S.C. Code Regs. § § 61-56.101
Accessibility - S.C. Code Sections 44-55-1410 and 5-31-2010 authorizes county and municipal governments to determine if a wastewater treatment facility is accessible to properties. Where annexation or easements to cross adjacent property are required to connect to a wastewater treatment facility, the wastewater treatment facility shall not be considered accessible.
Alternative System - A system incorporating design modifications of the proposed subsurface wastewater infiltration trench area (drain field) or absorption trench geometry for the purpose of achieving compliance with required setbacks and offset to the zone of saturation and/or restrictive horizons. No such system shall be utilized unless the Department has established a specific standard.
Alternative Infiltration Trench Products - Products specifically designed to replace or eliminate the aggregate typically utilized in subsurface infiltration trenches. Such products must be approved for use by the Department and must adhere to required equivalency values established herein.
Applicant - A property owner, general contractor or agent representing the property owner, or developer who seeks a permit to construct and operate an onsite wastewater system.
Bond - A sum of money set aside (Surety Bond) to insure completion of work under a contract.
Campground - An organized camp in which campsites are provided for use by the general public or certain groups.
Canal - An artificial waterway used for navigation, drainage, or irrigation.
Cleaning - The removal and transportation of septage from an onsite wastewater system, self-contained toilet, or other sewage holding system to an approved disposal location.
Color Charts (Munsell System or equivalent) - Charts bearing various color chips established by a recognized color system which uses three elements-hue, value, and chroma-to make up a specific color notation. The notation is recorded in the form of hue, value, and chroma (e.g., 10YR 5/6). The three attributes of color are arranged in the system in orderly scales of equal visual steps, which are used to measure and describe color accurately under standard conditions of illumination by comparing soil samples to color chips on various charts.
Construction - The installation, upgrade, or expansion of an onsite wastewater system.
Conventional System - An onsite wastewater system that utilizes a network of conventional wastewater infiltration trenches installed in the naturally occurring soil for the treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater.
Critical Area - S. C. Code Section 48-39-10(J) defines critical area as the following:
Curtain Drain - A subsurface interceptor drain that is installed to collect and redirect groundwater as it flows through the soil profile to an appropriate discharge point.
Department - The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Ditch - A long narrow excavation intended for the purpose of drainage and/or irrigation.
Domestic Wastewater - The untreated liquid and solid human body waste and the liquids generated by water-using fixtures and appliances, including those associated with food service operations. For the purposes of this regulation, domestic wastewater shall not include industrial process wastewater.
Dwelling - A self-contained unit used by one (1) or more households as a home, such as a house, apartment, mobile home, house boat, tiny house, park model RV, RV or camper, or other substantial structure that provides living facilities for one (1) or more persons, including permanent or semi-permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.
Effluent - The liquid discharged from a septic tank, effluent pump station, or other sewage treatment device.
Embankment - A bank of soil with at least two (2) feet of vertical height from top to bottom.
Environmentally Sensitive Waters - Outstanding resource waters (ORW), Shellfish Harvesting Waters (SFH), and Trout-Natural Waters (TN) as defined in R.61-68 and classified in R.61-69, and including lakes greater than forty (40) acres in size and the Atlantic Ocean, regardless of their classifications in R.61-69.
Existing System - An onsite wastewater system, which has received final construction approval or has been serving a legally occupied dwelling or structure.
Expansive Soils - Soils containing significant amounts of expansible-layer clay minerals (smectites) as evidenced in the field by classifications of "Very Sticky," "Very Plastic" and where "Slickensides" are present when evaluated in accordance with the Field Book. Such soil horizons are considered to be restrictive for onsite wastewater systems.
Failing Onsite Wastewater System - An onsite wastewater system that is discharging effluent in an improper manner or has ceased to function properly.
Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic - A fibrous glass and plastic mixture that exhibits a high strength to weight ratio and is highly resistant to corrosion.
Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils (Field Book) - A field guide published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for making or reading soil descriptions and for sampling soils, as presently practiced in the USA.
Final Treatment and Disposal - Ultimate disposition of the effluent from a septic tank or other treatment device into the soil.
Flexural Modulus of Elasticity - A measure of stiffness of a material.
Flexural Strength - A measure of the ability of a material to withstand rupture when subjected to bend loading.
Gel Coating - A specially formulated polyester resin, which is pigmented and contains filler materials, the purpose of which is to provide a smooth, pore-free, watertight surface for fiberglass reinforced plastic parts.
