| Abutter
|
One that abuts; specifically,
the owner of contiguous property. For purposes of the
Subsurface Waste Water Rules, abutter is further defined
to include that property, which is separated by a right
of way and/or within setback requirements between a subsurface
waste water disposal field and a potable water supply;
whichever was installed first. Top of Page |
| Adjacent wetlands
|
See work adjacent to wetlands
and waterbodies/courses. This is a term applied to soil
disturbance activities when located such that sediment from
the activity may carry into the wetland or water body; generally
a distance of 100 feet. (See Section 1504.0).Top
of Page |
| Aerobic |
A condition in which molecular
oxygen is a part of the environment.Top of
Page |
| Alteration |
Any change in the physical
configuration of an existing system or any of its component
parts. This includes the replacement, modification, installation,
addition, or removal of system components, or increase in
size, capacity, type, or number of one or more components.
The term alter shall be construed accordingly.Top
of Page |
| Alternative toilet
|
A device, other than a water
closet, designed to treat human waste only. Examples are
privies and compost, chemical, recirculating, incinerating,
and vacuum toilets. Portable toilets are not considered
Alternative Toilets as they are only for temporary use (see
definition of temporary portable toilet).Top
of Page |
| Anaerobic |
A condition in which molecular
oxygen is absent from the environment.Top
of Page |
| Applicant |
The person who signs and submits
an application for permit to construct, install, or alter
a system.Top of Page |
| Application for disposal
system permit |
Abbreviation for subsurface
waste water disposal system permit application, also known
as HHE-200 form, HHE-234, etc. Top of Page
|
| Backfill |
Soil material that is suitable
for use beneath and beside of the disposal field, including
the fill extension. See Section 804.0.Top
of Page |
| Bedrock |
A solid and continuous body
of rock, with or without fracture, or a weathered or broken
body of rock fragments overlying a solid body of rock.Top
of Page |
| Bedroom |
Any room within a dwelling
unit that serves primarily as sleeping quarters.Top
of Page |
| Black waste water
|
Waste water derived from plumbing
fixtures or drains that receive excreta supplemented waste
water.Top of Page |
| Building drain |
That part of the lowest horizontal
piping of a drainage system that receives the discharge
from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls
of a building and conveys it to the building sewer. Inside
the building, it is considered to be the building drain
until it undergoes a change of pitch more than that produced
by a 45 degree wye. It extends to a point 8 feet outside
the building wall.Top of Page |
| Building sewer |
That part of the plumbing
system that extends from the end of the building drain and
conveys its discharge to a public sewer, septic tank and
disposal field, or other point of disposal.Top
of Page |
| Bunkhouse |
A detached bedroom having
no plumbing; accessory to a single family dwelling for the
temporary accommodations of guests of the property owner
while the owner is an occupant of the principal dwelling.
Top of Page |
| Certificate of approval
|
A certificate signed by the
plumbing inspector stating that a system has been installed
in compliance with the disposal system permit application
and this code.Top of Page |
| Cesspool |
A lined or partially lined
underground pit into which raw household wastewater is discharged
and from which the liquid seeps into the surrounding soil.
Cesspools were the original type of sewage system, and are
often still in use in older homesTop of Page
|
| Cesspool, large capacity
|
A cesspool that receives solely
domestic waste water and has the capacity to serve 20 or
more persons per day or dispose of 2,000 gallons or more
of waste water per day. This definition includes multiple-dwelling,
community or regional cesspools but does not apply to single-family
residential cesspools.Top of Page
|
| Clay |
A particle size category consisting
of mineral particles that are smaller than 0.002 millimeter
in equivalent spherical diameter; also, a soil texture class
having more than 40% clay, less than 45% sand, and less
than 40% silt.Top of Page |
| CMR |
Abbreviation for Code of Maine
Rules. For example, 10-144 CMR 241.9 identifies Section
9 of Chapter 241 of the Rules of the Bureau of Health within
the Department of Human Services, Maine Subsurface Waste
Water Disposal Rules.Top of Page
|
| Coastal sand dune
|
Sand deposit within a marine
beach system above high tide including, but not limited
to beach berm, frontal dune ridge, back dune area, and other
sand areas deposited by wave or wind action.Top
of Page |
| Code |
Code means the Maine Subsurface
Waste Water Disposal Rules.Top of Page
|
| Construct |
To build, install, fabricate,
or put together on a site one or more components of a system.Top
of Page |
| Contour |
An imaginary line of constant
elevation on the ground surface. The corresponding line
on a map is called a contour line.Top of
Page |
| Curtain drain |
A trench to intercept laterally
moving ground water and divert it away from a disposal field.
