Onsite Wastewater Systems: Frequently Asked Questions

Nebraska Department of
Environmental
Quality

Fact Sheets

.
This information is
provided by the
Nebraska Department
of Environmental Quality
to assist the
public and regulated community.

WAT056

Revised:

03/2013

Onsite Wastewater Systems: Frequently Asked Questions

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Assistance/Records

General

Permits/Approvals

Professional Certification

How do I become a certified professional?

To become certified, an applicant must submit:
Pass an examination administered by the Department.

When does my professional certification expire?

All certificates by examination expire December 31 of every odd-numbered year.

How many hours of continuing education must I complete during a two year certification cycle?

A certified professional must successfully complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education during every 2 year certificate period.

How do I renew my professional certificate?

To renew a valid certificate, a certified professional must submit prior to the expiration date of the certificate:

My professional certificate has expired and I did not complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education during the two year certificate period. What do I need to do to become re-certified?

Yes. You must submit:
Pass an examination administered by the Department.

My certificate has expired and I completed a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education during the two year certificate period. Can I still renew my expired certificate?

Yes. A person may late renew their expired certificate within 60 days after the certificate has expired by submitting the following to the Department:
The late renewal application including the record of continuing education, renewal fee and late penalty must be received by the Department no later than 60 days after the certificate has expired.

My certificate has expired and I did not submit a late renewal application within 60 days of expiration of my certificate. What do I need to do to become re-certified?

In order to obtain certification once the 60 day late renewal period has expired, the following must be submitted to the Department:
Pass an examination administered by the Department.

Is a homeowner who does not have the proper certification allowed to work on or pump their own onsite wastewater treatment system?

No. Only a certified professional, a professional engineer, a registered environmental health specialist or a person under their direct supervision may engage in the inspection, pumping, siting, layout, construction, reconstruction, alteration, modification, repair, closure or otherwise changing of an onsite wastewater treatment system. There is no homeowner exemption from this requirement.

I am a building inspector for a local governmental agency and frequently conduct inspections of new septic systems. Do I need to apply for and obtain certification from the State for inspecting onsite wastewater treatment systems?

Yes, unless you are a Professional Engineer licensed in Nebraska or a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. State law does not provide an exemption from the certification requirements for employees working for local or county agencies that inspect septic systems. However, the Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Contractors Certification and System Registration Act allows the Director of the NDEQ to waive certification and examination fees for any inspector employed by a governmental agency or subdivision that has adopted and has the authority to enforce an inspection and compliance program at least as stringent as the standards provided by the Act and the Department’s rules and regulations.
To obtain the governmental inspector fee waiver and Title 124 certification, eligible applicants must do the following:
Pass the inspector examination administered by the Department.

Note:

An Inspector who is granted this fee waiver will be limited to inspecting as a government employee within the jurisdiction and under the authority of that local governmental agency or subdivision.

How do I become certified in multiple categories?

An individual seeking certification by examination in multiple categories of certification may submit a single Application for Certification by Examination with one application fee for one or more categories, but must submit the examination fee for each examination to be taken. A separate examination is required for each category sought. When an application is made for multiple categories and the application fees for the categories are different, the applicant must submit the highest fee.

How many professional development hours may be carried over into the next two year certification cycle?

A maximum of 6 hours in excess of the minimum 12 hours of continuing education required during any certification cycle may be carried over.
Once a certificate has expired and the late renewal has lapsed, the professional development hours also expire and there can be no carryover of excess hours.

I own a business and have several crews working for me. Does at least one person on each crew need to be certified when installing, pumping or otherwise working on septic systems?

Yes. Title 124 states that no person shall engage in the siting, layout, construction, reconstruction, alteration, modification, repair, closure or otherwise changing of an onsite wastewater system unless a Master Installer, a Journeyman Installer, a professional engineer, or a registered environmental health specialist who is responsible for such work is physically present at the site where such work is being performed and is supervising the work.

Do I need to obtain certification from the Department to pump restaurant grease traps or sludge from sumps and pits at vehicle maintenance or carwash facilities that are connected to a public sanitary sewer system?

No. However, some local jurisdictions may have licensing or permitting requirements.

Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Advisory Committee (OWAC)

System Design, Installation and Inspection

When must an existing onsite wastewater treatment system meet the design requirements of Title 124?

If it endangers public health, fails, or discharges a prohibited or unauthorized discharge. A cesspool, seepage pit, dry well, or leaching pit is a failed system. A soil absorption system with less than four feet to groundwater or other limiting soil characteristics is also a failed system.
If it is being replaced, reconstructed, altered or modified.
If there is an adverse change in use such as an increase in the number of bedrooms, design flow, or waste strength.
If it begins to receive wastewater from a different dwelling or non-dwelling facility than it was originally constructed to serve.
If it begins to receive wastewater from a dwelling or non-dwelling facility that is reconstructed or replaced following an event such as a fire that renders the structure unsuitable for occupancy.
If the system owner creates or causes an encroachment on a setback distance by a change in a property line or construction of a new development feature such as a well, water line or foundation.

