Environmental Laboratory Certification
Search for a Commercial Laboratory Approved Test Methods for Environmental Lab Certification Contact Us Fee Schedule Forms - Examples Guidance Documents Helpful Links for Environmental Labs How to Apply Lab Director Designations Laws, Regulations Name and Ownership Changes Payments & Invoices Proficiency Testing Renewals Reporting Guidelines Updates Related Topics Fees for Permits,…Septic Tank Safety Warnings
Please follow these safety rules at all times. Never lean over a septic tank opening or stick your head into tank to examine its interior - you could become overcome by gases, fall into the tank, and suffocate. Leave tank cleaning and repairs to trained professionals. Never enter a septic tank unless you are specially trained and are wearing special equipment and gear for that purpose, including…Septic Tanks - Frequently Asked Questions
Septic Tanks - Preventative Routine Maintenance
Septic Tank Maintenance Tips, Follow these tips to keep your septic tank system running smoothly and save yourself money on repairs. Have your septic system inspected every one to two years and cleaned (pumped out) every three to five years or more frequently, depending on the tank size and number of people using the system. Never flush cat litter, coffee grounds, diapers, towelettes (even the 'flushable' type), cigarette…, Important Warning, Be extremely careful around open or exposed septic tanks. Falling into a septic tank can cause death from suffocation or drowning. Even leaning over a septic tank can cause you to collapse., Pumping (Cleaning Out a Septic Tank), Most home septic tanks require cleaning every three to five years. Pumping is needed when solids fill from one-third to one-half of the tank. The only way to know when this occurs is to have your tank inspected by a septic contractor. The contractor will recommend pumping by a licensed septic pumper whenever: The bottom of the scum (grease) layer is within 6 inches of the bottom of the outlet tee…, General Advice on Septic Tank Pumping Frequency, Tank Size, Number of Residents, Pumping Frequency, 1,000 gallons, 1 Every 12 years 2 Every 6 years 4 Every 3 years 6 Every 2 years 8 Every 1 year, 1,250 gallons, 1 Every 16 years 2 Every 8 years 4 Every 3 years 6 Every 2 years 8 Every 1 years, 1,500 gallons, 1 Every 19 years 2 Every 9 years 4 Every 4 years 6 Every 3 years 8 Every 2 year, Septic Tank Inspections, To prevent problems, have your septic system inspected every one to two years by a licensed septic tank contractor and follow his or her advice about how often to clean out the tank. Alternative septic systems that have mechanical parts such as a pump should be inspected at least once a year or more frequently as recommended by the manufacturer. A septic tank contractor will: Locate your septic…, tank cleaning (pumping) , if needed Check the ground over the drainfield for sogginess or ponding, which could indicate improper drainage, a clogged system, excessive water use. The contractor may recommend a drainfield inspection, a separate process.Flooding - What to Do
If your land and septic system are ever flooded, follow this advice:, Do not use your sinks and toilets if the soil around your home and septic system is saturated and flooded. Your septic system will not work. Plug all drains in the basement and drastically reduce water use until the system has time to recover. If you clean up flood waters inside your home or basement, do not dump the water in your sink or toilet. Do not open the septic tank or have it pumped it…Private Wells: What to Do Before and After Storms
English, |, Español, Before the storm, If you can safely get to the well, inspect it to ensure the well is properly secured and that there are no visible openings., After the storm, If your well was, NOT flooded, , its water is likely unchanged. No action is necessary. If your well, was flooded, :, Use bottled water, or, water that you boil, for drinking or cooking until you have properly disinfected and tested the well. Disinfect the well with unscented household bleach. Test the water to make sure the well was properly disinfected, and the water is not contaminated., Disinfect the Well, Before beginning: If the water is muddy or cloudy, run water from an outside spigot until it runs clear. Pour, 1 gallon of unscented household bleach, into the well casing. Run water from an outside hose into the well casing until you smell a chlorine odor. Turn on cold water faucets inside and outside of the home until you smell a chlorine odor. Shut off faucets. Wait 6 to 24 hours before you turn the faucets back on., Do NOT drink, cook, bathe or wash with this water, . After waiting: Run water from an outside hose into a safe area until you do not smell chlorine. SCDES recommends you test the water, 7-10 days, after disinfection. For complete step-by-step instructions on how to properly disinfect a well, visit:, epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water, or, https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/residential-wells/well-water-quality-testing-services, ., Test the Water, Visit a, local SCDES office, and pick up a kit for testing the water. Kits includes a form to fill out, a sterile sample bottle and instructions., Follow the instructions carefully, . Fill up the bottle, complete the form and return the sample back to the SCDES regional office or local health department., Sample must be returned THE DAY it was collected, . SCDES recommends you use bottled or boiled water until you get your water test results showing your water is safe to drink., If you have questions or need help, please call, SCDES’s Private Well Hotline at, 1-888-761-5989, .Land Application: Permit Program Definitions
