Indiana § 13-18-12-9 - Prohibition against discharge of sewage into waters; exception for county onsite waste management districts; guidelines or rules

§ 13-18-12-9. Prohibition against discharge of sewage into waters; exception for county onsite waste management districts; guidelines or rules

Sec. 9. (a) This section applies only in a county onsite waste management district established under IC 36-11.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), the point source discharge of sewage, treated or untreated, from a dwelling or its associated residential sewage disposal system to waters is prohibited.

(c) The point source discharge of treated sewage from an onsite residential sewage discharging disposal system to waters is permitted if:

(1) the local health department for the jurisdiction in which the system is located issues an operating permit for the system under subsection (d); and

(2) the discharge is authorized under a general permit issued under 40 CFR 122.28.

(d) In a county onsite waste management district established under IC 36-11 that performs all the functions related to onsite waste management listed in IC 36-11-2-1, the local health department for the jurisdiction in which the system is located may issue an operating permit for an onsite residential sewage discharging disposal system if the system is installed to repair or replace a sewage disposal system that fails to meet public health and environmental standards and if:

(1) the local health department adopts procedural rules for monitoring onsite residential sewage discharging disposal systems in the jurisdiction, including fines or penalties, or both, for noncompliance, to ensure that:

(A) required maintenance is performed on the systems; and

(B) the systems do not discharge effluent that violates water quality standards;

(2) the local health department certifies, with respect to the system for which the permit is issued, that:

(A) the system is capable of operating properly;

(B) the system does not discharge effluent that violates water quality standards;

(C) an acceptable septic tank soil absorption system cannot be located on the property served by the system because of:

(i) soil characteristics;

(ii) size; or

(iii) topographical conditions;

of the property;

(D) the system:

(i) was properly installed by a qualified installer; and

(ii) provides the best available technology for residential discharging onsite sewage disposal systems; and

(E) the local health department has:

(i) investigated all technologies available for repair of the sewage disposal system that fails to meet public health and environmental standards other than the use of an onsite residential sewage discharging disposal system; and

(ii) determined that an onsite residential sewage discharging disposal system is the only possible technology that can be used to effect a repair of the sewage disposal system that fails to meet public health and environmental standards without causing unreasonable economic hardship to the system owner; and

(3) the system for which the permit is issued cannot be connected to a sanitary sewer because:

(A) there is not a local, municipal, or regional sanitary sewer connection available;

(B) the sanitary sewer operator refuses connection; or

(C) unreasonable economic hardship would result to the system owner because of:

(i) the connection requirements of the sanitary sewer operator; or

(ii) the distance to the sanitary sewer.

(e) For purposes of providing guidance to local health departments in taking the actions and making the determinations described in subsection (d):

(1) the technical review panel established under IC 16-19-3-27.5 may adopt guidelines;

(2) the Indiana department of health, with guidance provided by the technical review panel established under IC 16-19-3-27.5, may issue rules under IC 4-22-2 or adopt guidelines; or

(3) the environmental rules board may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 and IC 13-14-9 or adopt guidelines;

concerning onsite residential sewage discharging disposal systems.

As added by P.L.172-2002, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.104-2022, SEC.83; P.L.192-2023, SEC.3.