San Mateo County Municipal Code Art. 3 General Requirements and Prohibitions

a. Every residence, place of business, or other building, or place where Persons congregate, reside, or are employed, and which cannot be connected to a sanitary sewer, must be provided with a water flush toilet connected to an approved OWTS.

b. Every building, structure, or appurtenance that contains one or more waste producing fixtures such as toilets, sinks, showers or bathtubs, clothes washing machines, dish washing machines, animal wash pads, floor drains or other fixture or fittings intended to drain organic or inOrganic Waste material must be connected to an approved OWTS that meets the requirements of this chapter.

c. Subject to local zoning restrictions and planning approval, multiple buildings on the same parcel, such as a main house and detached living unit or two or more agricultural housing units, may be served by a common OWTS located on that parcel, provided the OWTS is determined to have sufficient treatment and dispersal capacity for the expected wastewater flow from all buildings or facilities connected to the OWTS.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. Applications for permits from Environmental Health or for services administered by Environmental Health are required at certain stages and for certain activities related to OWTS design and installation, including but not limited to site evaluation, soil percolation testing, OWTS installation, OWTS repair and OWTS destruction. Each application submitted pursuant to this chapter and the Onsite Systems Manual shall include plot plans as appropriate that must comply with and contain all information as prescribed in the Onsite Systems Manual. If a resubmittal of plans is required upon review and comment by Environmental Health during the application process, a resubmittal fee may be required.

b. Applicants must notify Environmental Health of all proposed field work to be completed in compliance with any permit, as prescribed in the Onsite Systems Manual.

c. After a Permit has been issued and prior to construction, any proposed alterations of the previously approved plans must be submitted to Environmental Health for approval. A resubmittal fee will be required. After a Permit has been issued, any alterations of the approved plans proposed during construction must be first approved by Environmental Health, and after construction, must be submitted in as-built plans prior to final sign-off by Environmental Health as an operable OWTS. Upon submittal of as-built plans to Environmental Health, a resubmittal fee may be required.

d. Applications for which a Permit has not been issued due to failure to submit required information shall become null and void after one (1) calendar year from the date of application submittal.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. No Permit shall be issued under this chapter until the applicant has previously paid the applicable fees as set forth in County ordinance section 5.64.070.

b. All application fees are non-refundable.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. Each Permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire and become null and void if the work authorized thereby has not commenced within one (1) calendar year after the Permit has been issued. The expiration date of a Permit may be extended by Environmental Health if an application for extension is made and the applicable fee paid, prior to the expiration of the original permit.

b. If, after the commencement of the installation of an OWTS or any part thereof authorized by a Permit issued pursuant to this chapter and before the completion thereof, the project is abandoned for a continuous period of one (1) calendar year, then the Permit shall expire and become null and void.

c. Upon the expiration of any Permit as herein provided, no further work may be done in connection with the installation of an OWTS unless and until a new Permit for such purpose is issued in accordance with this chapter and the Onsite Systems Manual.

d. No Permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall be transferred from one Person, contractor, or site to another Person, contractor, or site. A new application must be submitted with all relevant information and the applicable fee paid as set forth in this chapter and the Onsite Systems Manual.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. A Permit may be denied, suspended or revoked by Environmental Health when it has been determined that a violation of state law, a provision of this chapter, or a provision of the Onsite Systems Manual exists.

b. Environmental Health shall issue a decision as to whether the Permit for some element of OWTS design, installation, repair or destruction should be denied, suspended or revoked and cite the grounds thereof. Written notification of said decision shall be mailed to the applicant.

c. Any applicant may appeal the decision of Environmental Health to deny, suspend or revoke the Permit for an element of OWTS design, installation, repair or destruction. The appeal shall be made to the Board of Supervisors by submitting to Environmental Health a completed application for appeal and the appropriate fees as set forth in County ordinance section 5.64.070. The appeal application must be submitted within ten (10) calendar days of the date of Environmental Health's decision to deny, suspend or revoke the permit. The Board of Supervisors may reject, affirm or modify Environmental Health's decision.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

No building Permit may be issued for any building requiring a sewage disposal system that is not to be connected to an approved sanitary sewer unless Environmental Health has given written notice to the Building Department of record that an appropriate OWTS design has been approved. Such review by Environmental Health for a planning or building application may include a fee as set forth in County ordinance section 5.64.070.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. No Person may occupy or otherwise use any premises or building that has not been connected to an approved sanitary sewer unless Environmental Health has approved the method of sewage disposal.

b. No certificate of occupancy (finalization of building permit) may be issued for any building that is not connected to an approved sanitary sewer unless Environmental Health has given written notice to the Building Department of record that an appropriate OWTS has been installed for the building.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. No Person may construct, add to, alter, repair, replace or maintain any septic tank, dispersal system, or any other type of OWTS, or any other conduits for the treatment or discharge of sewage, impure waters, or any matter or substance offensive, injurious, or dangerous to health so as to cause any of the following to occur:

1. Sewage, impure waters, or any matter or substance offensive, injurious, or dangerous to health to empty, flow, seep, or drain onto the surface of any land;

2. Sewage, impure waters, or any matter or substance offensive, injurious, or dangerous to health to empty, flow, seep, drain into, or affect any well, spring, stream, river, lake, or other waters; or

3. The creation of any condition which Environmental Health determines is unsafe or dangerous, or creates a nuisance.

b. A violation of this section is hereby declared a public nuisance.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

The installation of cesspools, seepage pits, and similar excavations are not allowed in San Mateo County.

(Ord. No. 04754, § 1, 1-5-2016)

a. The installation of holding tanks is prohibited in San Mateo County. Exemption to this prohibition may be granted by Environmental Health if it is necessary to use a holding tank to abate a nuisance or health hazard caused by an OWTS failure, while that OWTS is properly repaired. Such exemption shall only be granted for a limited time as determined by Environmental Health. This prohibition does not apply to holding tanks installed within the boundaries of a sanitary district that has jurisdiction and responsibility for the maintenance and repair of said holding tanks.

b. Where exemptions are granted and holding tank(s) are approved, an operating Permit issued by Environmental Health consistent with section 4.84.155 of this chapter may be required, and such Permit will provide for approval of the tank pumper, maintenance schedule, tank/sewage level monitoring, reporting requirements, and other conditions as may be deemed necessary by Environmental Health.

c. Portable toilets are intended to serve non-residential, limited use activities, such as field labor operations, special events, and temporary construction sites where connection to a sanitary sewer system or installation of an OWTS is not practicable. Except as otherwise permitted by law or as described below for publicly-owned non-residential facilities, the use of portable toilets at a particular location or event shall not exceed seven (7) consecutive days duration unless otherwise exempted by Environmental Health. Such exemption, where approved, may require the issuance of an operating Permit in accordance with this chapter and the Onsite Systems Manual, which will specify the terms and conditions for extended use of the portable toilet(s).

d. The use of vault toilets or semi-permanent portable toilets at a publicly-owned, non-residential facility (i.e., state beach, County or city park) may be allowed by Environmental Health where the vault toilet or semi-permanent portable toilet is necessary for the public health, safety or welfare, where installation of an OWTS is not feasible and a vault toilet or semi-permanent portable toilet is determined by Environmental Health to provide the safest and most acceptable method of sewage disposal. Such installations by public entities may be exempted from an operating Permit or from operating Permit fees by Environmental Health.