Agricultural waste facility, means any collection, treatment, disposal or recycling activity involving livestock (such as cattle, poultry, swine and turkeys), dogs, horses, pigeons, quail, or other birds and animals including any activity with the production of manures, dead birds or litter., Aquifer, means a geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield usable quantities of groundwater to springs or wells., Background groundwater analysis, means the chemical or biological quality of groundwater before application of wastewater or sludge; or the groundwater chemistry or biological quality up- gradient to the site of concern., Basin or lagoon, means any in-ground or earthen structure designed to receive, treat, store, temporarily retain and/or allow for the infiltration/evaporation of wastewater., Best management practices (BMPs), means schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the pollution of waters of the State. BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage., Down-gradient, means the portion of the water table that is down the hydraulic slope of the water table with respect to a specific area or point of reference., Evaporation basin, means a basin designed specifically for the atmospheric or enhanced evaporation of liquid., Groundwater, means water below the land surface found in fractured rock or various soil strata., Groundwaters, of the State" means all sources of groundwater wholly, partially, or bordering the State of South Carolina or within its jurisdiction., Hydraulic loading, means the rate at which liquid is applied to the land per unit area. The term "application rate" may be used for "hydraulic loading"., Hydrogeologic characteristics, means the physical properties of the subsurface and its interaction with the hydraulic properties of groundwater (e.g., migration or infiltration)., Infiltration , means the flow of water downward from the land surface into and through the soil., Land, for the purpose of this regulation means the soil and rock above the water table aquifer and the ground surface., Land Application, means use and/or disposal of treated wastewater, sewage sludge, industrial sludge, septage, or additional sources (see R.61-9.505.1(b)(2)) to the land., Land Application Permit, refers to a permit issued by the Department applicable to a treatment system, source or site with no resulting discharge to surface waters of the State., Land of the State, means all land surface which is wholly or partially within the State of South Carolina or within its jurisdiction., Land slope, means the rate of increase or decrease of elevation over a given linear distance., Land surface, means the area of land open to the atmosphere., New or expansions, means a facility or land application site that is: new and has not been permitted (including existing sites such as golf courses that have not been used for effluent disposal); an increase (either in quantity or loading) in pollutant disposal to the facility or land application site; a change in the pollutant disposal to the facility or land application site (such as the introduction of a new…, Monitoring well, means any well used to sample groundwater for water quality analysis or to measure groundwater levels., ND, or, No Discharge, means land application. The terms "ND permit" or "No Discharge permit" may be used for "Land Application permit"., Percolation pond, means any lagoon, basin or constructed impoundment having a leakage rate in excess of 500 gallons/day/acre., Permeability, means the capacity of soil, rock, or other material to transmit fluids., Pollutant, : Means filter backwash, sewage, sewage sludge, industrial sludge, septage, or industrial, municipal, agricultural and domestic waste. Does not mean water, gas, or other material which is injected into a well to facilitate production of oil or gas, or water derived in association with oil and gas production and disposed of in a well, if the well used either to facilitate production or for…, Potable water well, means a well that supplies drinking water for human consumption., Restrictive soil horizon, means the top of the most impermeable soil layer encountered., Seasonal high water table, means the highest water table as determined in the soil profile by the encountered indications of soil mottling or iron concretions or by measuring seasonal fluctuations of the water table in a water table well over a period acceptable to the Department., Septage, means the liquid and solid material pumped from septic tank, cesspool or similar domestic sewage treatment system, or a holding tank when the system is cleaned or maintained., Spray field, means a specified area where properly treated wastes, treated effluent from process, agricultural or