Wisconsin Legislature: Chapter SPS 383 Appendix

APPENDIX

The material and information contained in this appendix is for clarification purposes only. Appendix material and information are numbered to correspond to the rule number as it appears in the text of the code. Material and information included in this appendix is subject to change without notice, including names, addresses, phone numbers and forms, and reflects information known at the time of publication.

A-383.21 (3) PROCESSING. The specific format of a sanitary permit application is specified by the department and may change depending on the data tracking needs of the department. The uniform application form issued by the department is to be used by all permit issuing agents. It may consist of a paper or electronic format, or both. The sanitary permit application form will require the applicant to report information pertinent to the ownership, use, location, system type, maintenance schedule, and responsible installer. Additionally, plans and specifications for the project must also be submitted with, and are part of, the permit application. Fees for the sanitary permit are based on a statutory minimum as cited in s. 145.19 (2), Wis. Stats., and any additional costs levied by the issuing agent.

The state sanitary permit is issued when evidence and documentation is presented by the owner of the property that minimum code standards have been or will be met.

Chapter 145 Wisconsin Statutes provides some direction as to the issuance of sanitary permits as follows:

145.135 Sanitary permits.

(1) Validity. In this section, “sanitary permit” means a permit issued by the department or any governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems for the installation of a private sewage system. No person may install a private sewage system unless the owner of the property on which the private sewage system is to be installed holds a valid sanitary permit. A sanitary permit is valid for 2 years from the date of issue and renewable for similar periods thereafter. A governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems may not charge more than one fee for a sanitary permit or the renewal of a sanitary permit in any 12-month period. A sanitary permit shall remain valid to the end of the established period, notwithstanding any change in the state plumbing code or in any private sewage system ordinance during that period. A sanitary permit may be transferred from the holder to a subsequent owner of the land, except that the subsequent owner must obtain a new copy of the sanitary permit from the issuing agent. The results of any percolation test or other test relating to the disposal of liquid domestic wastes into the soil shall be retained by the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems where the property is located. The governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems shall make the test results available to an applicant for a sanitary permit and shall accept the test results as the basis for a sanitary permit application unless the soil at the test site is altered to the extent that a new soil test is necessary.

(2) Notice. A sanitary permit shall include a notice displayed conspicuously and separately on the permit form, to inform the permit holder that:

(a) The purpose of the sanitary permit is to allow installation of the private sewage system described in the permit.

(b) The approval of the sanitary permit is based on regulations in force on the date of approval.

(d) Changed regulations will not impair the validity of a sanitary permit.

(e) Renewal of the sanitary permit will be based on regulations in force at the time renewal is sought, and that changed regulations may impede renewal.

(f) The sanitary permit is transferable.

145.19 Sanitary permit.

(1) Requirement; information; forms. No septic tank may be purchased and no private sewage system may be installed unless the owner of the property on which the private sewage system is to be installed holds a valid sanitary permit from the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems in which the property is located. The department shall prescribe the information to be included in the sanitary permit and furnish sanitary permit forms to the governmental unit. The applicant shall submit the completed sanitary permit to the governmental unit. The governmental unit shall approve or disapprove the sanitary permit according to the rules promulgated by the department under this chapter. No person may sell at retail, as defined under s. 100.201 (1) (d), a septic tank for installation in this state unless the purchaser holds a valid sanitary permit issued under this section.

(2) Fee. No fee for a sanitary permit may be less than $61, or the amount determined under department rule. The governing body for the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems may establish a fee for a sanitary permit which is more than $61, or the amount determined under department rule.

(3) Copy of permit forwarded to the department. The governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems shall forward a copy of each valid sanitary permit and $20, or the amount determined under department rule, of the fee to the department within 90 days after the permit is issued.

(4) Use of fee. The portion of this fee retained by the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems shall be used for the administration of private sewage system programs.

(5) Fee adjustment. The department, by rule promulgated under ch. 227, may adjust the minimum permit fee under sub. (2) and the fee portion forwarded under sub. (3).

