Napa County Municipal Code Ch. 13.52 Holding Tanks and Hold and Haul Systems

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 1374, § 32, adopted Sept. 11, 2012, amended Ch. 13.52 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Ch. 13.52, §§ 13.52.010—13.52.070, pertained to holding tanks, and derived from prior code, §§ 5640—5646; Ord. No. 866, § 3 (part), adopted 1987 and Ord. No. 1109, § 1 (part), adopted 1996.

Section 13.20.010 of this title states that all new development requiring sewage disposal must connect to an approved sewage disposal facility. However, the administrative authority recognizes that in certain instances this is not possible or that other wastewater alternatives are more cost effective for managing certain types of non-sanitary wastewater. It is the intent of this chapter to provide rules and regulations for the installation and maintenance of a sewage holding tank which will serve proposed low-impact industrial/commercial facilities that have no other alternative and for non-sanitary wastewater hold and haul systems where hold and haul is most practical.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

Installation permits may be issued at the discretion of the administrative authority for holding tanks on sites that meet all of the following conditions:

A. The site is not suitable for installation of an approved individual sewage disposal system, as defined in Section 13.16.050;

B. No private sewage disposal system, public sewer, or public sewage disposal system is available or expected to be available within a reasonable time, as determined by the administrative authority;

C. The holding tank is intended to serve a small industrial or commercial building. Holding tanks shall not be permitted for residential uses;

D. Unless otherwise allowed by the department, the projected sewage flow is not more than one hundred gallons per day for the entire project;

E. The proposed holding tank meets the same setback requirements as septic tanks as indicated in Section 13.28.040; and

F. The proposed holding tank shall have adequate soil cover, as determined by the administrative authority.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

Installation of a hold and haul system may be permitted at the discretion of the administrative authority on sites that meet all of the following conditions:

A. If the proposed development of the site requires a use permit, a hold and haul system has been determined to be an accepted wastewater option as a condition of approval;

B. Hold and haul systems shall only accept non-sanitary, high strength wastewater;

C. Hold and haul systems must be designed by a qualified professional;

D. The proposed hold and haul tank(s) must meet the same setback requirements for septic tanks as set forth in Section 13.28.040, regardless of whether the tank or tanks are installed below or above grade; and

E. All hold and haul systems must have an approved reserve system, which can either be an onsite system regulated by the administrative authority or the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), or available connection to the public sewer. For reserve systems regulated by the RWQCB or to be connected to public sewer, written approval shall be provided that the reserve system is available and approved for use by the regulatory agency having jurisdiction.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A. Plans and specifications for the proposed holding tank shall be submitted to the administrative authority for review and approval prior to issuance of an installation permit.

B. All proposed holding tank systems shall make maximum use of flow-reduction devices such as low-flow toilets, spring-operated faucets, flow restrictors, etc.

C. Each tank shall have a minimum liquid capacity of one thousand five hundred gallons, unless otherwise approved by the administrative authority.

D. Each tank shall:

1. Comply with the standards for septic tanks approved in the county;

2. Be located and designed to facilitate removal of contents by pumping;

3. Be equipped with both an audible and visual alarm, placed in a location acceptable to the administrative authority, to indicate when the tank is seventy-five percent full. Only the audible alarm may be user-cancelable;

4. Have no overflow vent at an elevation lower than the overflow level of the lowest fixture served;

5. Be designed for antibouyancy if the site evaluation/percolation test or other observations indicate seasonally high ground water may float the tank when empty.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A. All hold and haul systems shall be designed to prevent odors. Odor control (aeration, etc.) may be required to meet this requirement.

B. Hold and haul system tanks (tanks) shall have a high water alarm. The high water alarm shall be located at seventy-five percent of the volume of the tanks. High water alarms shall be an audible/visual alarm located within twenty-five feet of a regularly occupied building or other visible location approved by the administrative authority.

C. The tank shall be of a minimum size to store seven days of peak wastewater flow.

D. All tanks shall be tested for water-tightness prior to use.

E. A method for measuring the amount of wastewater generated shall be provided. This will be used to assure that all wastewater generated is pumped by the septage hauler.

F. Tank installations may be above grade or below grade complying with the following requirements:

1. Above Grade Installations:

a. All above ground tanks shall be approved for storage of process wastewater by an independent testing organization (NSF, EPA, etc.).

b. Inlet piping into the tank shall be air gapped, have a check valve, or installed to gravity flow into the holding tank.

c. The outlet of the tank shall be a pipe with a connection port for pumping or an access opening into the top of the tank in a location accessible for pumping. The outlet port, if installed, shall have a shut off valve and the valve shall be equipped with a lock. For tanks that have outlet piping at or near the bottom of the tank, the secondary containment requirements of subsection F(1)(d) shall apply.

d. When required, above ground tanks shall have a secondary containment complying with the following:

i. Containment Volume:

(A) Secondary containment for a single container tank must be one hundred ten percent of the primary container.

