board of health, lorain county general health district

BOARD OF HEALTH, LORAIN COUNTY GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT
RESIDENTIAL SEWAGE REGULATIONS (as revised through February 12, 2003)
I. OHIO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
The regulations pertaining to household sewage disposal systems codified in Ohio Administrative
Code Chapter 3701-29 and related Ohio Administrative Code Sections or any amendments or
revisions thereto are incorporated and adopted herein by reference and shall, to the extent they are
not inconsistent with or conflict with these regulations, govern and be applicable to home sewage
disposal systems for one, two and three family dwellings and for group homes within the Lorain
County General Health District. The regulations herein set forth are intended to supplement, not
replace or supersede, existing Ohio Administrative Code regulations.
II.
SANITARY SEWERAGE SYSTEMS
A. Consistent with Ohio Administrative Code Sections 3701-29-02(L) and 3701-29-
02(M), a household sewage disposal system shall be abandoned and the home sewer
directly connected to a sanitary sewerage system whenever such sewerage systems
become accessible to the property.
1. Accessibility. For purposes of these regulations and, consistent with Ohio
Revised Code Section 6117.51, a property shall be deemed to be accessible to a sanitary
sewerage system if the foundation wall of the residence on the property is two hundred
(200) feet or less from the nearest boundary of the right of way within which the sewer is
located. The Health Department may deem a property to be inaccessible if the flow from
the residence to the sanitary sewerage system cannot be accomplished by gravity and
there is a need for lift stations, pumps, and other such devices or if it is necessary for the
owner of the property upon which the residence is located to bore under a road in order to
accomplish the connection to the sewers.
2. Nothing contained herein shall preclude the Board of Health from requiring a property
owner to directly connect into a sanitary sewerage system deemed by this regulation to be
inaccessible to the property if a sewage nuisance exists on such property.
III.
OFF-LOT DISCHARGING SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS
A. As authorized by Ohio Administrative Code Section 3701-29-20(D), off-lot disposal of
sewage effluent shall not be permitted except when the home sewage treatment system
replaces a failing or failed home sewage treatment system and site limitations preclude
the disposal of treated sewage effluent on the permitted property.
B. In the instance when an off-lot sewage disposal system must be permitted to be installed
or to continue to operate afer a repair or upgrade, the property owner:
1) Shall acquire a yearly operation permit and timely pay the fee therefor;
2) Shall be required to comply with other conditions and requirements as the Health
Department deems necessary and appropriate to reduce pollution and to improve
water quality of the receiving stream for the system;

3) Shall consent to a recording of, and sign an instrument prepared and provided by
the Health Department. This instrument shall identify the property upon which
the off-lot discharging sewage treatment system is installed and operating, and
the conditions imposed by the Health Department upon the property and such
system. This instrument shall be filed with the Lorain County Recorder, at the
property owner’s cost.
IV.
SEPTIC TANK WITH LEACHING FIELD
A. Soil Suitability
1. A septic tank with a leaching tile field shall not be installed in areas where soils
are deemed unsuitable for soil absorption or percolation. Soil types and their
relative suitability are as follows:
V. AT-GRADE TILE FIELD
a. Soils that might be acceptable for leaching tile fields, provided that other
limiting factors can be overcome, are: Oshtemo, Chili, Conotten, Tyner,
Mentor, Elnora, Stafford, Jimtown, Bogart, Rawson, and Haskins.
A. An At-Grade Tile Field is a shallow leaching tile field which is preceded by an aeration
system. It is designed to utilize the most favorable soil conditions naturally existing on
the lot and must be installed in the highest, most well drained part of the property as
determined by the Health Department.
B. Distance and Area Requirements
1. Any lot upon which an At-Grade tile field is installed shall be of such size
as to allow for proper isolation distances of the tile fields. A proper
isolation distance is not less than 100 feet from the neighboring lot lines.
Where the slope exceeds 2%, the uphill isolation distance can be reduced
by the Health Department.
2. An At-Grade tile field shall consist of a minimum of 600 feet of leaching to
be divided into two equal halves, each with its own distribution box. The
tile lines shall be spaced not less than ten (10) feet apart. Configurations
may vary, but the minimum number of tile lines shall be four (4); while the
length of each such tile line shall not exceed 150 feet.
3. Wet wether installation of At-Grade tile filed is prohibited.
4. Soils that are not suitable for an At-Grade tile field are: Lobdel, Luray,
Lorain, Sebring, Mermill, Miner, Trumbull, Senacaville, and fill.
C. Other Requirements and Restrictions
1. At-Grade fields may be approved provided:
a. The lot meets local zoning requirements; and