Top of Page |
| DEP |
Maine Department of Environmental
ProtectionTop of Page |
| Department |
The Maine Department of Human
Services.Top of Page |
| Design flow |
The waste water flow that
may reasonably be expected to be discharged from a residential,
commercial, or institutional facility on any day of operation
as determined in Chapter 5.Top of Page
|
| Disposal field |
An individual subsurface waste
water disposal system component, consisting of a closed
excavation made within soil or fill material to contain
disposal field stone in which distribution pipes or approved
proprietary devices have been placed for the disposal of
septic tank effluent.Top of Page
|
| Disposal field infiltration
area |
The total disposal field infiltration
area available to accept the septic tank effluent. The infiltration
area includes the bottom and side wall below the invert
of the distribution piping.Top of Page
|
| Disposal field infiltration
area, effective |
The standard stone filled
disposal field infiltration area or the equivalent various
approved proprietary disposal devices.Top
of Page |
| Disposal field stone
|
Gravel or crushed stone, that
is clean and free of dust, ashes or clay, and meeting the
requirements prescribed in the Subsection 804.2.3.Top
of Page |
| Disposal field, peat
|
A disposal field utilizing
peat that is designed and installed in accordance with Chapter
13.Top of Page |
| Disposal field, primitive
|
See definition, Primitive
disposal field.Top of Page |
| Disposal field, separated
laundry |
See definition, Separated
laundry disposal field.Top of Page
|
| Disposal system |
See definition, Subsurface
waste water disposal system.Top of Page
|
| Disposal system permit
|
Written authorization issued
by the plumbing inspector to construct a specific system.
This authorization is attached to the application for disposal
system permit.Top of Page |
| Distribution box |
A device that receives septic
tank effluent and distributes such effluent in equal portions
to two or more disposal fields or distribution pipes within
a disposal field.Top of Page |
| Distribution network
|
Two or more interconnected
distribution pipes.Top of Page |
| Distribution pipe
|
A perforated pipe or one of
several perforated pipes used to carry and distribute septic
tank effluent throughout the disposal field.Top
of Page |
| Diversion box |
A device that permits alternating
use of two or more disposal fields or the diversion of septic
tank effluent.Top of Page |
| Diversion ditch |
A ditch to intercept and divert
surface water runoff around and away from a subsurface wastewater
disposal system.Top of Page |
| Domestic waste water
|
Any waste water produced by
ordinary living uses, including liquid waste containing
animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution, or
the water-carried waste from the discharge of water closets,
laundry tubs, washing machines, sinks, dishwashers, or other
source of water-carried wastes of human origin.Top
of Page |
| Dosing tank |
A watertight receptacle located
between the septic tank and disposal field and equipped
with a pump or siphon, to store and deliver doses of septic
tank effluent to the disposal field.Top of
Page |
| Drainage area |
An area from which the surface
runoff is carried away by a single watercourse.Top
of Page |
| Drainage ditch |
A manmade ditch receiving
and diverting surface runoff or subsurface water. This does
not include diversion of a naturally occurring water body.Top
of Page |
| Drainfield |
Same as Disposal FieldTop
of Page |
| Drop box |
A waste water distribution
device where the elevation of the incoming distribution
line is higher than that of the outgoing distribution line.Top
of Page |
| Drop manhole |
A manhole installed in a sewer
where the elevation of the incoming sewer is considerably
above that of the outgoing sewer.Top of Page
|
| Dwelling unit |
Any structure or portion of
a structure, permanent or temporary in nature, used or proposed
to be used as a residence seasonally or throughout the year.