Gleying - Bluish, greenish, or grayish colors in the soil profile that are indicative of markedly reduced conditions due to prolonged saturation. This condition can occur in both mottled and unmottled soils, and can be determined by using the gley page of the soil color charts.
Gray Water - Domestic wastewater that is generated by water-using fixtures and appliances such as sinks (excluding kitchen sinks), showers, and laundry but that does not come into direct contact with human excreta or solid organic matter.
Gray Water Subsurface Reuse Systems - A system designed to separately collect and treat gray water and subsequently dispose of gray water by reusing it as part of a subsurface irrigation system. This definition does not include any system designed to reuse gray water for any purpose, or by any means, other than subsurface irrigation. This definition also does not include any system that reuses or recirculates gray water within the confines of (i.e., via the plumbing within) a dwelling unit, building, business, or other structure.
Grease Trap - A device designed to separate and store the oil and grease component of wastewater discharged from facilities that prepare food.
Industrial Process Wastewater - Non-domestic wastewater generated in a commercial or industrial operation that may or may not be combined with domestic wastewater.
License - The official document issued by the Department authorizing a person to be responsible for the construction, repair, or cleaning of onsite wastewater systems, self-contained toilets, and other sewage holding systems.
Licensed Onsite Wastewater System Installer (Installer) - A person authorized under this regulation to construct or repair onsite wastewater systems. The specific scope of activities authorized depends on the installer's tier of licensure, as follows:
Long-Term Acceptance Rate (LTAR) - The long-term rate, typically expressed in gallons per day (gpd) per square foot of trench bottom area, at which a mature onsite wastewater system can continue to accept effluent without hydraulic failure occurring. This flow rate is a result of the interaction between unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity and biomat resistance.
Mottling - Morphological features of the soil revealed as spots or blotches of different color or shades of color interspersed with the dominant matrix color.
NSF Standard #14 - A National Sanitation Foundation Standard relating to thermoplastics which have been tested and found satisfactory for potable water supply uses, drains, waste, and vent applications.
Nonwater-Carried Sewage Treatment System - A self-contained system for waste treatment (such as a biological, composting, or incinerating toilet) that stores, treats, and renders human urine and feces inert without the use of water and that is designed to not discharge into the soil, onto the soil surface, into bodies of water, or other external media.
Onsite Wastewater (OSWW) System - A system, generally consisting of a collection sewer, septic tank(s), and subsurface wastewater infiltration area, designed to treat and dispose of domestic wastewater through a combination of natural processes that ultimately result in effluent being transmitted through the soil, renovated, and ultimately discharged to groundwater. An onsite wastewater system shall also include an onsite wastewater system, as described above, for the treatment and disposal of gray water.
Operation and Maintenance - Activities including tests, measurements, adjustments, replacements, and repairs that are intended to maintain all functional units of the onsite wastewater system in a manner that will allow the system to function as designed.
Other Sewage Holding System - Components of a sewer system or holding tank not related to an onsite wastewater system, including grease traps.
Parent Material - The unconsolidated and chemically weathered mineral or organic matter from which the column of soils is developed by pedogenic processes.
Perched Zone of Saturation (Episaturation) - A zone of saturation above an unsaturated zone.
Permit - A written document or documents issued by the Department authorizing the construction and operation of an onsite wastewater system, nonwater-carried sewage treatment system, wastewater combustion system, or gray water subsurface reuse system under this regulation. The term "permit" includes the permit to construct and the approval to operate, both of which are required prior to operation of a system under this regulation. Upon installation of a permitted system and Department issuance of an approval to operate, the construction and operation permit remains in effect for the life of the onsite wastewater system that it authorizes.
Plasticity - The degree to which "puddled" or reworked soil can be permanently deformed without rupturing. The evaluation is made in accordance with the Field Book by forming a roll (wire) of soil at a water content where the maximum plasticity is expressed.
Primary Treatment - The initial process to separate solids from the liquid, digest organic matter, and store digested solids through a period of detention and biological conditioning of liquid waste.
Professional Soil Classifier ("PSC") - A person who, by reason of special knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological sciences applicable to soils as natural bodies and of the methods and principles of soil classification as acquired by soils education and soil classification experience in the formation, morphology, description, and mapping of soils, is qualified to practice soil classifying and has been duly licensed by the South Carolina Soil Classifiers Advisory Council as a Professional Soil Classifier in South Carolina.
Public Entity - Any organizations such as a city, town county, municipality, or special purpose sewer district.
Public Water System - Any publicly or privately owned waterworks system that provides drinking water for human consumption as defined in R.61-58, State Primary Drinking Water Regulations.
