All human and domestic sewage, including laundry wastes and kitchen wastes, shall be disposed of in properly managed sewers, septic tank systems or by other means approved by the State Department of Health Services, in accordance with the following requirements:
A. 
Human excrement and domestic sewage, including laundry wastes and kitchen wastes, shall be disposed of by sanitary methods in such a manner that they will not gain access to any waters except under conditions approved by the State Department of Health Services and State Water Resources Commission.
B. 
No sewage disposal system, sewage overflow or privy vault shall, after the effective date of this chapter, be constructed or permitted to remain on any premises from which a public sewer is accessible without the permission of the FVHD.
C. 
Every toilet or other sewage disposal system or privy vault shall be kept in a sanitary condition at all times and shall be so constructed and maintained as to prevent the escape of odors and to exclude animals and insects.
D. 
No material from any septic tank, cesspool or privy vault situated on any watershed, the water of which is used for drinking purposes, shall be deposited within 100 feet of the high-water mark of any reservoir or stream on such watershed. Such material, if deposited at any place on such watershed, shall be disposed of by burial or by other methods approved by the State Department of Health Services so that no portion of the material can escape or be washed into a water supply stream or reservoir.
E. 
No material from any septic tank, cesspool or privy vault or other accumulation of human excrement shall be removed from any property and transported to any watershed, the water of which is used for drinking purposes, unless the methods of transportation and disposal are in accordance with a written permit secured from the State Department of Health Services. Such permit shall designate where and in what manner such material shall be disposed of. A written permit for disposal of human excrement transported from any property to any other area shall be obtained from the FVHD.
F. 
Material removed from any privy vault, toilet or other sewage disposal system shall be disposed of by burial or other sanitary methods approved by the FVHD. The location of disposal shall comply with the minimum separating distances given in § 152-15. Unless the contents of a privy vault, septic tank or cesspool were disposed on the land of the owner of such vault, septic tank or cesspool, a written permit or license shall be secured from the FVHD for the transportation and disposal of such material. Such permit or license shall designate where and in what manner such material shall be disposed of.
G. 
No domestic sewage, including laundry and kitchen wastes, shall be allowed to discharge or flow into any storm drain, gutter, street, roadway or public place, nor shall such material discharge onto any private property so as to create a nuisance.
H. 
Sufficient and suitable toilet accommodations, well lighted and ventilated and separated for each sex, shall be provided at public buildings and all places of public assembly, and all toilets provided for the public shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.
No sewage disposal system shall, after the effective date of this chapter, be constructed or rebuilt for any dwelling, apartment, boarding house or hotel without compliance with §§ 152-8 through 152-24, inclusive, unless otherwise approved by the FVHD. Such approval by the FVHD shall not be granted for discharge of any wastes into any waters of the state. Connections shall be made to public sewers if available.
A. 
High-density units as above shall not be built in areas with percolation rates greater than one (1) inch per three minutes.
B. 
Dwelling units requiring both on-site sewage disposal and private water supply shall be located on a parcel of land having a minimum area of 20,000 square feet, unless special approval is obtained from the FVHD.
[Amended 5-28-1968]
C. 
A usable area equal in size to the installed subsurface disposal system shall be provided for expansion of the system.
House sewers shall not be less than four inches in diameter. The grade shall be at least 1/4 inch per foot for four-inch sewers and shall not be less than 1/8 inch per foot for larger sizes. House sewers shall be laid with tight joints to a septic tank in a straight line and on a uniform grade, except where accessible manholes or surface cleanouts are provided at changes of direction or grade. Pipe for such house sewers shall be of cast iron, with leaded or equal joints, to a point at least 10 feet beyond the foundation wall of any cellar or basement. Portions of house sewers within 100 feet of a well shall be of cast iron with leaded or equal joints, but no portions of such sewer, however constructed, shall be within 25 feet of a cellar drain or ground- or surface water drain unless the pipe is of cast iron with leaded or equal joints. Sewer lines under pressure from any building shall be cast-iron pipe throughout their length with leaded or equal joints.
Wherever possible and wherever required by local regulations, water service and house sewer pipes shall be laid in separate trenches at least 10 feet apart. Where laid in the same trench, the water pipe shall be laid on a trench at least 18 inches above the top of the sewer trench. House sewer pipes shall be located not less than 25 feet from water-suction pipes.
All lots must have a percolation test in the area of the subsurface disposal field exclusive of any other soils testing.
The sewage disposal system shall be located on the same lot as the building served. No system shall be laid out in an area where high groundwater, surface flooding or ledge rock will interfere with its effective operation. The bottom of any leaching area or cesspool shall be at least three feet above maximum groundwater level and ledge rock. The following minimum separating distances between any part of the sewage disposal system and the items listed shall be provided:
A. 
Well or spring or domestic water-suction pipe: 100 feet. Greater separation distance may be required for wells with higher rates of pumpage than for residential use.
B. 
Human habitation other than the building served: 50.
C. 
Building served: 15 feet.
D. 
Tributary to a water supply or ground- or surface water drain tributary to water supply reservoir: 100 feet.
E. 
Any other stream, pond, lake or tidal water, storm drain, cellar drain or subsoil drain which discharges into a stream, culvert, lake or tidal water or onto the surface of the ground, unless such drain is cast-iron pipe with leaded joints or equal: 25 feet.
F. 
Top of embankment: 15 feet.
G. 
Property line: 10 feet.
H. 
Water pressure line: 10 feet. No water service line shall cross any portion of a sewage system.
A sketch of the installed system shall be provided to the Town, pinpointing the location of units of the disposal system.
A. 
A rectangular-shaped concrete septic tank shall be provided for water carriage sewage disposal where no public sewer is available. Such septic tank shall be constructed with watertight walls and bottom with inlet baffled or submerged to a depth of at least 18 inches below the surface of liquid in the tank but not more than 1/2 the liquid depth. Baffles shall extend six inches above the liquid level. The outlet invert shall be three inches lower than the inlet invert. With a two-compartment tank, there shall be adequate connections at middepth, and 2/3 or more of the required capacity shall be in the first compartment. A septic tank shall have a removable cover or manhole so as to provide access to the tank for purposes of inspection and cleaning. At least two manholes shall be provided for a tank more than 10 feet long and at least one manhole per compartment. If a manhole is not located over the inlet, an inspection opening shall be provided at that point. No septic tank shall have a liquid capacity of less than 1,000 gallons below the outlet invert. The minimum liquid depth of septic tanks shall be 36 inches, measured from the bottom of the invert to the outlet. There shall be a minimum of eight inches between the liquid level and the underside of the tank cover.
B. 
The minimum liquid capacities are as follows:
(1) 
Three bedrooms or less: 1,000 gallons.
(2) 
Larger sizes: add 250 gallons per bedroom.
C. 
Where additional capacity is needed, two tanks may be used in series for one installation. No more than two tanks shall be installed in series but larger tanks shall be used to make up the required capacity.
A. 
Disposal of septic tank effluent may be by means of tile or other accepted distribution pipe laid in screened gravel or broken stone or by means of leaching wells. Seepage systems shall not be located in fill placed over impervious soil.
B. 
Leaching wells may be preferable where the amount of area is limited or where porous soil is at a greater depth than can be secured by tile fields. They are not recommended where groundwater may interfere with their operation or where soil of better seepage quality is found at shallow depth. Leaching wells shall provide a minimum of three feet of original soil to rock or groundwater.
[Amended 7-28-1992]
A. 
In making tests for classification of soil, such tests should be considered in the light of groundwater variations as specified in § 152-15. The classification of soil at the proposed location of a seepage system shall be determined by soil tests made as follows:
(1) 
For leaching wells, a hole four inches to 12 inches in diameter shall be dug, extending to the depth of the proposed well and/or various stratas as changes may require.
