As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY BUILDING
A detached building not used as a dwelling unit but incidental
to that of the dwelling.
BEDROOM
Any room which could be used for sleeping purposes, regardless
of actual use of the room. Examples of such rooms include but are
not limited to dens, sewing rooms, studies and nurseries.
CERTIFIED SOIL TESTER
Permitted to conduct soil morphological evaluations and evaluate
the significance of soil mottling.
DEPARTMENT
The Department of Safety and Professional Services (SPS).
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER
The type of wastewater normally discharged from plumbing
fixtures, appliances or devices, including but not limited to sanitary,
dishwashing, laundry, bath, garbage disposal and cleaning wastewater.
DWELLING
Any structure or that part of a structure which is used or
intended to be used as a home, residence or sleeping place by one
person or by two or more persons maintaining a common household to
the exclusion of all others.
FAILING SANITARY SYSTEM
The same meaning as given in § 145.245(4), Wis.
Stats., states in part: A failing private sewage system is one which
causes or results in any of the following conditions: (a) the discharge
of sewage into surface water or groundwater; (b) the introduction
of sewage into zones of saturation which adversely affects the operation
of a private sewage system; (c) the discharge of sewage to a drain
tile or into zones of bedrock; (d) the discharge of sewage to the
surface of the ground; (e) the failure to accept sewage discharges
and backup of sewage into the structure served by the private sewage
system.
FARM
All land under common ownership that is primarily devoted
to agricultural use.
HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD
A substance, activity, or condition that is known to have
the potential to cause acute or chronic illness, to endanger life,
to generate or spread infectious diseases, or otherwise injuriously
to affect the health of the public.
ISSUING AGENT
The Pierce County Department of Land Management through its
authorized agent, the Pierce County Zoning Administrator, assigned
the duties of administering the private sewage system program by the
Pierce County Board of Supervisors.
OPEN BODIES OF WATER
All lakes, bays, rivers, streams, springs, ponds, wells,
impounding reservoirs, marshes, watercourses, drainage systems and
other surface water, natural or artificial, public or private, within
the state or under its jurisdiction.
PRIVATE ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM (POWTS)
A sewage treatment and disposal system serving a single structure
with a septic tank and soil absorption field located on the same parcel
as the structure. This term also means an alternative sewage system
approved by the Department, including a substitute for the septic
tank or soil absorption field, a holding tank, a system serving more
than one structure or a system located on a different parcel than
the structure. A POWTS may be owned by the property owner or by a
special purpose district.
PRIVY, PIT
An enclosed, nonportable toilet into which non-water-carried
human wastes are deposited to a subsurface storage chamber which is
not watertight.
PRIVY, VAULT
An enclosed, nonportable toilet into which non-water-carried
human wastes are deposited to a subsurface storage chamber which is
watertight.
SANITARY PERMIT
A permit issued by the Department or the issuing agent for
the installation or modification of a POWTS.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed, erected or manufactured, the use of
which requires a more or less permanent location on or in the ground.
VIOLATION
A failure to comply with any provision of this chapter.
The administration of this chapter shall be the duty of the
issuing agent. The issuing agent shall provide, contract for, or hire
state-certified POWTS inspectors or certified soil testers as directed
by action of the Pierce County Board of Supervisors.
The purpose of this chapter is to:
A. Exercise jurisdiction over the construction and inspection of all
new POWTS in the County;
B. Provide plan review and inspection performed by state-certified inspectors;
C. Establish and collect permit fees to defray POWTS inspection costs;
D. Provide remedies and penalties for violations; and
E. Establish a County office responsible for administration of the POWTS.
In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this
chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements and shall not be
a limitation or repeal of any other powers granted by the Wisconsin
Statutes and the Wisconsin Administrative Code.