Pump Chamber - A watertight, covered receptacle designed and constructed to receive and store the discharge from a septic tank until such time that the effluent is pumped to a final treatment and disposal site.
Pumping and Transporting Vehicle - A vehicle approved by the Department for the cleaning of onsite wastewater systems, self-contained toilets, and other sewage holding systems and the transporting of septage and sewage to an approved disposal site.
Receptor - Any water well or surface water of the state, including estuaries.
Redox Depletions - Morphological features that are formed by the processes of reduction and translocation of iron and manganese oxides in saturated soils. These features may be revealed as spots, blotches, or streaks and are lighter shades of color compared with the dominant matrix color.
Redoximorphic Features - Morphological features that are formed by the processes of reduction, translocation, and oxidation of iron and manganese oxides in saturated soils. These include redox concentrations, redox depletions, and reduced matrices.
Registered Professional Engineer - A person licensed as a Professional Engineer by the South Carolina State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors who, by reason of special knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences and the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, acquired by professional education and practical experience, is qualified to practice engineering as attested by the person's license and registration as a Professional Engineer in South Carolina.
Remote Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration Area - A subsurface wastewater infiltration area that is not situated within the legal boundaries of the primary lot or tract that it serves.
Repair - Any work performed on an existing onsite wastewater system for the purposes of correcting a system failure, malfunction, or unauthorized discharge, enhancing system performance, or relocation or replacement of the entire system or system components, provided there are no changes in use that would impact the existing system.
Repair or Replacement Area - An area identified on the permit to construct reserved for the installation of additional wastewater infiltration trenches.
Restrictive Horizon - A soil horizon that is capable of severely retarding the movement of groundwater or effluent and may be brittle and cemented with iron, aluminum, silica, organic matter, or other compounds. Restrictive horizons may occur as fragipans, iron pans, organic pans, or shallow rock formations and are recognized by their resistance in excavation and auger boring.
Resin - Any number of commercially available polyester products used in the manufacture of fiberglass reinforced products which serve to contribute mechanical strength, determine chemical and thermal performance, and prevent abrasion of fibers, and which must be physically and/or chemically determined to be acceptable for the environment, and free from inert filler materials.
Revocation - The permanent withdrawal of rights and privileges granted by a license or an onsite wastewater system permit or approval, as applicable.
Rippable Rock - The rippability of rock material is a measure of its ability to be excavated with conventional excavation equipment (e.g., rubber-tired backhoe).
Saprolite - Soft, friable, thoroughly decomposed rock that has formed in place by chemical weathering, retaining the fabric and structure of the parent rock, and being devoid of expansive clay. Unconsolidated saprolite can be dug using a hand auger or knife. Consolidated saprolite cannot be penetrated with a hand auger or similar tool, and must be dug with a backhoe or other powered equipment.
Sealant - A bonding agent specifically designed to bond joining sections of fiberglass reinforced plastic products to each other in such a manner to create a durable, long-lasting, watertight seal, which does not alter the structural integrity or strength of the two (2) joined fiberglass products.
Self-Contained Toilet - A single or multiple-unit toilet and holding tank combination.
Septage - The mixture of solids and liquids removed during cleaning of a septic tank, grease trap, any other part of an onsite wastewater system, self-contained toilet, or other sewage holding system which receives domestic sewage; this includes the liquid, solid, and semi-solid materials which settle to the bottom of transport containers.
Septic Tank - A watertight, covered receptacle designed and constructed to receive the discharge of domestic wastewater from a building sewer, separate solids from the liquid, digest organic matter, store digested solids through a period of detention and biological conditioning of liquid waste, and allow the effluent to discharge for final treatment and disposal.
Serial Distribution - A method for effluent distribution on sloping terrain that utilizes drop boxes or earthen dams to affect total sequential flow from upper to lower wastewater infiltration trenches.
Sewage - Any liquid waste containing human, animal, vegetable, or chemical matter in suspension or solution from water closets, urinals, lavatories, bathtubs, laundry tubs or devices, floor drains, drinking fountains, or other water-using fixtures.
Site - The area or plot of land identified by a plat, deed, or other legal document specifying lot size and its boundaries that is submitted for evaluation by an applicant in an onsite wastewater system permit application.
Site Evaluation - Evaluation of the soil, geology, zone of saturation, surface waters, topography, structures, and property lines of the proposed location of the onsite wastewater system. The evaluation can be conducted directly by certified Department personnel or the Department may conduct an evaluation through the review of information submitted by a licensed person meeting the criteria of Section 102.1(2)(b) or (c).
Soils Report - A report prepared by a licensed person meeting the criteria of Section 102.1(2)(b) or (c) describing soil and site conditions for the purpose of designing an onsite wastewater system.