Top of Page |
| Effluent line (gravity)
|
The pipe(s) used to convey
septic tank effluent from the tank to the disposal field(s),
includes non-perforated pipes going from a distribution
box or other flow splitting device to a disposal field or
multiple disposal fields.Top of Page
|
| Elevation reference
point |
An easily-identifiable point
or object of constant elevation for establishing the relative
elevation of observation holes and elevation of the components
of the system.Top of Page |
| Engineer |
See Professional Engineer.Top
of Page |
| Engineered system
|
See System, Engineered.Top
of Page |
| Equivalent spherical
diameter |
The equivalent spherical diameter
of a particle is the diameter of a sphere that has a volume
equal to the volume of the particle.Top of
Page |
| Expansion |
The enlargement or change
in use of a structure using an existing subsurface waste
water disposal system that brings the total structure into
a classification that requires larger subsurface waste water
disposal system components. (See Chapter 17, Section 1702).Top
of Page |
| Expansion, major |
Any expansion which results
in a greater design flow and larger disposal system components
than allowed for minor expansions, the introduction of pressurized
water to a structure formerly served by hand pumped or hand
carried water, the addition of a second dwelling unit to
the property, any second or subsequent minor expansion of
a structure since May 1, 1995, or an expansion for a nonresidential
use or structure resulting in an increase of more than 25
percent of the existing design flow.Top of
Page |
| Expansion, minor |
The initial expansion of a
single family home after May 1, 1995 by the addition of
no more than one bedroom or, if the home is served by pressurized
water, the replacement of an alternative toilet by a conventional
water closet. For other structures, the initial expansion
since May 1, 1995 which results in an increase in design
flow of no more than 25 percent.Top of Page
|
| Experimental system
|
See System, Experimental Top
of Page |
| Fill material |
Any soil, rock, or other material
placed within an excavation or over the surface of the ground.
The term fill is not equivalent in meaning to the term back
fill.Top of Page |
| Finish grade |
The surface of the ground
after completion of final grading.Top of
Page |
| Flood plain, coastal
and estuary |
The land area within the V-Zone
indicated by the Federal Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) or below
the 10-year storm surge elevation, whichever is more restrictive.
The 10-year storm surge elevation in Maine is approximately
the 8-foot National Geodetic Vertical Datum.Top
of Page |
| Flood plain, riverine
|
The land area within the 10-year
flood zone indicated by Soil Conservation Service Soil Maps
or other sources acceptable to the Department in the absence
of Soil Conservation Service Maps. Note: Some municipalities
restrict new development in the 100-year flood plain. Top
of Page |
| GPD |
Gallons Per Day.Top
of Page |
| Gravel |
A rounded or semi-rounded
rock fragment that is between 2 millimeters and 3 inches
in diameter.Top of Page |
| Gray waste water |
That portion of the waste
water generated within a residential, commercial, or institutional
facility that does not include discharges from water closets
and urinals.Top of Page |
| Grease interceptor
|
A device in which the grease
in waste water leaving a structure is intercepted, congealed
by cooling, accumulated, and stored for pump-out and disposal.Top
of Page |
| Grease trap |
A device designed to retain
grease from a single plumbing fixture.Top
of Page |
| Great pond |
Any inland body of water that,
in a natural state, has a surface area in excess of ten
acres and any inland body of water artificially formed or
increased that has a surface area in excess of 30 acres.Top
of Page |
| Grey Water |
Waste water produced by washing
and bathing and which contains no urine or feces.Top
of Page |
| Ground water |
Water below the land surface
in a zone of soil saturation.Top of Page
|
| Ground water aquifer
|
A rock or gravel formation
that contains significant recoverable quantities of water
that is likely to provide drinking water supplies.Top
of Page |
| Ground water table
|
The upper surface of a zone
of saturation. Top of Page |
| H-20 wheel load |
A wheel loading configuration
as defined by the American Association of State Highway
Officials for a standardized 10-ton-per-axle truck.Top
of Page |
| Hazardous waste |
Any chemical substance or
material, whether gas, solid, or liquid, that is designated
as hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
pursuant to the United States Resource Recovery and Conservation
Act, Public Law 94-580.Top of Page
|
| HHE-200 |
Subsurface Waste Water Disposal
System Application. A three-page form used by Licensed Site
Evaluators for designing septic systems.Top
of Page |
| HHE-204 |
Replacement System Variance
Request. This form is to be attached to an HHE-200 for all
replacement systems requiring a variance.Top
of Page |
| HHE-215 |
First Time System Variance
Request. This form is to be attached to an HHE-200 for all
first time systems requiring a variance.Top
of Page |
| HHE-233 |
Holding Tank Application.