When am I required to obtain authorization from the Department for the construction or operation of a Class V injection well?

Class V wells include, but are not limited to septic system drainfields or soil absorption systems:
Any person who plans to construct or operate a Class V injection well must complete, sign, and submit to the Department an application for each well as required in accordance with Title 122.

Can I connect a floor drain from an automotive repair business to an onsite wastewater treatment system?

No. The discharge of motor vehicle wastes to a septic system is prohibited. Motor vehicle means mechanized equipment used in agriculture, construction, industrial activities, maintenance, recreation, or transportation.
A floor drain in a dwelling garage, however, may be connected to an onsite wastewater treatment system provided the drain does not receive petroleum products, paint, organic solvents, antifreeze or hazardous materials and meets the following Title 124 design requirements:
The drain must also be designed to handle only snow and ice melt with occasional water from vehicle exterior washing.

How do I convert or abandon a floor drain located in a maintenance area, wash bay or area used for the storage of chemicals, oils, fuels, or hazardous materials that discharges to a septic system, leach field, cesspool, dry well or the land surface?

Connect to a city sanitary sewer, a holding tank, or a synthetically lined lagoon.
Permanently plug the discharge line and use the remaining sump to collect wastes; or
Permanently plug the drain (including the sump) completely with concrete and run a “dry” shop.

Note:

The connection of a floor drain to a holding tank, or a synthetically lined lagoon requires a

permit

under

Title 124

. Waste accumulated in a holding tank, synthetically lined lagoon or a sump converted to a holding tank will eventually require removal and may require a waste determination/testing to ensure disposal at an appropriate waste management facility. You should also check local ordinances for rules regarding floor drains connected to the sanitary sewer system and other waste disposal ordinances or regulations.

Does the Department inspect new onsite wastewater treatment systems?

No. However, some local jurisdictions may have inspection requirements.

Does the Department inspect existing onsite wastewater treatment systems?

No. However, the Department may conduct investigations of a system on an individual basis as the result of a complaint.

Does the State of Nebraska conduct inspections of septic systems as part of a real estate transfer?

Yes. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services conducts water well and septic system inspections for a fee. The inspection is strictly voluntary and is typically requested by the lender or buyer prior to the sale of the property. Some local jurisdictions do have separate property transfer inspection requirements. Please check for local requirements. Private inspectors certified to inspect onsite wastewater treatment systems can be found on the list of certified professionals on the NDEQ website at http://deq.ne.gov/

Does a lot need to be at least one-half acre in size to meet the design standards for the installation of a new septic system?

No. There are no minimum lot size requirements in Title 124 for the installation of an onsite wastewater treatment system. However, it may be difficult to site a standard septic system on a lot that is smaller than one-half acre due to soils and other site conditions.
Regardless of lot size, all septic systems must meet specific standards with respect to system design and setbacks to surface water, drinking water wells, water lines, property lines and foundations.

Note:

Some local jurisdictions may have requirements that include lot size limits or more restrictive requirements.

How do I close/abandon a septic tank or a private wastewater treatment lagoon?

An onsite wastewater treatment system must be properly closed whenever use of the system is discontinued following connection to a sanitary sewer or following condemnation or demolition of a building or property or due to the construction of another onsite wastewater treatment system.

Note:

Only a

certified professional, a professional engineer, a registered environmental health specialist

or a person under their direct supervision may engage in the closure of an onsite wastewater treatment system.

What is a non-dwelling facility?

A non-dwelling facility is defined in Title 124 as a building, structure, place of business, place of gathering or waste collection system which is not a dwelling and which generates wastewater.
If any portion of the wastewater generated at a building, structure or place is a non-domestic wastewater, the facility is also considered a non-dwelling facility.
Examples of non-dwelling facilities where onsite systems may be used include:

Note:

Title 124

and

Title 122

prohibit the discharge of

motor vehicle wastes

or maintenance shop wastes to a septic system or to a soil absorption system. In addition, the connection of a floor drain from a maintenance shop to a septic system or soil absorption system is prohibited.

Can I install a septic tank within the minimum setback distance to a foundation?

The installation of a septic tank, pump tank, or holding tank is prohibited within the horizontal setback distances in Table 5.1 of Title 124 unless individually reviewed and a construction permit is issued by the Department.
The Department, however, may approve, at the system owner’s request, encroachment of a foundation within the minimum setback distances to system components upon submittal of a foundation construction plan and a letter from a professional engineer stating that he or she has evaluated the proposed construction plan and in his or her professional opinion, the encroachment will not have any detrimental effect on the structural integrity of the foundation or system components, or on the proper function and operation of the system components, or on the ability to maintain or replace any of the system components.

