EPA on Site Wastewater Treatment Systems - Legislation and Guidelines_Workshop_Margaret_Keegan

7/31/2019 EPA on Site Wastewater Treatment Systems - Legislation and Guidelines_Workshop_Margaret_Keegan

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On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems:

Legislation and Guidelines

Margaret Keegan

Public Authority Enforcement


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Presentation Outline

Introduction to On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems

European Legislation which control On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems

Irish Legislation

Irish Guidelines for Single Houses

Irish Guidelines Large-Scale On-Site Wastewater Systems


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Introduction

Small Scale Treatment Systems for Single Houses (PE < 10)

Conventional Septic Tanks discharging to groundwaters.

Secondary Treatment: Intermittent Filter Systems including constructedwetlands and Mechanical Aeration Systems discharging to groundwatervia polishing filters and more recently to surface waters in a limitednumber of cases.

Treatment Systems for Small Communities (PE 10 - 500) Secondary Treatment Systems discharging to surface waters in general

with an increase in the numbers discharging to groundwater in the lastfew years.


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European Legislation

European Legislation which control On-Site Wastewater TreatmentDischarges

Council Directive 78/659/EEC of 18 July 1978 on the quality of freshwaters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life

Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the qualityrequired of shellfish waters as amended by Council Directive91/692/EEC (further amended by Council Regulation 1882/2003/EC).

Council Directive of 8 December 1975 concerning the Quality of BathingWater (76/160/EEC).

Council Directive 75/440/EEC of 16 June 1975 concerning the qualityrequired of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water

in the Member States.


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European Legislation cont.

European Legislation which control On-Site Wastewater TreatmentDischarges

Council Directive on the protection of groundwater against pollutioncaused by certain dangerous substances (80/68/EEC).

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and Councilestablishing a framework for communicty action in the field of waterpolicy (2000/60/EC) (commonly referred to as the Water Framework

Directive).

Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and Council on theprotection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration(2006/118/EC) (commonly known as the New Groundwater Directive).


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Irish Legislation

Discharge Control Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 (SI No.1 of 1977).

Local Government (Water Pollution)(amendment) Act 1990 (SI No.21 of

1990). Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations 1978 (SI No.108 of

1978).

Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations 1992 (SI No.271 of1992).

Local Government (Water Pollution) (amendment) Regulations 1996 (SINo.184 of 1996).

Local Government (Water Pollution) (amendment) Regulations 1999 (SINo.42 of 1999).

Protection of Groundwater Regulations, 1999 (SI No. 41 of 1999).

European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations, 2003 (SI No 722 of2003).


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Irish Legislation

Discharge Control continued.

Section 4 licensing

Discharges of treated wastewater to waters (surface and groundwater)require a licence under Section 4 of the Water Pollution Act.

EXEMPTIONS - First Schedule 1978 Regulations

Class I: Domestic sewage not exceeding in volume 5 cubic metres in anyperiod of 24 hours which is discharged to an aquifer from a septic tank or

other disposal unit by means of a percolation area, soakage pit or othermethod.

Class II: Trade effluent discharged by a sanitary authority in the course ofthe performance of its powers and duties, other than from a sewer.

Prior investigations as required by the Groundwater Directive which istransposed by the Water Pollution regulations.


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Irish Legislation

Planning and Building Control

Planning and Development Acts 2000- 2002 and Regulations

Building Regulations 1991 2002Technical Guidance Document H (Drainage and Wastewater Disposal)

calls up

Irish Standard Recommendations SR6 of 1991 for domestic effluent

treatment and disposal from single dwellings. BS 6297:1983 (incorporating amendment No. 1 of 1990) A Code of

Practice for the Design and Installation of Small Sewage TreatmentWorks.


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Guidelines

Single Houses

Standard Regulations No 6 (SR6) 1991.

EPA Wastewater Treatment Manual: Treatment Systems for SingleHouses 2000.

DoEHLG Circulars (SP5/03 and BC16/06)

CEN 12566 : Small Wastewater Treatment Systems for up to PT 50 Parts 1-7.

EPA Code of Practice: Wastewater Treatment Systems for SingleHouses (PE


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Guidelines for Single Houses

Standard Regulations No 6 (SR6) 1991

SR6:1991 is the standard currently referred to in the Building

Regulations relating to septic tank systems.