The application/agreement form for holding tanks which is
required for all holding tank requests.Top
of Page |
| HHE-234 |
Notice of Intent to Install
a Subsurface Wastewater Disposal System. This form is used
to record a system design with the County Registry of Deeds.Top
of Page |
| HHE-236 |
Application for Variance to
the Minimum Lot Size Law Requirements. This form is to be
filed with all pertinent data for requests for waivers to
the Minimum Lot Size Law.Top of Page
|
| HHE-238A |
Statement of Compliance. A
form to be used by a homeowner or homeowner's agent to obtain
a written statement from the disposal system installer regarding
installation compliance.Top of Page
|
| HHE-300 |
Holding Tank Deed Covenant.
A form to be filed at the County Registry of Deeds when
a residential structure is to be served by a holding tank.Top
of Page |
| HHE-304 |
Subsurface Wastewater Disposal
Variance Deed Covenant. A form which may be required for
any property which obtains additional points for lot size
prior to the final approval of a First Time System Variance.
The form would require filing at the County Registry of
Deeds.Top of Page |
| HHE-306 |
Well Setback Release Form.
A form to be filed at the County Registry of Deeds indicating
a reduced setback distance between a well and a disposal
field.Top of Page |
| Holding tank |
A closed, watertight structure
designed and used to receive and store waste water or septic
tank effluent. A holding tank does not discharge waste water
or septic tank effluent to surface or ground water or onto
the surface of the ground. Holding tanks are designed and
constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of waste water
at another site.Top of Page |
| Horizon, limiting
|
Any soil horizon or combination
of soil horizons, within the soil profile or any parent
material below the soil profile, that limits the ability
of the soil to provide treatment or disposal of septic tank
effluent. Limiting horizons include bedrock, hydraulically
restrictive soil horizons and parent material, excessively
coarse soil horizons and parent material, and seasonal ground
water table.Top of Page |
| Horizon, soil |
A layer within a soil profile
differing from the soil above or below it in one or more
soil morphological characteristics. The characteristics
of the layer include the color, texture, rock-fragment content,
structure, and consistence of each parent soil material.Top
of Page |
| Horizontal reference
point |
A stationary, easily identifiable
point to which horizontal dimensions can be related.Top
of Page |
| Hydrology |
The science dealing with the
properties, distribution, and circulation of water. Top
of Page |
| Install |
To assemble, put in place,
or connect components of a system in a manner that permits
their use by the occupants of the structure served.Top
of Page |
| Invert |
The floor, bottom, or lowest
portion of the internal cross section of a closed conduit,
used with reference to pipes or fittings conveying waste
water or septic tank effluent. Top of Page
|
| Leachfield |
Same as Disposal FieldTop
of Page |
| Limited operation
hunting camp |
A structure or group of structures
established to lodge sportspersons for the specific purpose
of hunting or fishing. The camp's use is restricted to a
period not to exceed four consecutive weeks.Top
of Page |
| Lined disposal field
|
A filtration layer of backfill
placed directly beneath and adjacent to a disposal field.Top
of Page |
| Local plumbing inspector
|
Also L.P.I. An inspector appointed
by the municipality and certified by the state with the
responsibilities delineated by Title 30-A MRSA §4221
and Title 30-A MRSA §4451 and these rules. Top
of Page |
| Maine Subsurface Wastewater
Disposal Rules |
The latest version of the
144A CMR 241 state rules regulating the design and installation
of inground septic systems in Maine . Also known as the
Rules. Click here for the online version.Top
of Page |
| Malfunctioning system
|
A system that is not operating
or is not functioning properly. Indications of a malfunctioning
system include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
ponding or outbreak of waste water or septic tank effluent
onto the surface of the ground; seepage of waste water or
septic tank effluent into parts of buildings below ground;
back-up of waste water into the building served that is
not caused by a physical blockage of the internal plumbing;
or contamination of nearby water wells or waterbodies/courses.Top
of Page |
| Mottles, drainage
|
Soil color patterns caused
by alternating saturated and unsaturated soil conditions.
When saturation occurs while soil temperatures are above
biological zero (41°F), iron and manganese will become
reduced and exhibit subdued shades such as grays, greens,
or blues. When unsaturated conditions occur, oxygen combines
with iron and manganese to develop brighter soil colors
such as yellow and reddish brown. Soils that experience
seasonally fluctuating water tables usually exhibit alternating
streaks, spots, or blotches of bright oxidized colors with
reduced dull, or subdued, colors. The longer a soil is saturated
and in an anaerobic condition, the greater is the percentage
of color that will be subdued. Soils that are never or rarely
exposed to free oxygen are considered totally reduced or
gleyed.Top of Page |
| Mottling |
A color pattern observed in
soil consisting of blotches or spots of contrasting color.
