Santa Clara County Municipal Code Part 5 Sewage Disposal

Every lot in a subdivision shall be provided with sanitary sewers connected to a sewage treatment and/or disposal facility approved by the appropriate regional water pollution control board and the County Health Officer. Where sanitary sewers are not available to the subdivision, individual sewage disposal facilities may be utilized if the Health Officer determines that every lot is of such area, conformation, topography and soil, to permit the construction of safe and adequate individual sewage disposal facilities according to Chapter II, Division B11 of the Santa Clara County Ordinance Code. The County Health Officer shall specify the method of sewage disposal to be used in a subdivision.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.35, § 4, 3-13-78)

Where septic tank systems are proposed as the method of sewage disposal, the County Health Officer may require the subdivider to make test holes, percolation tests and other soil exploratory tests as he deems necessary in order to calculate the soil permeability. Calculations shall include values for holes which fail to percolate, and such holes shall be given a value of 480 minutes per inch. Where the calculated average stabilized percolation rate is greater than 120 minutes per inch, the subdivision shall not be approved, unless connected to a sanitary sewer. No septic systems shall be placed in areas where groundwater is less than ten feet.

(Ord. No. NS-1203.35, § 4, 3-13-78)