Can wastewater from open loop heat pump systems and other “pump-and-dump” type systems be discharged to a septic system?

No. Clear water discharges from open loop heat pump systems can generate large quantities of water that can quickly overwhelm an onsite wastewater treatment system. This type of clear water discharge is not included in standard wastewater design flow calculations and is therefore prohibited from entering an onsite wastewater treatment system unless approved in a Title 124 operating permit and an authorization to discharge is obtained pursuant to Title 122. A Title 122 permit may also be required.
The following additional clear water discharges are also prohibited from entering a septic system unless approved in a Title 124 permit:

Note:

In accordance with

Title 119 – Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the Issuance of Permits Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

, water from single family household non-recirculating geothermal heat pumps and swimming pools may be discharged to the land surface provided certain conditions are met and the discharge does not create a threat to public health or safety, a nuisance or unlawful pollution of waters of the state.

Can condensate from air conditioners and wastewater from water treatment systems such as water softeners and reverse osmosis (RO) systems be discharged to a septic system?

Yes. For a dwelling or a non-dwelling facility with more than 1,000 gallons per day (gpd) design flow, a Title 124 operating permit and a Title 122 authorization to discharge is required. A Title 122 permit may also need to be obtained from the Department.
For a dwelling or a non-dwelling facility with a design flow of 1,000 gpd or less, the Department considers discharges from air conditioners, water softeners and RO systems to be included in the standard domestic wastewater design flow and therefore covered under “Authorized by Rule”. Periodic high concentrations of wastes from water softener and RO systems, however, may present problems for treatment in a septic system due to salts/chlorides and uranium concentrations.

Can a soil absorption system be installed in fill?

Yes, provided the fill material is sand, or when the bottom 12 inches or more of the trench or bed is located in undisturbed native soil below the fill.

Note:

When constructing a system in sand fill, sufficient time must be allowed after placement of the fill, or sufficient compaction efforts applied to the fill, to prevent settlement after the system is installed.

What is the minimum capacity septic tank that can be installed for a non-dwelling facility?

For a non-dwelling facility with a design flow of over 1,500 gallons per day (gpd), the liquid capacity of a septic tank must be at least equal to 1,125 gallons plus 0.75 times the design flow. For flows of 1,500 gpd or less, 1.5 times the design flow may be used, but a minimum of a 1,000 gallon tank is required.
For a non-dwelling facility served by multiple septic systems, the minimum septic tank capacity for each system must be 1,000 gallons.

How do I size an absorption field for a non-dwelling facility?

The required square footage of drain field trench for a non-dwelling facility can be determined using the appropriate wastewater flow rate in Table 14.2 of Title 124 or by use of the following equation:

sq ft = design.flow (gpd) x 0.20 x √percolation rate (min/in

Is the installation of a riser for access to a septic tank lid or the addition of a cleanout considered a “repair”?

Yes. A repair is defined In Title 124 as the correction of a mechanical, electrical, or minor structural defect in an existing onsite wastewater system component such as, but not limited to, sealing a crack in a tank lid, repairing or replacing a tank baffle or access manhole riser, repairing or replacing a pump or electrical switch, leveling a distribution box, replacing a building sewer pipe, or replacing a cracked pipe between the septic tank and soil absorption system.
Repairs and maintenance can be performed on an onsite wastewater treatment system that functions properly without being subject to the design requirements of the regulations.

How do I calculate the design flow for a single family dwelling?

For a single family dwelling the design flow shall not be less than 100 gallons per day plus 100 gallons per bedroom (see Table 12.1 in Title 124).

How do I calculate the design flow for a non-dwelling facility?

The design flow for a non-dwelling facility must not be less than the highest daily wastewater flow that is calculated to be generated based on the characteristics of the occupancy and use of the facility.
For non-dwelling facilities, the quantity of flow generated for various occupancy and uses must also be consistent with nationally recognized data published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Manual, Chapter 3: Establishing Treatment System Performance Requirements), state onsite wastewater regulatory agencies, or nationally recognized plumbing codes.
If the use of a non-dwelling facility includes residential occupancy, the estimated flow from the non-residential use must be added to a residential design flow of 100 gallons per day plus 100 gallons per day per bedroom.

Can an onsite wastewater treatment system be located on property not owned by the individual or facility using the system?

Yes, provided a properly executed property easement that includes provisions for operation and maintenance of the onsite system easement has been filed.
A copy of the filed easement must also be submitted with the system registration.

System Registration

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