The term mottle refers to an individual blotch or spot.Top
of Page |
| Multi-family dwelling
unit |
A structure or realty improvement
intended for two or more dwelling units. Top
of Page |
| No practical alternative
|
Due to site conditions, lot
configuration, or other constraints, the replacement, repair
or alteration of an existing system, in full compliance
with this code, is not achievable without the employment
of extraordinary measures or cost.Top of
Page |
| Normal high water
line - coastal, estuary, and tidal |
The shoreline at the spring
tide elevation, during the maximum spring tide level as
identified in tide tables published by the National Ocean
Service.Top of Page |
| Normal high water
line - riverine, stream, lake, and pond |
That line on the shore or
bank that is apparent from visible markings, changes in
the character of soil, rock, or vegetation resulting from
submersion or the prolonged erosion action of the water.Top
of Page |
| Nuisance |
Any source of filth, odor,
or probable cause of sickness. Top of Page
|
| Other components |
Devices, other than pipe,
that receive waste water including lift stations, distribution
boxes, sealed vault privies, underdrain pre-filters, grease
interceptors, and drop boxes.Top of Page
|
| Person |
An individual or his heirs,
executor, administrator, assign, or agents; a firm, corporation,
association, organization, municipal or quasi-municipal
corporation, or government agency. Singular includes plural
and male includes female.Top of Page
|
| Pit privy |
An alternative toilet placed
over an excavation where human waste is deposited.Top
of Page |
| Plumbing inspector
|
See Local Plumbing Inspector.Top
of Page |
| Potable water |
Water that does not contain
objectionable pollution, contamination, minerals, or ineffective
agents, is satisfactory for human consumption, and is used
for human consumption.Top of Page
|
| Pre-existing natural
ground surface |
The former level of the ground
surface in an area of disturbed ground.Top
of Page |
| Primitive disposal
field |
A minimal disposal field designed
specifically to treat gray waste water originating from
a non-pressurized water supply.Top of Page
|
| Primitive system |
See definition, System, primitive.Top
of Page |
| Principal or year-round
dwelling unit |
A dwelling which existed on
December 31, 1981, and which was used as a principal or
year-round residence during the period from 1977 to 1981.
Evidence of use as a principal or year-round residence includes,
but is not limited to the listing of that dwelling as an
occupant's legal residence for the purpose of voting, filing
a state tax return, or automobile registration, or the occupancy
of that dwelling for a period exceeding 7 months in any
calendar year.Top of Page |
| Professional engineer
|
A person licensed to practice
professional engineering in Maine , pursuant to Title 32
Chapter 19.Top of Page |
| Proprietary disposal
device |
A device utilized in disposal
fields as an alternative to a disposal field with a bedding
of stone and one or more distribution pipes.Top
of Page |
| Public sewer |
Municipal or quasi-municipal
sewerage system. Top of Page |
| Pump Tank |
A watertight container, usually
(but not always) separate from the septic tank, into which
effluent flows by gravity and is then ejected by a submersible
electric pump through a pressure line to the leachfield.