. The lot split is, or was, approved by the Lorain County Planning
Commission; and
c. The At-Grade field can be sited on such lot so that it is not more
than two hundred (200) feet from the dwelling and not more than
fifty (50) feet from the pump chamber.
2. Before a wooded lot can be properly evaluated by the Health Department,
an area with dimensions of not less than 100 feet in width and 150 feet in
depth shall be cleared in accordance with the instructions of the Health
Department.
3. An At-Grade field must be properly graded and seeded, and vegetation
must be growing, before final approval can be issued by the Health
Department.
4. Curtain/perimeter drains, which are used to help drain an area of natural
occurring water, are required to be placed not less than 4 feet from the
outside dimensions of the At-Grade field. Perimeter swales may be
approved in lieu of curtain/perimeter drains.
a. Swales shall have a bottom depth of not less than six inches
below the bottom of the At-Grae trench.
5. An At-Grade field, leaching or a curtain/perimeter tile drain shall not be
installed within the drip line of surrounding trees.
6. An At-Grade field shall not be approved for a proposed two-family or
three-family dwelling or for a group home.
VI.
WISCONSIN MOUND SYSTEM
A. Definition. For purposes of these regulations, the term “Wisconsin Mound
System” shall mean a home sewage disposal system that utilizes a sand mound
for the treatment of wastes and that is fully described in the “WISCONSIN
MOUND ABSORPTION SYSTEM, SIGHTING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
MANUAL” dated 1990 by Dr. James C. Converse, Professor of the Agricultural
Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and E. Jerry
Tyler, Professor of Social Science at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
at the same university.
B. Utilization. The Wisconsin Mound System may be a viable alternative for the
sewage disposal needs in areas that have poor soils, a high water table, or
shallow bedrock. The Wisconsin Mound System will not be approved unless soil
or site conditions preclude the use of an at-grade tile file field or a septic tank
with a leaching tile field.

C. Mound Construction
1. The mound system shall be installed in strict compliance with the
instructions of the Health Department. Written instructions and
guidelines are filed in the offices of the Health Department.
D. Installers. The Wisconsin Mound System shall be installed by a person who
holds a valid registration issued to him or her by the Board of Health for the
installation of household sewage disposal systems or parts thereof pursuant to
Ohio Administrative Code Section 3701-29-05 and who possesses a certificate
from the Board of Health that evidences that he or she has attended and
successfully completed a course of instruction offered by the Board of Health on
the Wisconsin Mound System. An owner who will install a Wisconsin Mound
System on his or her own property shall not be required to hold a valid general
registration for performing work on household sewage systems but must attend
and successfully complete the course of instruction on the Wisconsin Mound
System as referenced above.
E. Soils Soils that are not suitable for a Wisconsin Mound System are: Lobdel, Luray,
Lorain, Sebring, Mermill, Miner, Trumbull, Senacaville, and fill.
F. Distance Requirement The basal edge of a Wisconsin Mound System shall be no closer
than twenty (20) feet from neighboring lot lines.
G. Size, Area Requirement The lot for a Wisconsin Mound System must have a minimum
of two acres in area.
VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Maintenance
1. A septic tank or a tank for an aeration system shall be pumped at least
once every five (5) years, or more frequently, if necessary to prevent
discharge of solids through the overflow. Such work shall be performed
by a person who holds a valid registration issued by the Board of Health.
Such person shall furnish proof of the pumping of any tank upon a from
devised by, and available from, the Health Department.
2. An aeration system shall be properly maintained and operated by
its owner at all times. The motor for an aeration system shall operate
continuously.
3. Failure to properly and continuously operate a maintain a sewage
disposal system shall be cause for the issuance of a citation or summons
to appear in court and the imposition of fines, civil remedies, and other
penalties as authorized by law.
4. When more than one aeration system discharges into a common drain
tile, each effected and benefitted homeowner shall be a party to a
maintenance agreement wherein there is an obligation to share equally in
the cost of repair or replacement of such tile. Said agreement shall be

placed in the deed or other document so as to appear of public record
with the County Recorder’s Office.
Roadside Ditches
1. A home sewage disposal system shall not be permitted to discharge into
a roadside ditch unless the system to be installed is a repair or
replacement of an existing failed system.
C. Group Homes
1. Definition For purposes of these regulations, a group home is defined as
a residential dwelling where room and board is provided to three (3) to
sixteen (16) unrelated persons.
2. General Requirement A group home shall be serviced by an approved
on-site sewage disposal system on soils enumerated in Section IV (A)(1)
(a) of these regulations.
D. Effect of Partial Invalidity
1. Each rule set forth in these regulations or any part of each rule is
separate, independent and distinct, and the holding of any rule or part
thereof to be unconstitutional, void, or not effective for any reason does
not affect the validity of constitutionality of any other rule or part thereof.
History Reg. No. 93-001 eff. 01-01-1994; Reg. No. 97-002 eff. 03-01-1997; Res. No. 2003-14 eff
02-12-03