domestic wastewater, sewage sludge, industrial sludge or other sources is applied to the land. The terms "application area", "application site", or "spray disposal area" may also be used., Soil boring, means any hand- or mechanically-powered method by which samples of the subsurface can be retrieved for characterization or description., Source, means any discernible conveyance, including but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, or mobile equipment (such as sludge application truck or device), from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include return flows from irrigated agriculture., State permit, refers to a permit issued by the Department for other sources covered by this regulation (other than Land Application Permits) such as activities covered under R.61-9.505.1(b)(2). The term "State Permit Program" may also be used to describe the entire permit program under R.61-9.505., Storage or holding basin, means any basin designed to retain wastewater before, during or after treatment and would not include waters of the State., Tile field, means a specific area where a network of soil adsorption trenches is installed below the land surface for the purpose of providing final treatment and disposal of wastewater., Treated wastewater, means properly treated effluent from process or domestic wastewater, treated wastes from other sources (see R.61-9.505.1(b)(2)) or treated effluent from a treatment facility., Up-gradient, means the portion of the water table that is up the hydraulic slope of the water table with respect to a specific area or point of reference., Vadose zone, means the zone between the land surface and the water table., WWTP, means wastewater treatment plant., Water table, means the level below the land surface at which all the voids are filled with water at a pressure equal to atmospheric. The depth to the water level in the ground is to be measured at least 24 hours after encountering it in a well., Water table mound, means a high point in the seasonal or normal water table which is artificially created by the infiltration of liquid., Well, means any excavation which is cored, bored, drilled, jetted, dug, or otherwise constructed and has a depth greater than its largest surface diameter.Land Application Permit Program Exemptions
(Section 505.3 of SC Regulation 61-9) 505.3 Exclusions. The following discharges do not require Land Application permits or State permits: The introduction of sewage, industrial wastes or other pollutants into publicly owned treatment works by indirect dischargers. Plans or agreements to switch to this method of disposal in the future do not relieve dischargers of the obligation to have and…Land Application Permit Program Fees
Application Fees. There are no application fees for ND Permits. However, there are annual operating fees. For new (first time) permits, the first year's fee must be paid in full before the permit can be issued. The first year's fee is not prorated. Annual Fees. Regulation 61-30, Environmental Protection Fees , allows the Bureau to charge an annual fee for persons holding a valid ND Permit on…, Flow (gpd) *, Fee, Greater than 4,999,999 $2,660 2,000,000 to 4,999,999 $2,130 1,000,000 to 1,999,999 $1,600 500,000 to 999,999 $1,330 100,000 to 499,999 $1,065 50,000 to 99,999 $800 0 to 49,999 $530 * For domestic facilities, flow is based on permit flow. For industrial facilities, flow is based on actual maximum flow (i.e., greatest daily max. flow - cumulative of all pipes) during the previous fiscal year.…, Fee Administration:, Once an ND permit is issued, fees are assessed annually to persons who hold effective permits on July 1st of each year. This includes non-operational facilities even if the facility has not been built and continues until the permit is canceled. Therefore, any facility with an active operating permit on July 1st is subject to the fee for the state Fiscal Year (July 1-June 30) with no proration…Land Application Permit Program Renewal of Permits
Overview, ND permits are issued for a term not to exceed ten years. Permits must be renewed before they expire for a discharge to continue. To begin the renewal process, a permittee must submit a renewal application to the Bureau of Water (Bureau) at least 180 days prior to their permit's expiration date. The Bureau may allow a renewal application to be submitted at a later date but in no case past a…, Renewal Notifications, As a service to the regulated community, the Bureau helps permittees make a timely and complete application for renewal of their ND permits by sending them notifications advising them of their application due dates. These notifications are sent to each permittee, via ePermitting, 270 days and 210 days prior to the expiration date of their permit. Please note that these reminder notifications are…, Reissued Permit Conditions, Permittees are not guaranteed that reissued permit conditions will be the same as the previous ND permit conditions. When ND permits are considered for renewal, all permit conditions are evaluated based on the regulations in effect at the time of renewal. The issuance of an ND permit does not create any vested right in any person. In other words, just because an ND permit was previously issued…