Individual On-Lot Sewage Disposal Development

While many municipalities in Columbia County provide public sewage facilities, the majority of private residences in the county are still served by private on-lot sewage disposal systems. The NYS Building and Construction Code requires that all on-lot sewage disposal systems for "new construction" be designed and installed in conformity with NYS standards. These standards are found in the NYSDOH publication entitled "Appendix 75-A, Wastewater Treatment Standards- Individual Household Systems".

The process for obtaining DOH approval for the construction of an on-lot sewage disposal system that will serve a new residence is not difficult. The CCDOH has developed an application form that includes instructions for conducting percolation testing. This application form can be obtained by visiting our office, by fax or from the website.

The percolation testing can be conducted by the property owner or by a contractor if the owner so desires. The results of the percolation tests are recorded on a form that is included with the application package. The completed application form is then submitted to our department. Upon receipt, our staff reviews the application and the applicant is contacted for an appointment to meet at the proposed building site. At the time of the field visit the applicant must arrange to have his or her sewage contractor available with a backhoe to excavate deep test pits. These test pits are required to determine if there are environmental conditions on the site that would interfere with the proper operation of the sewage disposal system.

Such factors would include a seasonal high groundwater table; shallow soils over bedrock; inadequate depths of permeable soil over impervious soil; the presence of a DEC protected wetland; excessive slopes; the existence of a floodprone area; etc.

Following our site evaluation a written confirmation is sent to the applicant with a copy to the town building inspector. When the building inspector receives his or her copy of our correspondence that indicates the type of system required for that particular property, a building permit can usually be obtained from the building inspector.

In cases where very difficult conditions exist the applicant may be instructed to obtain the services of a licensed professional engineer to design and submit plans to our department for the proposed sewage disposal system. However such instances are rare and usually our staff working with the sewage contractor can develop a system that will meet NYS standards.

Helpful Hints

1. After a proposed house site has been located choose an area for sewage disposal development. This area should be lower in elevation than the house site so that it can be reached by gravity. Slopes in this area should not exceed 10%. This is the area where the soil tests are to be prepared.

2. Do not drill a well until the site for sewage disposal development has been located and approved.

3. Do not cut, remove or scrape away soil on the property. At times shallow topsoil may be all that exists and it's removal or disturbance could cause severe problems and greatly increase the cost of sewage disposal development.

4. Do not cut down trees and pull the stumps in the area of the proposed system as this could also cause severe and expensive problems.

5. Do not cut in a driveway until the area for sewage disposal development has been approved.

6. Find your property on a Columbia County soil map to determine the type of soil that you can expect to encounter on that given parcel. Soil maps are no substitute for an on-site evaluation but they are valuable indicators.

7. Check a wetland map to determine if a NYSDEC protected wetland is present on the property or in the immediate area. If a protected wetland is present we may require that the NYSDEC flag the wetland to identify its boundaries.

8. Determine if the property is located in a floodprone area. NYS does not allow for the construction of a sewage system at elevations lower than the 10-year flood elevation.

9. Check for the presence of wetland vegetation or tree roots that lay along the surface of the ground. These conditions could indicate the presence of high seasonal groundwater.

10. In the summer observe the color of grasses and other vegetation on the property. For example vegetation and grasses that are brown in color may indicate droughty conditions caused by shallow soils over rock. Shallow soils over bedrock do not hold moisture. However if you're lucky droughty conditions can also indicate the presence of deep excessively well drained gravel deposits.

11. Check for the presence of burrowing animals on the property especially if there are open farm fields on the site. While it may not be scientific the fact remains that hibernating animals such as woodchucks must be able to establish their burrows at depths below the frost line or they would die during the winter. The frost line in our part of the northeast is approximately 5 feet. Therefore the presence of active burrows could indicate the presence of deep well-drained soils. Again the only sure way to determine soil type is to excavate deep test pits with a backhoe.

12. The last helpful hint is if you have questions or problems phone our personnel before taking any action. Our staff is here to help you and to provide you with the assistance you require in bringing your project to a successful conclusion.

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