OWTS - FAQs

General

• What is the legal basis for needing a permit for my septic system?
  • California law (Water Code sections 13260 and 13269) requires you to submit a Report of Waste Discharge (permit application) or obtain a waiver if you are discharging waste or proposing to discharge waste. Additionally, the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Policy is a regulation, consistent with the legislative directive in Water Code section 13291, that specifies how septic systems may be regulated. Septic systems discharge waste. The OWTS Policy provides a waiver of section 13260 requirements if it’s conditions are met. If the conditions are not met, section 13260 applies.


• Do I need an Onsite Wastewater Treatment System/Septic permit from the Central Coast Water Board?
  • If your local agency has a Central Coast Water Board – approved Local Agency Management Plan (LAMP) the local agency should be able to administer the OWTS/Septic permit. If your local agency does not have an approved LAMP, and the projected flow of your system is greater than 3,500 gallon per day (gpd), you will need to contact Central Coast Water Board Staff.
  • If the projected flow of your system is greater than 10,000 gpd, or if your system accepts wastewater that is neither domestic nor from a commercial food service building with a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) concentration less than 900 mg/L, you will also need to contact Central Coast Water Board staff.


• Some local agencies do not implement an OWTS program, how are OWTS managed and permitted in these areas?
  • When local agencies do not implement an approved Local Agency Management Plan (LAMP), which is described in the OWTS Policy, the Central Coast Water Board is the permitting authority for OWTS.


• Who do I contact at the Central Coast Water Board?
  • The Central Coast Water Board staff may be contacted by email at RB3-WDR@waterboards.ca.gov, or by phone at (805) 542-4787

OWTS Policy Applicability, Flow, and Wastewater Strength

• Do I need a permit from the Central Coast Water Board for a seepage pit?
  • If your local agency has a "Local Agency Management Program" (LAMP), you will be subject to the requirements in the LAMP for a seepage pit. If your local agency does not have a LAMP, you will need a permit for a seepage pit from the Central Coast Water Board and your design will likely require supplemental treatment.


• Is the projected 10,000 gpd flow rate in OWTS Policy section 2.6.2 a maximum flow rate or an average flow rate?
  • “Projected flows” means wastewater flows into the OWTS determined in accordance with any of the applicable methods for determining average daily flow in the USEPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Manual, 2002, or in accordance with an approved Local Agency Management Program. However, the Central Coast Water Board has some discretion on how that is determined (e.g., it may be inappropriate to average facilities with very high one-day flow rates such as churches).


• There are two upper flow rate limits referenced in the OWTS Policy: 10,000 gpd and 3,500 gpd, what is the difference?
  • Local agencies with approved Local Agency Management Programs (LAMPs) can permit OWTS with flows less than 10,000 gpd. However, if a local agency does not have an approved LAMP, it can only permit OWTS that meet the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1 with a maximum projected flow rate of 3,500 gpd. The Central Coast Water Board is the permitting authority for OWTS with projected flow rates greater than 10,000 gpd (with a LAMP) or 3,500 gpd (without a LAMP).
  
  
• How does the “high strength wastewater” definition in the OWTS policy (Page 8, 30-day average concentration biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) > 300 mg/L, or total suspended solids (TSS) >330 mg/L, or fats, oil, and grease (FOG) > 100 mg/L prior to septic tank) overlap with the 900 mg/L BOD maximum limit discussed in OWTS Policy sections 2.4,2.6.4, and 6.1.2?
  • The definition sets numeric criteria and defines when a report of waste discharge (permit application) must be submitted to Central Coast Water Board staff. Except for commercial food service facilities, wastewater strength should not exceed the high strength limits.
    • Commercial food service facilities may generate wastewater with a BOD concentration up to 900 mg/L with a properly sized oil/grease interceptor. High-strength wastewater from a food service facility without a properly-sized and functional oil/grease interceptor requires submittal of a report of waste discharge to Central Coast Water Board staff.
    • High-strength wastewater from a non-food service facility requires submittal of a report of waste discharge to Central Coast Water Board staff. 
    • Wastewater with a BOD concentration over 900 mg/L BOD requires submittal of a report of waste discharge to Central Coast Water Board staff. 
  • A State Board fact sheet on high strength wastewater addresses these issues. It is available at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/docs/food_operatios_fact_sheet.pdf


• Where is the 900 mg/L BOD maximum applied: prior to, or after, the oil/grease interceptor (grease trap)?
  • The BOD limit is applied downstream of the oil/grease interceptor (grease trap). Generally, composite sampling is needed to obtain a representative sample. Dischargers with a BOD concentration of 900 mg/L and greater are encouraged to conduct source control activities in the facility. (See the State Board fact sheet for source control methods: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/docs/food_operatios_fact_sheet.pdf.) If the BOD concentration is below 900 mg/L, the local agency, not the Central Coast Water Board, can perform oversight.


• What is criteria for properly sized grease trap (oil/grease interceptor)?
  • An oil/grease interceptor means a passive interceptor that has a rate of flow exceeding 50 gallons-per-minute and that is located outside a building. Oil/grease interceptors are used for separating and collecting oil and grease from wastewater. The California Plumbing Code has additional design criteria.  The code is available at: http://epubs.iapmo.org/2016/CPC/#p=1

Repairs

• What agency authorizes/permits repairs for OWTS that do not or cannot meet the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1?
  • For OWTS that cannot be repaired to comply with the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1 or 3 requirements, the Central Coast Water Board may authorize repairs in substantial conformance with the OWTS Policy or may require submission of a report of waste discharge (permit application).  Local agencies with an approved LAMP may authorize repairs in conformance with applicable LAMP requirements.

Counties/Local Areas WITH APPROVED LAMPS

These questions and answers apply to areas with approved LAMPS (as of 7/5/2018, only Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties).

• Are variances to the OWTS Policy requirements allowed?
  • Limited variances can be included in LAMPs and they can be approved by Regional Water Boards. Variances can allow evaluation and resolution of issues that may be a technicality rather than a water quality or public health concern. However, a variance in a LAMP cannot change any of the conditions of coverage (e.g., maximum flow limit designation for each tier), or any of the backstop requirements in the OWTS Policy (e.g. OWTS Policy section 9.4). Conditions for variance approval may be included in the LAMP approval (e.g., consultation with the Regional Water Board prior to a local agency approving a variance).


• What agency authorizes/permits repairs for OWTS that do not or cannot meet the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1?
  • Local agencies with an approved LAMP may authorize repairs in accordance with their LAMP.

Counties/Local Areas WITHOUT APPROVED LAMPS

These questions and answers apply to areas without approved LAMPS (as of 7/5/2018, only Monterey and Santa Barbara County have approved LAMPS).

• What agency authorizes/permits repairs for OWTS that do not or cannot meet the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1?
  • For OWTS that cannot be repaired to comply with the siting and design requirements of OWTS Policy Tier 1 or 3 requirements, the Central Coast Water Board may authorize repairs in substantial conformance with the OWTS Policy or may require submission of a report of waste discharge (permit application).

Funding Assistance

• Is there funding or loans available for homeowners with failing OWTS?
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program is a financial assistance program that provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. The Water and Waste Disposal program is available for communities with a population of 10,000 or less. Other USDA programs have different population limits. USDA also maintains a single-family housing repair grant that can provide up to $20,000 per residence.Families must meet the very low-income limit criteria and be the legal homeowner.Housing repair program is available to communities with a population of 35,000 or less.Severely dilapidated properties may not be eligible for funding.Homeowners 62 years old or over are eligible for a $7,500 grant in addition to the $20,000 loan. More information on the USDA Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program is available at:
    https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-loan-grant-program