(B) Secondary containment for multiple system tanks shall be one hundred fifty percent of the largest tank's volume.

(C) All secondary containment systems open to rainfall must be able to hold four and one-half inches of rainfall in addition to the required secondary containment volume.

ii. Containment Construction: Secondary containment must be constructed using materials capable of containing a spill or leak for at least as long as the period between monitoring inspections. Constructed secondary containment systems (e.g., poured pads with berms), must be tested to insure that they are leak tight. Approved coatings must be applied to secondary containment surfaces when spills or leaks would damage or penetrate the uncoated secondary containment system.

iii. Containment Drainage: Uncontrolled drainage from a secondary containment system is not allowed. Only accumulated rainwater may be released from a secondary containment system after it has been determined to be uncontaminated. Secondary containment systems may be covered to prevent rainfall from entering. The drainage system must be kept closed or pumps turned off unless the drainage process is monitored.

2. Below grade installations shall comply with the standards for septic tanks set forth in Chapter 13.44 of the Napa County Code.

G. Pumping records for all hold and haul systems shall be kept for a period of three years and available for inspection by the administrative authority.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A. No building may be served by more than one holding tank unless expressly approved by the administrative authority.

B. No holding tank may be installed or used for purposes of holding sewage unless an operating permit has been first obtained pursuant to this chapter.

C. No hazardous waste, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.5, Section 25117, shall be deposited in the holding tank.

D. In the event that the administrative authority determines that a public sewer or public or private sewage disposal system is available (as defined in Section 13.20.050) for connection to any property for which a holding tank permit has been issued, the administrative authority shall require the holder of the permit to connect to such public sewer or public or private sewage disposal system upon sixty days' written notice. Any holding tank permit previously issued pursuant to this chapter shall automatically terminate on the sixtieth day following such written notice, and the permit holder shall connect to such system as directed by the administrative authority, and cease the use of and destroy the holding tank as directed by the administrative authority.

E. A holding tank operating permit may be suspended or revoked by the administrative authority for a violation of the conditions of approval. Any facility for which the operating permit has been suspended shall close and remain closed until the operating permit has been reinstated. Any facility for which the operating permit has been revoked shall remain closed until a new operating permit has been issued.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A. No hold and haul system may be installed or used for purposes of holding sewage unless a permit has been first obtained pursuant to this chapter.

B. No hazardous waste, as defined in the Health and Safety Code Section 25117, as may be amended, shall be deposited in the hold and haul system.

C. In the event that it is determined that a hold and haul system can no longer operate, the administrative authority shall provide written notice that the reserve system must be utilized and all connections made to said reserve system within sixty days. Any hold and haul operating permit previously issued pursuant to this chapter shall automatically terminate on the sixtieth day following such written notice, and the permit holder shall connect to such reserve system as directed, and cease the use of and destroy the hold and haul system tanks or modify the tank system to use with the reserve system.

D. A hold and haul operating permit may be suspended or revoked by the administrative authority for a violation of the conditions of approval. Any facility for which the operating permit has been suspended shall close and remain closed until the operating permit has been reinstated. Any facility for which the operating permit has been revoked shall remain closed until a new hold and haul operating permit has been issued.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A valid nontransferable annual operating permit is required for the operator of each facility with a holding tank or hold and haul system installed under this chapter, and each tank or system shall be inspected annually.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

A. Prior to the issuance of an operating permit for a holding tank or hold and haul system, the operator shall provide to the administrative authority a copy of a hauling contract from an approved and licensed wastewater hauler which includes the following:

1. That the tank will be pumped at regular intervals or as needed and that the contents shall be disposed of in a manner and at a facility approved by the administrative authority;

2. A provision that, should the contract expire or be canceled, that both the permit holder and the disposal service provider shall each be obligated to notify the administrative authority that such contract is no longer in force.

B. A record of pumping dates and amounts pumped shall be maintained by both the permit holder and the disposal service provider, and be submitted to the administrative authority.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a denial of an application for a permit pursuant to this chapter may be appealed according to the procedures set forth in Chapter 2.88 of this code, and for such appeals, the term "decision maker" as used in Chapter 2.88 shall include the administrative authority and the term "permit" shall include a permit as defined in this chapter. Provided however, that the requirements of subsection (D) of Section 2.88.050 shall not be applicable to the appeal.

(Ord. No. 1374, § 32, 9-11-2012; Ord. No. 1465, § 21, 12-15-2020)