An Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Owner’s Manual
Purpose, Scope, and Applicability
Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines is to establish OPERATION and MAINTENANCE standards and to promote the effective management of decentralized (individual and cluster) wastewater treatment systems for the life of the systems. Effective management will ensure the level of treatment necessary to adequately protect public health and surface and groundwater quality.
Scope
The following guidance document was developed to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanics, design, OPERATION, and MAINTENANCE of common ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM components utilized in Missouri. The technical standards for the OPERATION and MAINTENANCE of the various pretreatment components as well as the soil treatment systems found throughout these guidelines are highly recommended, however, they are not enforceable unless adopted by rule or local ordinance.
Omission of or reference to a particular product, service, or manufacturer within these guidelines does not imply any denial or endorsement by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Applicability
The following guidelines apply to any OWNER or user of an ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM, REGISTERED ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS, qualified SERVICE PROVIDERS, and RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT ENTITIES (RME). The guidelines apply to the OPERATION and MAINTENANCE of ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS receiving a maximum flow of three thousand (3,000) gallons per day or less of DOMESTIC SEWAGE to include single-family residential lagoons.
ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM (OWTS) or decentralized wastewater treatment system means a managed wastewater treatment system used to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim WASTEWATER from individual homes, clusters of homes, establishments, or isolated communities at or near the point of waste generation.
- Individual wastewater treatment system means a system relying on natural processes and/or mechanical components to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim WASTEWATER from a single dwelling or building.
- Cluster wastewater treatment system means a WASTEWATER collection and treatment system under some form of common ownership which collects WASTEWATER from two or more dwellings or buildings with multiple OWNERS and conveys it to a treatment and dispersal system located on a suitable site near the dwellings or buildings.