Failing septic systems are a public health concern. If the septic system is found to be failing, it must be immediately addressed. Common failures include sewage backing up into the building, sewage surfacing on the ground, or a leaking sewage tank. Environmental Health's Compliance Section will follow-up on any system found to be in failure, which could result in a Notice of Violation.
Deficiencies that require attention but do not require immediate repair include, but are not limited to, missing or broken inlet/outlet baffles, malfunctioning pumps, broken monitoring ports, clean-outs, or risers, and systems not properly sized for the number of bedrooms within the residence. However, permit applications or required Operational Certificates may be held until deficiencies are corrected.
Both major and minor deficiencies, as defined in Article IV of the Sanitary Code, will be noted on the Evaluation Report. If the problems are corrected according to regulations, a new Time of Transfer Application can be submitted within twelve months of the previous report issue date with the applicable fee, and an updated report will be issued.