Soil Structure - The aggregation of primary soil particles (i.e., sand, silt, and clay) into compound particles or clusters of primary particles which are separated from the adjoining aggregates by surfaces of weakness. In soils with platy structure, the aggregates are plate-like and overlap one another to severely impair permeability. A massive condition can occur in soils containing considerable amounts of clay when a portion of the colloidal material, including clay particles, tends to fill the pore spaces making the soil very dense.
Soil Texture - The relative proportions of the three soil separates (sand, silt, and clay) in a given sample of soil. The percentages of each separate are used to determine which class a particular sample falls into by plotting the intersection of these three values on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Textural Triangle.
Standard 610 - Specialized Onsite Wastewater System Design (less than 1500 gpd) - An onsite wastewater system that is certified to function satisfactorily and in accordance with all requirements of this regulation by virtue of it having been designed by a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in South Carolina with technical input from a licensed person meeting the criteria of Section 102.1(2)(b) or (c). Such systems have limited application and can only be utilized when the required engineering design, certification, and technical soils documentation have been provided to and accepted by the Department.
Standard - A group of requirements developed by the Department that specifies the minimum site conditions and design criteria necessary for the approval of a specific type of onsite wastewater system. A standard may also address minimum design criteria for certain components of onsite wastewater systems as well as methodologies for determining system sizing.
Stickiness - The capacity of soil to adhere to other objects. Stickiness is estimated in accordance with the Field Book at the moisture content that displays the greatest adherence when pressed between the thumb and forefinger.
Subdivision - Means all divisions of a tract or parcel of land into two (2) or more lots, building sites, or other divisions, for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale or building development, and includes all division of land involving a new street or a change in existing streets, and includes resubdivision. This definition shall apply whether the lots are to be sold, rented, or leased. This definition shall not apply when the division or partition of the land, or the conveyance of property is pursuant to a will, an intestacy statute, or an order by a probate judge.
Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration Area (Drain Field) - A specific area where a network of wastewater infiltration trenches or other devices of sewage application are installed to provide the final treatment and disposal of effluent.
Suspension - The temporary or indefinite withdrawal or cessation of rights and privileges granted by a license or onsite wastewater system permit or approval, as applicable.
Third-Party - A qualified person or entity, as determined by the Department, that is independent of the parties involved.
Ultimate Tensile Strength - A measure of the resistance of a material to longitudinal stress, measured by the minimum longitudinal stress required to rupture the material.
Upgrade/Expansion - Any work performed on an existing onsite wastewater system for the purposes of increasing the capacity of the system above its original design and/or accommodating wastes of a different character than was originally approved.
Variance - Means a written document issued by the Department that authorizes a modification or waiver of one or more requirements of this regulation, if in the opinion of the Department, a health hazard or nuisance will not result from the modification or waiver.
Wastewater Characteristics - The physical, chemical, and biological parameters and characteristics of domestic wastewater. Physical characteristics include turbidity, color, odor, total suspended solids (TSS), temperature and fats, oils and grease (FOG). Chemical characteristics include the presence and extent of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), nitrogen, phosphorous, chlorides, sulfates, alkalinity, pH, heavy metals, trace elements, and priority pollutants identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Biological characteristics include biological oxygen demand (BOD), oxygen required for nitrification and microbial population. High strength wastewater is characterized as meeting one (1) or more of the following levels: BOD > 350 mg/l, TSS >100 mg/l, TKN > 100 mg/l, FOG > 30 mg/l.
Wastewater Combustion System - A self-contained system for wastewater treatment that uses water as a medium for transport and storage. It treats and renders wastewater inert using maceration and incineration.
Wastewater Infiltration Trench - A trench installed in the naturally occurring soil that is utilized for the treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater.
Wastewater Treatment Facility - An accessible publicly or privately owned system of structures, equipment, and related appurtenances that treat, store, or manage wastewater.
Zone of Saturation - Any zone in the soil profile that has soil water pressures that are zero or positive at some time during the year. For the purpose of this regulation, the beginning of such a zone shall be utilized in determining all required vertical separations from the deepest point of effluent application. This zone shall be defined as the shallowest of those points at which either redox depletions of value four (4) or more and chroma two (2) or less appear or gleying is first observed; or, in the absence of other field identification methods, the maximum groundwater elevation as determined by wet season monitoring performed in accordance with criteria approved by the Department.
The following manufacturing and procedural standards referenced in this regulation are those in force on the effective date of this revision:
S.C. Code Regs. § 61-56.101