreatment meeting NSF/ANSI 40, TS-I, or TS-II, approved under Section .1700 of this Subchapter, DDF ≤ 3,000 gpd	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	≤ 1,500 gpd - 2/year* > 1,500 gpd and ≤ 3,000 gpd - 4/year
Vb – DSE wastewater systems > 3,000 gpd with dispersal field > 1,500 gpd	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	> 3,000 and ≤ 10,000 gpd - monthly > 10,000 gpd flow - weekly
Vc – RWTS, approved under Section .1500 of this Subchapter, meeting NSF/ANSI 40, DDF ≤ 1,500 gpd	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	≤ 1,500 gpd - 2year*
Vd – Anaerobic drip dispersal systems	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	≤ 1,500 gpd - 2/year* > 1,500 gpd and ≤ 3,000 gpd - 4/year > 3,000 gpd and ≤ 10,000 gpd – 12/year > 10,000 gpd – 1/week
Ve - Flow equalization	≤ 1,500 gpd – once every three years > 1,500 gpd – 1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	Based on equalized flow ≤ 1,500 gpd - 2/year > 1,500 and ≤ 3,000 gpd - 4/year > 3,000 gpd and ≤ 10,000 gpd – 12/year >10,000 gpd – 1/week
Vf – Sand lined trench system with no advanced pretreatment or drip dispersal	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	1/year
Vg – Wastewater system with pump groundwater lowering systems	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	2/year with one visit during the wet season
Vh – IPWW designed by a PE and reviewed by the Department and determined to be IPWW	1/year	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	≤ 1,500 gpd - 2/year* > 1,500 gpd and ≤ 3,000 gpd - 4/year > 3,000 gpd and ≤ 10,000 gpd – 12/year > 10,000 gpd – 1/week
Vi – Permanent pump and haul	1/year	Private Certified Operator	1/month
VIa – Advanced pretreatment > 3,000 gpd meeting NSF/ANSI 40, TS-I, or TS-II	6 months	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	Media filters > 3,000 gpd and ≤ 10,000 gpd - 12/year >10,000 gpd – 1/week All other advanced pretreatment > 3,000 gpd and ≤ 10,000 gpd - 12/year > 10,000 and ≤ 25,000 gpd - 2/week > 25,000 and ≤ 50,000 gpd - 3/week > 50,000 gpd - 5/week
VIb – Any system using RCW	6 months	Private Certified Operator or Public Management Entity with a Certified Operator	≤ 3,000 gpd - 12/year > 3,000 and ≤ 10,000 gpd - 1/week > 10,000 and ≤ 25,000 gpd - 2/week > 25,000 and ≤ 50,000 gpd - 3/week > 50,000 gpd - 5/week

*Quarterly Management Entity inspections shall be required for the first year. The quarterly inspections may be reduced to twice a year if the wastewater system is in compliance with all OP conditions after the first year.

(c)  Wastewater systems with multiple components shall be classified by their highest or most complex system classification type in accordance with Table XXXII to determine LHD and Management Entity responsibilities.

(d)  The Department shall classify wastewater systems not identified in Table XXXII after consultation with the Water Pollution Control Systems Operators Certification Commission.

(e)  The site for the wastewater system shall be accessible for monitoring, maintenance, inspection, and repair.

(f)  The system shall be maintained to comply with the effluent standards specified in Table XXV of Rule .1201(a) or Rule .1002 of this Subchapter and the OP, as applicable. Influent and effluent sampling may be required for food preparation or processing facilities, IPWW, and other systems as specified in the PIA Approval or OP.

(g)  The owner may submit a written request to the LHD and Department to reduce the wastewater system effluent sampling frequency, effluent sampling constituents, or Management Entity inspection frequency. The written request shall include documentation showing that the wastewater system is compliant with its OP and Rule .1302(f) of this Section.

(h)  The replacement of a specific component, except tanks and dispersal media, by an identical replacement component, including pipes, blowers, pumps, disinfection components, effluent filters, and control panels and appurtenances, shall be considered maintenance. When the replacement is performed as maintenance by the Management Entity, this activity shall be reported to the owner and LHD within 30 days of when the activity occurs.

(i)  All residuals shall be removed as specified in the OP, the RWTS or PIA Approval, Rule .1303 of this Section, or as otherwise determined to be needed by the Management Entity. Residuals from the wastewater system shall be transported and disposed of in accordance with G.S. 130A, Article 9, and 15A NCAC 13B.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 130A-335(e) and (f); S.L. 2015-147, s. 2;

Eff. January 1, 2024.