Pump tanks often are hooked to an alarm to warn of pump
failure. Top of Page |
| Raw Sewage |
Household or commercial wastewater
that has not yet received any treatment. Raw sewage is what
flows into wastewater treatment systems, e.g., the septic
tank in an onsite wastewater treatment system.Top
of Page |
| Realty improvement
|
Any new residential, commercial,
or industrial structure, or other premises, including but
not limited to condominiums, garden apartments, town houses,
mobile homes, stores, office buildings, restaurants, and
hotels, not served by an approved public sewer, the useful
occupancy of which will require the installation or construction
of systems. Each dwelling unit in a proposed multiple-family
dwelling unit or each commercial unit in a commercial structure
shall be construed to be a separate realty improvement.Top
of Page |
| Recreation/Sporting
Camp |
A structure or group of structures
established to lodge sportspersons for the specific purpose
of hunting and/or fishing. These camps have the potential
to operate year-round with a variety of use patterns.Top
of Page |
| Repair |
Minor repairs or replacement
as required for the operation of pumps, siphons, or accessory
equipment, for the clearance of a stoppage, or to seal a
leak in the septic tank, holding tank, pump tank, or building
sewer.Top of Page |
| Replacement system
|
See definition, System, replacement.Top
of Page |
| Residence |
See definitions, Dwelling
unit and Realty improvement.Top of Page
|
| River |
A free flowing body of water
from that point at which it provides drainage for a watershed
of 25 square miles to its mouth.Top of Page
|
| Rock fragment |
A fragment of rock, contained
within the soil that is greater than 2 millimeters in equivalent
spherical diameter or that is retained on a 2 millimeter
sieve.Top of Page |
| Sand |
A particle size category consisting
of mineral particles that are between 0.05 and 2 millimeters
in equivalent spherical diameter. Also a soil textural class
having 85% or more sand along with a maximum of 15% silt
and clay. The percentage of silt may not be more than 15
times the percentage of clay.Top of Page
|
| Saturated |
A condition in which all easily
drained voids between the soil particles are temporarily
or permanently filled with water.Top of Page
|
| Scum |
A mass of waste water solids
floating on the surface of the waste water and buoyed up
by entrained gas, grease, or other substances. The term
scum layer shall be construed accordingly.Top
of Page |
| Seasonal conversion
permit |
Written authorization issued
by the plumbing inspector to allow the conversion of a seasonal
dwelling unit located in a shoreland zone of major waterbodies/courses
to year-round use.Top of Page |
| Seasonal dwelling
unit |
A dwelling which existed on
December 31, 1981, and which was not used as a principal
or year-round residence during the period from 1977 to 1981.Top
of Page |
| Seasonal ground water
table |
The upper limit of seasonal
ground water. This zone may be determined by identification
of soil drainage mottling, the MAPSS (Maine Association
of Professional Soil Scientists) drainage key, or by monitoring.Top
of Page |
| Separate laundry disposal
field |
A separate disposal field
sized to handle the laundry waste water from single-family
dwelling units.Top of Page |
| Separation Distance
|
The vertical distance in inches
between the bottom of the disposal bed and limiting factors
such as seasonally high groundwater, bedrock, or an impermeable
soil layer.Top of Page |
| Septage |
All sludge, scum, liquid,
or any other material removed from a septic tank or disposal
field.Top of Page |
| Septic System |
A system for treating wastewater
from an individual home or business, or a group of homes
or businesses that relies on natural anaerobic and aerobic
bacterial decomposition processes to treat wastewater and
return it to the environment. A conventional onsite septic
system consists of a gravity-fed septic tank designed to
separate solid matter from liquid effluent, and a gravity-fed
leachfield whose soils absorb and further treat effluent.
Properly designed and maintained, a septic system can effectively
and naturally treat wastewater for 20-30 yearsTop
of Page |
| Septic tank |
A watertight receptacle that
receives the discharge of untreated waste water. It is designed
and installed so as to permit settling or settleable solids
from the liquid, retention of the scum, partial digestion
of the organic matter, and discharge of the liquid portion
into a disposal field.Top of Page
|
| Septic tank effluent
|
Primary treated waste water
discharged through the outlet of a septic tank and/or an
approved sand, peat, or similar filter.Top
of Page |
| Septic tank filter
|
A device designed to keep
solids and grease in a septic tank.Top of
Page |
| Serial distribution
|
A method of distributing septic
tank effluent between or within a series of disposal fields
so that each successive disposal field receives septic tank
effluent only after the preceding disposal fields have become
full to the bottom of the invert.Top of Page
|
| Setback distance |
The shortest horizontal distance
between a component of a system and certain site features
or structures.Top of Page |
| Shoreland zone of
major waterbodies/courses area |
For these rules all land area
within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water
line or any great pond, river or salt water body; or within
75 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water line
of a stream or as designated by a municipality.Top
of Page |
| Should |
A verb denoting recommended