(6) Groundwater fee. In addition to the fee under sub. (2), the governmental unit responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems shall collect a groundwater fee of $25 for each sanitary permit. The governmental unit shall forward this fee to the department together with the copy of the sanitary permit and the fee under sub. (3). The moneys collected under this subsection shall be credited to the environmental fund for environmental management.

A-383.22 (3) PLAN REVIEW PROCESS. All proposed POWTS installations require plan review prior to sanitary permit issuance. Projects subject to department review include all projects under Table 383.22-1, and many of the projects under Table 383.22–2. Designated agents may review projects included in Table 383.22-2.

A-383.25 (2) ISSUANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS. A building permit is defined in s. SPS 381.01 (43), Wis. Adm. Code, as any written permission from a municipality that allows construction to commence on a structure. In effect, this means that land use and zoning permits, as well as other similar permits that constitute permission to construct are considered building permits.

Prior to building permit issuance, the issuing agent has a statutory responsibility, under s. 145.195, Wis. Stats., to consider whether or not the proposed structure requires connection to a private onsite wastewater treatment system (POWTS), or if the construction will interfere with the operation of an existing POWTS.

Section 145.195, Stats. Building on unsewered property. (1) No county, city, town or village may issue a building permit for construction of any structure requiring connection to a private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system unless a system satisfying all applicable regulations already exists to serve the proposed structure or all permits necessary to install such a system have been obtained.

(2) Before issuing a building permit for construction on any structure on property not served by a municipal sewage treatment plant, the county, city, town or village shall determine that the proposed construction does not interfere with a functioning private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system. The county, city, town or village may require building permit applicants to submit a detailed plan of the owner’s existing private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system.

A-383.25 (2) (f) Setbacks. Horizontal setbacks from encumbrance for new POWTS installations are in conformance with Table 383.43-1 or the rules in effect at the time the system was installed, which ever is less. For setback distances associated with previous administrative codes refer to the previous code issue or the following table.

Footnotes: a. Includes water-tight cesspools, sewage tanks, septic tanks, dosing chambers.

b. Lake category includes lakes, streams or other watercourses.

c. Lake category includes lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, flowages and reservoirs.

d. The code required 5 feet of soil over GW or BR. It is assumed that a 3 foot separation was maintained.

e. Seepage pits shall not extend into creviced rock formations.

f. May be reduced to 50 feet if well is drilled and cased to 100 ft.

g. Means a dwelling.

h. Refers to habitable or occupied bldg with below grade foundation/habitable bldg on slab/uninhabited bldg on slab.

I. Refers to habitable buildings/uninhabited buildings.

j. Refers to below ground/above ground swimming pools.

k. Refers to normal soil/very coarse textured soil.

l. Distance listed is an example typical for residential application. Code references NR 811 and NR 812.

m. Code references Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) of navigable waters

n. Distance listed is an example of a typical setback. Code references NR 811.

A-383.43 (6) COMMERCIAL FACILITIES. Table A-383.43-1 may be used to estimate wastewater flows from a commercial building.

a Expected to be high in biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), or fats, oils, and grease (FOG).

b At-risk system (potentially high in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), or fats, oils, and grease (FOG)).

A-383.43 (6) (a) Actual meter readings may be used to calculate the combined estimated design wastewater flow from a dwelling. To calculate the estimated design wastewater flow use the following formula and compare the answer to the peak metered flow. Choose the larger of the two estimated design flows.

(total meter flow/number of readings)(1.5) = estimated design wastewater flow

The frequency of meter readings should be daily for commercial.

A-383.43 (6) (b) A detailed per capita and per function flow may be established for commercial facilities. The per function flow ratings shall be substantiated by manufactures data of the per function flow and detailed use data from the facility in question or a similar facility under similar conditions of use. Estimated design wastewater flow shall be at least 1.5 times the total estimated daily flow calculated from the per capita and per function flow information.

A-383.43 (7) ESTIMATING CONTAMINANT LOADS.

Pathogenic contaminant load may be estimated based on data collected by a reputable testing or research facility.

Typical Data on the Unit Loading Factors and Expected Wastewater
Contaminant Loads from Individual Residences

A-383.43 (8) (g) ANCHORING SYSTEM COMPONENTS.

The anchoring of components to counter buoyant forces due to saturated soil conditions can be determined using the following formula: