2015 Ohio Sewage Rule Changes Impact on Homeowners
In 2015, Ohio made changes to the statewide laws (ORC 3718) and rules (OAC 3701-29) governing sewage treatment systems. These changes to the state rules require local health departments to issue permits no more than 10 years in length for sewage treatment systems. The state rule changes also require local health departments to develop a method for ensuring sewage treatment systems are working as intended. To comply with these changes in state law, the Union County Health Department (UCHD) has expanded its current Operation and Maintenance (O&M) program to include every septic system in Union County. To understand your responsibilities under the 2015 sewage rules check out the O&M program page. To read the Union County Health Department's Local Sewage Treatment System Regulations, click on the pdf below.
OAC-3701-29-UCHD Sewage Rules Supplement
Operation and Maintenance Program
Learn what you can expect during the O&M phase in period, fee information and more! Click here for more information.
Septic Systems
What happens when you flush the toilet? Many people don’t know! Every time you flush the toilet or use water in any way in your home, you are generating wastewater. When wastewater leaves your home it needs to be treated before it re-enters the environment. Depending on the type of septic system or Sewage Treatment System (STS) you have your wastewater is treated naturally by the ground, with the help of special filter bed or by an aerator. To find out more about your system type and how it treats your wastewater follow this link to our septic system information page.
What you need to know
Sewage is the waste water released by residences, businesses and industries in a community. It is 99.94 percent water, only 0.06 percent of the water is dissolved and suspended solid material. The cloudiness of sewage is caused by suspended particles. Pathogens or disease-causing organisms are present in sewage. Coliform bacteria are used as an indicator of disease-causing organisms. Sewage also contains metals, minerals and nutrients (such as ammonia and phosphorus).
Private sewage systems are used by households not served by a centralized sewage system. This is accomplished by site evaluations, permits and inspections of new and altered systems, and the investigation of complaints/malfunctioning systems. Union County regulates private sewage systems in accordance with the local sewage treatment system rules, Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3718, and the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) chapter 3701-29.
Public sewage systems are those systems where households are connected to a centralized sewerage system. Public systems are not regulated by the Health Department, but are governed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). However, in Union County, any commercial (or semi-public) sewage system smaller than 25,000 gallons per day is inspected by the Health Department, through a contract with the OEPA
Environmental Health Fee Schedule - see Section IV, C & D on page 2 for fees associated with household sewage systems
Installing a private sewage system?
Installing a private sewage system requires a permit from the Union County Health Department. There are several steps that must be completed before a permit can be obtained. Some of these steps include a site evaluation.
Step 1
A soil scientist must test the soil where the system will be installed. The Union County Health Department may have a previous soil test on file that is still usable. Call our office at 937-642-2053 or email EHcontact@uchd.net to see if a copy is available for you. Click here for a list of local soil scientists.
Step 2
A sewage treatment system designer will then design the system to ensure the system is up to code. Some sewage treatment system installers can preform this work for you. A list of designers can be found here: Sewage Treatment System Designers.
Step 3
Apply for a permit using the following form and submiting the appropriate fees.
Site, Design, and Septic Permit Application
Permit to Install Sewage Treatment System
Once a permit is issued, installation must be completed by a registered installer. Click here for a list of registered installers.
Some repairs on existing systems must also be done by registered sewage system installers or service providers.
List of Sewage Treatment System Designers