action under certain circumstances.Top of
Page |
| Silt |
A particle size category consisting
of mineral particles that are between 0.002 and 0.05 millimeters
in equivalent spherical diameter. It also means a soil textural
class having 80% or more of silt and 12% or less of clay.Top
of Page |
| Single-family dwelling
unit |
A structure or realty improvement
intended for single-family use.Top of Page
|
| Site evaluation |
The practice of investigating,
evaluating, and reporting the basic soil and site conditions
that apply to waste water treatment and disposal along with
a system design in compliance with this code.Top
of Page |
| Sludge |
A relatively dense accumulation
of waste water solids that settle to the bottom of a septic
tank. These solids are relatively resistant to biological
decomposition and collect in the septic tank over a period
of time. The term sludge layer shall be construed accordingly.Top
of Page |
| Soil |
The outermost surface layer
of the earth. It is made up of individual soil bodies, each
with its own individual characteristics. In places, soil
has been modified or even made by people. It contains living
matter and is capable of supporting plants out-of-doors.Top
of Page |
| Soil color |
The soil color and Munsell
color designation determined by comparison of the moist
soil with color chips contained in a Munsell soil color
book.Top of Page |
| Soil consistence |
The resistance, in place,
of a soil horizon to penetration by a soil probe.Top
of Page |
| Soil profile |
A vertical cross section of
the undisturbed soil showing the characteristic soil horizontal
layers or soil horizons that have formed as a result of
the combined effects of parent material, topography, climate,
biological activity, and time.Top of Page
|
| Soil saturation |
The state when all the pores
in the soil are filled with water. Water will flow from
saturated soils into an observation hole.Top
of Page |
| Soil texture |
The relative proportions of
sand, silt, and clay.Top of Page
|
| Stone |
A rock fragment that is rounded
or semi-rounded in shape and greater than 10 inches in diameter.Top
of Page |
| Stream |
A free-flowing body of water
from the outlet of a great pond or the confluence of two
perennial streams (as depicted on the most recent edition
of a United States Geological Survey 7.5 minute topographical
map or, if not available, a 15 minute topographic map) to
the point where the body of water becomes a river.Top
of Page |
| Substantial compliance
|
A term and concept for regulatory
review in the shoreland zone of major waterbodies/courses
stated in 30A MRSA §4211. Used to define application
of requirements in one time expansions or conversion from
seasonal to year round use of structures. For the purpose
of these rules, substantial compliance means a reduction
of the setback and soil requirements for first time systems
as found in Table 600.4 and Table 700.4.Top
of Page |
| Subsurface waste water
disposal system |
septic tanks; disposal fields;
grandfathered cesspools; holding tanks; pretreatment filter,
piping, or any other fixture, mechanism, or apparatus used
for those purposes; does not include any discharge system
licensed under Title 38 MRSA §414, any surface waste
water disposal system, or any municipal or quasi-municipal
sewer or waste water treatment system.Top
of Page |
| System |
See definition, Subsurface
waste water disposal system.Top of Page
|
| System cleaner |
Any solid or liquid material
intended or used primarily for the purpose of cleaning,
treating, degreasing, unclogging, disinfecting, or deodorizing
any part of a system. These do not include those liquid
or solid products intended or used primarily for manual
cleaning, scouring, treating, deodorizing, or disinfecting
the surfaces of common plumbing fixtures. See Section 910.0.Top
of Page |
| System, engineered
|
Any subsurface waste water
disposal system designed, installed, and operated as a single
unit to treat and dispose of 2,000 gallons of waste water
per day or more; or any system designed to be capable of
treating waste water with significantly higher BOD5 and
total suspended solid concentrations than domestic waste
water in Table 603.1.Top of Page
|
| System, experimental
|
Any subsurface waste water
disposal system, including components thereof, designed
upon unproven concepts; processes otherwise untried in Maine
; or field applications of processes developed under controlled
research conditions.Top of Page |
| System, first time
|
The first system designed
to serve a specific structure; a new system.Top
of Page |
| System, multi-user
|
For the purposes of this code,
multi-user disposal systems serve or are designed to serve
three or more structures under different ownerships. See
Chapter 12.Top of Page |
| System, non-conforming
|
A system that does not conform
to the location, design, construction, or installation requirements
in this code.Top of Page |
| System, non-engineered
|
Any system designed, installed,
and operated as a single unit to treat and dispose of less
than 2,000 gallons of waste water per day.Top
of Page |
| System, primitive
|
A system consisting of a primitive
disposal field and an alternative toilet.Top
of Page |
| System, replacement
|
A system designed to replace
an existing system, an overboard discharge, or any ground
surface discharge, without any increase in water usage,
except as allowed in Section 1702.0.Top of
Page |
| Tank Baffle |
A baffle is a vertical section
or wall within the tank that reduces the velocity of, and
directs the waste through, the tank and prevents solids
from flowing into the outlet pipe and leaving the tank.
