NJDEP Septic System Compliance Elizabeth Dragon Assistant Commissioner

NJDEP Septic System Compliance Elizabeth Dragon Assistant Commissioner Compliance and Enforcement February 5 th, 2020

What is DEP Doing? 1. Notifying septic owners of the need to apply for a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (‘NJPDES”) permit. 2. Following up to ensure that owners of septic systems have obtained the required Permit and the septic systems are being operated in accordance with the requirements of the Permit.

Why is DEP doing this? Failure to optimally maintain or operate septic systems can result in the increased discharge of pollutants, resulting in negative impacts to the State’s surface water, ground water, and drinking water supplies.

Who is Affected? v Septic systems in NJ with a design flow of greater than 2, 000 gallons per day v Systems that were designed to be under 2, 000 GPD but have expanded their operations and may now exceed the 2, 000 -gallon design threshold. v Commercial Establishments and not single family homes

What Should I Do? v Apply for a NJPDES Sanitary Subsurface Disposal Permit from the DEP v Maintain your septic system in good working order v Inspect for evidence of malfunctioning systems v Institute corrective action in accordance with your approved NJPDES Permit

Blueberry Farms Investigations v Complaint Received by C&E, Nine investigations were conducted in July with the Atlantic County Health Department v Six violations issued for failure to maintain the appropriate permit v DEP met with the Department of Agriculture and the NJ Blueberry Council in October of 2019 v Through the Blueberry Council, Compliance Assistance forms were distributed to gather information v To date 45 Compliance Assistance forms have been received

Dear New Jersey Blueberry Farmer: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“the Department”) recently performed an investigation at several blueberry farms in Atlantic County to determine how wastewater from onsite underground disposal systems is handled and whether a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NJPDES”) permit was required for these systems. The wastewater being considered was both gray water from sources such as showers, laundry facilities, and kitchens, and sanitary wastewater from toilets. During the investigation, the Department found that maintenance of systems was a concern and that permits were required in several cases. In the interest of bringing New Jersey farmers into compliance before the next growing season and answering questions that had arisen since the initial investigations, the Department met with representatives of the blueberry industry on October 4, 2019, along with representatives of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Pinelands Commission. At this meeting, it was agreed that the Department would provide a Compliance Assistance Survey to the Blueberry Industry Advisory Council, and the Council would distribute the survey to all blueberry farms in the State. The survey, which is attached herein, will provide the Department with the necessary information to determine the size, type and number of onsite wastewater disposal systems and water supply wells that exist, their usage, and whether a permit may be required. Please complete the survey by December 1, 2019 and return it to the following address: Division of Water Quality Bureau of Nonpoint Pollution Control PO Box 420 401 E. State St. Trenton, NJ 08625 -0420 with a copy to: Southern Bureau of Water Compliance and Enforcement One Port Center Ste. 201 2 Riverside Dr. Camden, NJ 08103 If you should have any questions about completing this form, please contact Brian Sage, Bureau of Non-point Pollution Control, 609 633 -7021 or Keith Vaughn, Southern Bureau of Water Compliance and Enforcement, 856 614 -365. Yours truly, Richard T. Paull, Director Water and Land Use Enforcement

When NJPDES kicks in: Total aggregate sanitary wastewater discharges on a property that exceed 2, 000 gallons per day (gpd) are subject to regulation under the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NJPDES) regulations. Design flow criteria that may be applicable include (but are not limited to): 1. Commercial Space: 15 gpd/employee or 0. 125 gpd/ft 2 (whichever is greater); 2. Warehouse: 15 gpd/employee for warehouse workers, and 5 gpd/employee for delivery/field personnel; 3. Congregate Living: 50 gpd/bed or 130 gpd/sleeping unit (whichever is greater). For example greater than 40 beds for Seasonal Farm Worker Housing would result in a design flow of greater than 2, 000 gpd. The design flow for all activities on a property must be included in the design flow calculations.

Non-Sanitary Discharges: The Discharge of any volume on non-sanitary wastewater requires a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit: Wash water from the processing of fruit would be considered non-sanitary waste and as such cannot be discharged into a septic system design for sanitary wastewater. Such discharges could be authorized under an individual NJPDES permit, but the discharge would need meet the Groundwater Quality Standards prior to the closest sensitive receptor (i. e. well or surface water body)

Questions? Subsurface Disposal T 1 General Permit: https: //www. nj. gov/dep/dwq/t 1. htm Bureau of Nonpoint Pollution Control - (609) 633 -7021 Division of Water Compliance and Enforcement (973) 656 -4099 (Northern) (609) 292 -3010 (Central) (856) 614 -3655 (Southern)