West Virginia septic rules

West Virginia Department of Health, Office of Environmental Health Services (OEHS), Public Health Sanitation Division, On-Site Sewage Program. OEHS writes the sewage rules (64 CSR 9, 64 CSR 47), certifies sewage system installers and provides technical assistance, while county health departments issue sewage tank cleaning permits and conduct the inspections on state forms.

A person in the business of sewage tank cleaning must obtain a permit after applying on the prescribed form (SS-181) and having all cleaning equipment inspected; the application must document use of a disposal site approved by the Department of Environmental Protection. Permits expire one year from issuance and must be renewed before expiration (64 CSR 9, 4.11). The SS-181 application is filed with the county health department for each county served.

64 CSR 47 section 8 requires written permission from the owner and operator of a public sewage treatment plant before septage disposal there, and bars disposal at a public plant treating less than 100,000 gallons per day unless it provides pre-treatment. Lagoon, lime stabilization and other methods are addressed case by case. OEHS refers haulers to the WV Department of Environmental Protection for disposal requirements.

OEHS publishes form SS-193, Septic Tank Cleaner Quarterly Log, recording for each job the date, property owner and address, tank size and material, gallons pumped, baffle and outlet filter condition, scum and sludge depths, and the disposal site. The SS-181 application also asks whether written records are kept for all cleaning jobs.

County health departments offer sewage system evaluations for property sales on request (form SG-55); OEHS states these evaluations are a service and are not required by law.

W. Va. Code R. 64 CSR 9 (Sewer Systems, Sewage Treatment Systems and Sewage Tank Cleaners); 64 CSR 47 (Sewage Treatment and Collection System Design Standards)