Irish Agrement Board certifies all the secondary treatmentwastewater systems in Ireland

If system doesnt have an Agrement certificate it may not be acceptableunder the Building Regulations.

http://www.irishagrementboard.com/


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EPA Wastewater Treatment Manual: Treatment Systems for SingleHouses 2000

Section 60 specify and publish criteria and procedures... for thepurposes of environmental protection, in relation to the management,maintenance, supervision,operation or use of all or specified classes ofplant, sewers, drainage pipesfor the treatment or disposal of anysewage or other effluent to any waters

Purpose of manual is to provide guidance on the design, operation andmaintenance of on-site wastewater treatment systems for singlehouses. It is not a Draft Manual.

Local authorities shall have regard to the guidance published underSection 60.

Currently being updated and revision to be published in 2007 as a Codeof Practice.


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DoEHLG Circulars (SP5/03 and BC16/06)

SP5/03 - Dealt with groundwater quality in the context of planning

decisions, attention was drawn to good siting and design of wastewatertreatment sytems and to the EPA manual 2000. It outlined the DoEHLGintention to amend the TGD H to call up the revised EPA manual (CoP2007), while the NSAI will withdraw SR6.

BC16/06 - Provides interim advice to local authorities in relation to

packaged wastewater treatment plants in light of the adoption of EN12566:3. It also advises that the 2nd edition of the EPA manual willprovide performance levels that can be generally applied to thesesystems. In the interim it refers to the wastewater treatment standardsof the IAB of BOD 20; SS 30;NH4 20


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CEN European Standard 12566

On-going work on the development of a European standard for smallwastewater treatment systems (1-50 P.T.):

Part 1:Pre-fabricated septic tanks (published by NSAI as anIrish standard July 2004)

Part 2:Soil infiltration systems (published by the NSAI as aCode of Practice August 2005)

Part 3:Packaged and/or site assembled WWTP (published bythe NSAI as an Irish Standard in October 2005)

Part 4:Septic Tanks built in-situ from kits

Part 5:Filtration Systems for pre-treated effluent

Part 6:Packaged and/or site assembled secondary treatment

units Part 7: Prefabricated Tertiary Treatment Units


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Guidelines for Single Houses Code of Practice : Wastewater Treatment Systems for Single

Houses (P.E.


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Code of Practice : Wastewater Treatment Systems for SingleHouses 2007

EPA Wastewater Treatment Manual Treatment Systems for SingleHouses 2000 document has been amended to take account of

the requirements of the new CEN standard EN12566;

DoEHLG Circulars;

results from further reseach, which results in clarifications,improvements and corrections; and

input from practitioners on the workability and clarity of the manual.


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Code of Practice : Wastewater Treatment Systems for SingleHouses 2007 It will include

Performance standards for packaged domestic wastewatertreatment systems.

A modified percolation test to be use for high T sites.

An upper percolation test result limit for discharges to ground to

take account of impervious soils. Proposed change to the acceptable range of percolation values.

Improved design details for intermittent filters and polishing filters.

A new chapter on maintenance.

More emphasis on installation.

Site improvements defined.

Improved Site Characterisation Form.


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Guidelines for Small Communities..

British Standard BS 66297:1983, Design and installation of smallsewage treatment works and cesspools.

Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual: Treatment Systems forSmall Communites, Business, Leisure Centers and Hotels 1999.

Guidance Manual published in 1999 under Section 60 of the EPA Act1992.

It provides guidance to those involved in WWT plant selection,

operation, use, management, maintenance and supervision. It refers to other guidance manuals on primary, secondary and tertiary

treatment which discusses in more detail the different treatmentsystems.

However, it does not provide specific guidance in relation to site

selection and for discharges to groundwater the reader is referred to theWWT Manual Treatment Systems for Single Houses.


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Guidelines for Small Communities.. Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual: Treatment Systems for

Small Communites, Business, Leisure Centers and Hotels 1999. In 1999 there were few, if any, discharges from these larger systems to

groundwater, however, that trend is changing and it is apparent that

significant additional guidance is required on the assessment of suchdischarges to groundwater.

The Framework document being prepared by the OSWTS WorkingGroup is welcome.

In addition, more guidance is necessary on the siting of these systemsin respect to vulnerable receptors and in the assessment of thesesystems discharging to surface waters, particularly in relation toPhosphorous.

The EPA intends to carry out an assessment of the WWT Manual forSmall Communities in light of the introduction of the EN 12566 which

applies to systems up to 50 PE and also due to the increase in thenumber of discharges from systems >10 PE discharging to groundwaterand other issues arising from discussions.


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Review of Presentation

Introduction to Wastewater Treatment Systems

Legislation discharge control

Guidelines for Single Houses and Small Communities

EPA on Site Wastewater Treatment Systems - Legislation and Guidelines_Workshop_Margaret_Keegan

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