overwhelm the baffles.Top of Page
|
| Temporary portable
toilet |
A prefabricated toilet designed
for temporary use, typically at social functions, work sites,
outdoor gatherings, etc. No plumbing permit nor site evaluation
is required.Top of Page |
| Test Pit (Observation
hole) |
A subsurface exploration,
excavated by hand shovel, back-hoe, auger, or a soil core
taken intact and undisturbed, using a probe, to a depth
of 48 to bedrock or to a depth of 12 below a restrictive
layer.Top of Page |
| Unit |
See dwelling unit.Top
of Page |
| Unorganized area |
An area subject to the jurisdiction
of the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission under Title
12, Chapter 206-A.Top of Page |
| Value |
The relative lightness or
intensity of a color, one of the three variables of soil
color defined within the Munsell system of classification.Top
of Page |
| Variance |
Written authorization that
permits some act or condition not otherwise permitted by
this code.Top of Page |
| Vault privy |
An alternative toilet that
retains human waste in a sealed vault.Top
of Page |
| Waste water |
Any domestic waste water,
or other waste water from commercial, industrial, or residential
sources which has constituents similar to that of domestic
waste water. This term specifically excludes hazardous or
toxic wastes and materials.Top of Page
|
| Waste water discharge
license |
A waste water discharge license
issued by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection
under Title 38 MRSA §414.Top of Page
|
| Waste water ejector
|
A device to elevate and/or
pump untreated waste water to a public sewer, septic tank,
or other means of disposal.Top of Page
|
| Water body |
natural and artificial lakes,
ponds, rivers, streams, brooks, swamps, marshes, bogs and
tidal marshes. It usually discharges into a larger water
body and has a definite channel, bed, banks and high water
mark.Top of Page |
| Water body/course,
major |
Any waterbody or water course
depicted on a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5
minute map, or a 15 minute map if a 7.5 minute map is not
compiled.Top of Page |
| Water body/course,
minor |
Any water body or water course
that is not a major water course. This does not include
man-made ditches, except where a ditch is dug as a diversion
to a natural water course.Top of Page
|
| Water course |
A channel created by the action
of surface water and characterized by the lack of upland
vegetation or the presence of aquatic vegetation and by
the presence of a bed devoid of top soil containing waterborne
deposits on exposed soil, parent material or bedrock.Top
of Page |
| Water well |
A bored, drilled, or driven
shaft or a dug hole, that extends below the seasonal ground
water table and is used as the primary drinking water supply.
If there is more than one well on a property, it is presumed
that one well supplies the structure(s) associated with
the property with drinking water and that all other wells
have either been abandoned or are spite wells.Top
of Page |
| Well, public water
supply |
A well supplying water to
a public water supply. A public water supply furnishes water
to at least 25 individuals at least 60 days a year, or has
at least 15 service connections, or bottles water for sale.Top
of Page |
| Wetland |
Area that has a predominance
of hydric soils and that is inundated or saturated by surface
or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to
support, and that under normal circumstances does support,
a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted
for life in saturated soil conditions.Top
of Page |
| Wetland, coastal |
All tidal and sub-tidal lands;
all lands below any identifiable debris line left by tidal
action; all lands with vegetation present that is tolerant
of salt water and occurs primarily in a salt water or estuarine
habitat; and any swamp, marsh, bog, beach, or contiguous
lowland subject to tidal action during the maximum spring
tide level as identified in tide tables published by the
National Ocean Service. Coastal wetlands may include portions
of coastal dunes.Top of Page |
| Wetland, freshwater
|
Freshwater swamp, marsh, bog,
or similar area that is inundated or saturated by surface
or ground water at a frequency and for a duration sufficient
to support, and normally does support, predominantly wetland
vegetation. A freshwater wetland may contain inclusions
of land that do not conform to the requirements of this
definition.Top of Page |
| Wetland, special freshwater
|
Wetlands which consist of,
or contain: 1. Under normal circumstances, at least 20,000
square feet of aquatic vegetation, emergent marsh vegetation,
or open water, except for artificial ponds or impoundments;
or, 2. Peatlands dominated by shrubs, sedges and sphagnum
moss.Top of Page |
| Work started |
The work has started when
any construction directly associated with the system's or
system component's installation has begun.Top
of Page |