(2) 
For tile fields, a hole four inches to 12 inches in diameter shall be dug, extending to the depth of the proposed trenches.
B. 
Before observations are made, the pit shall be thoroughly wet down by filling it to within at least 12 inches of the surface. The pit shall then be filled with water to a depth of 12 inches or more and the rate of drop of water measured at intervals for a period of 30 to 60 minutes under normal conditions. The minimum of slowest uniform rate of drop shall be used in calculating seepage areas.
C. 
When tests are made, consideration shall be given to the finished grade of the building sites so that results will correspond to the absorption value of the soil in which the leaching systems will be constructed.
D. 
In investigating soil conditions for a large area, one test pit per acre or one per lot shall be required. Also, in investigating soil conditions, deep test pits shall be required to check for groundwater, ledge rock or available good seepage soil below normal depths, at least one per 10 acres or fraction thereof.
A. 
Leaching areas and wells.
(1) 
Leaching area requirements.
(a) 
The following leaching areas are required for the seepage rates indicated:
Seepage Rate
(minutes)
Leaching Area
(square feet per bedroom)
5 or less
125
6-10
165
11-15
195
16-20
225
21-30
250
30 or more
Special consideration needed to avoid nuisance conditions
(b) 
Use bottom area only for trench systems.
(c) 
Use 1/3 gross bottom area for seepage beds.
(2) 
Leaching wells. For leaching wells, use computations below, provided for a minimum of three bedrooms in all cases:
[Amended 8-28-1973]
Effective Strata Depth Below Inlet
(feet)
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Inside Diameter of Leaching Well
(feet)
3
67
83
99
114
130
146
161
4
85
103
122
141
160
179
198
5
104
126
148
170
192
214
236
6
125
151
176
201
226
251
276
7
149
177
205
234
262
290
318
8
173
205
236
267
299
330
362
9
199
233
268
302
337
371
406
10
226
264
301
339
377
415
452
B. 
All trenches shall follow contours with the bottoms of the individual trenches level. Depth of trenches should normally be not more than 30 to 36 inches, but depths of up to 48 inches or greater may be used if warranted by conditions of topography or more favorable absorption capacity of the soil at that depth. The width of the trench shall not exceed 36 inches, and the spacing between adjacent sides of trenches shall be at least three times the width of the trench. The length of the individual trenches shall not exceed 60 feet, except that in installations where dosing apparatus is used a maximum length of 100 feet may be used. Distributing pipe shall be laid near the top of a layer of one-inch screened gravel or one-inch broken stone placed to a depth of at least 18 inches in the trenches. The depth of stone under the pipe invert shall be at least 12 inches. Distributing pipes may be unglazed drain tile, at least four inches in diameter, laid with three-sixteenths-inch open joints. Pipe of vitrified tile or other acceptable material with suitable perforations of adequate spacing may also be used. The upper portions of joint openings shall be protected by strips of tar paper or other suitable material. Tile lines shall be laid on a grade not exceeding two to four inches per 100 feet. A layer of salt hay or tar paper shall be placed over the gravel before backfilling the trenches.
C. 
Construction shall be such as to provide for proper distribution of settled sewage to trenches. Better distribution, particularly for large systems with several trenches, is secured in tile fields by using siphon-dozing apparatus to apply the septic tank effluent. Diverting boxes with several outlets of the same elevation to individual trenches may be used to distribute the sewage. Where trenches are at different levels, serial distribution may be used with high level overflows from upper to lower trenches.
[Amended 7-28-1992]
D. 
In seepage beds where space between trenches is also excavated and backfilled with one-inch stone or one-inch screened gravel, only 1/3 of the total bottom area shall be considered effective. Distributing pipe shall be laid six feet to eight feet on centers. Installation of stone and distributing pipe shall be the same as that required for leaching trenches. The bottom of the entire bed shall be at the same elevation.
E. 
Leaching wells shall be spaced three times the diameter between sides of adjacent wells. Leaching well walls shall be constructed with masonry laid with open joints below the maximum liquid level. The walls shall be surrounded by 12 inches of screened gravel or broken stone.
Where a seepage rate slower than one inch in 30 minutes or high groundwater is found, no sewage disposal system shall be built, unless special plans are prepared and carried out in accordance with regulations of the FVHD. In impervious soil, swamp or rock, it may not be feasible to provide subsurface sewage disposal.
Portable privies shall be constructed with adequate storage space for excreta, with self-closing seat covers and fly-tight vaults and with a screened vent from the vault to the atmosphere. Privies shall be constructed so as to permit ready cleaning.
No groundwater drainage or drainage from roofs, cellars or yards shall discharge into, onto or near any portion of a sewage disposal system. Separate facilities shall be provided for such drainage.
A sink drainage, laundry or wastewater system, where no water flush toilet fixtures are connected, shall be constructed with a septic tank and sewage system.
No discharges from systems of sewage disposal for commercial buildings into watercourses shall be made unless provided with treatment as approved by the State Department of Health Services and the State Water Resources Commission. No sewage disposal system shall, after the effective date of this chapter, be constructed or rebuilt for any commercial buildings without compliance with the following subsections, unless otherwise approved by the FVHD. Connections shall be made to public sewers if available.
A. 
The location of the disposal system shall comply with the same requirements as those listed in § 152-15, except that, in the case of discharges from laundromats or other commercial or industrial establishments discharging substantial quantities of detergents, the disposal system shall not be permitted, unless special plans are prepared and carried out in accordance with requirements of the FVHD with due regard to the seepage quality of the soil and location of wells. Disposal systems receiving substantial quantities of detergents shall be located at least 200 feet from any well used as a source of drinking water.
B. 
The septic tank shall comply with § 152-17 with regard to construction details and shall have a minimum liquid capacity of two cubic feet per employee or equal to the average twenty-four-hour flow, whichever is greater. In no case shall a septic tank be installed with a liquid capacity less than 1,000 gallons. For very large commercial buildings, special arrangements may be required by the FVHD. In the case of restaurants, laundromats, toilets for public use or other types of establishments where water use and sewage flows will depend on the extent of public use or employment of water uses especially pertinent to the type of establishment in question, special allowances for capacities of disposal units and area for future expansion shall be provided as approved by the FVHD.
C. 
Seepage systems for commercial buildings other than restaurants and laundries shall be designed in accordance with the following table. Additional seepage area shall be provided due to clogging characteristics of waste.
Minimum Uniform  Seepage Rate
(minutes to drop 1 inch)
Seepage application in gallons to 1 square foot of effective seepage area, bottom area of trenches, bottom area plus side area of leaching wells below inlet or of gross bottom area of seepage bed
3
3.7
4
2.7
5
2.5
6
2.3
7
2.1
8
2.0
9
1.9
10
1.75
12
1.6
15
1.4
20
1.1
25
0.9
30
0.8
More than 30
Special consideration needed to avoid nuisance conditions. In some soils it may be impractical or impossible to use subsurface disposal.
D. 
Seepage disposal facilities other than of the water-carriage type shall be installed only with the permission of the FVHD and in accordance with these requirements.
E. 
No groundwater drainage or drainage from roofs, roads, cellars or yards or flow of industrial wastes or other liquids that will adversely affect the operation of a system for domestic sewage disposal or cause an overload on such system shall be discharged into, onto or near a sewage disposal system for a commercial building. Such drainage or liquid shall be disposed of separately, subject to any requirements considered necessary by the FVHD.
F. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the creation or maintenance or any sewage overflow or nuisance, the abatement of which shall be subject to the provisions of § 152-20 and also Section 19-13-B2 of the Public Health Code of the State of Connecticut.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Article VII, Appeals, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 7-28-1992.