New Regulations Sought For Septic Systems In Riverside Co.'s Unincorporated Areas

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health will seek the Board of Supervisors' approval tomorrow to proceed with drafting new regulations on where and what type of septic systems may be installed in unincorporated communities to protect residents' health.

Environmental health officials are asking for the board's authorization to complete a "land area management plan'' that would be submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board before the end of May.

The plan is being drawn up in response to a law implemented in 2001 --Assembly Bill 885 -- which requires local health agencies to establish criteria for septic tank installations for businesses and residences.

AB 885 apparently went unenforced until 2012, when the state was sued by private interests, who alleged the State Water Resources Control Board was not actively ensuring compliance, according to documents posted to the
supervisors' policy agenda.

Under the DEH proposal, all septic tank installations and replacements would be subject to scrutiny and classification. Any unincorporated location within the county could be ranked according to tiered criteria, ranked 0-4.

Tier 0 would be a ``properly functioning'' on-site wastewater tank. Tier 1 would be a "low-risk'' system, not a public health threat. Tier 2 would permit "alternative methods'' for installing a system that otherwise might be in a place where authorities discern an elevated risk of sewage contamination of fresh water channels. Tier 3 would require heightened measures to prevent seepage into water supplies, and tier 4 would be systems "in failure.''

AB 885's aim was to contain the spread of "nitrates and fecal coliform bacteria,'' according to the legislation, which noted that more than 60 areas throughout the state were under septic tank prohibitions at the time.

The county's proposal also seeks to create a registry of "qualified service providers and professionals of record'' who would be certified to conduct performance tests on equipment, as well as do installations and replacements. DEH officials said the registry would be analogous to ones currently maintained by the agency for well drillers, backflow testers and tattoo artists.

--City News Service