Public Management Entity Program

On July 1, 1992 the North Carolina Laws and Rules for Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems, 15A NCAC 18A .1900, were amended to include specific requirements for the maintenance of sewage systems as well as the transfer of authority for subsurface wastewater treatment and disposal systems originally permitted by the Division of Environmental Management [DEM] to the local health department. These amendments charged the local health department with several wastewater systems monitoring responsibilities that had previously not been mandated.

This study indicated that 35% to 50% of pressure dosed systems had current or past performance problems. In comparison only 13% of conventional septic tank systems had any problems. A "problem "occurrence in most cases was a reference to sewage surfacing to the top of the ground and creating a public health hazard. The major cause of poor system performance related to pressure-dosed systems was determined to be the lack of a maintenance program. All indications pointed to a need for better long-term management of all septic tank systems, but in particular pressure- dosed and other engineered wastewater systems. There must be a health department regulatory program for continued technical follow up and non-regulatory educational programs to inform the public about care and operation of these systems.

A Public Management Entity is required to perform maintenance for Type IV, Type V, and TypeVI systems. A description of these systems as well as the management entity responsibilities are listed in the {link} "Laws and Rules for Sewage Treatment, and Disposal Systems 15A NCAC 18A .1900," under .1961 Maintenance of Sewage Systems, Table V[a], and Table V[b].

A management entity must be certified as a Subsurface System Operator, having attended the Subsurface Wastewater System Operator Training School, as well as passing the examination administered by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission. {WPCSOCC}.