T. M. Gates, Inc

T. M . Gates, Inc.

Environmental and Sanitary Wastewater Consultants

Residential Systems for Existing Lots

If you currently own a lot and are interested in building a house, you will need to have an approved sanitary design before you can obtain a building permit. The sanitary design must be approved by the County Health District. If a sanitary permit has already been issued for your lot and it has not yet expired, you may use the design described in the permit.
The system design should comply with local health department regulations/guidelines and with OAC 3701-29. The type and size of system will depend upon the lot size, daily flow rate and soil type. It is important to note that most counties strongly emphasize onsite dispersal systems (i.e., leach fields, mounds, drip irrigation, etc.) vs. discharging offsite.
Since some existing lots are too small or lack suitable soils for an onsite discharge, an offsite discharge can be obtained using a General Permit. The most important aspects of the General Permit are the following:

1.	Can only be obtained for an existing lot
2.	Effluent needs to be discharged into a flowing water body (i.e., creek, steam) that drains a 5 square mile area
3.	Effluent from system will need to comply with discharge standards and be tested once per year

Although other limitations apply, the ones listed above are the most relevant for most builders/homeowners.