| 18 | | - | (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 439 and sections 22a-430 and 22a-430b, the Commissioner of Public Health shall, [within available appropriations,] not later than July 1, 2018, and pursuant to section 19a-36, establish and define categories of discharge that constitute alternative on-site sewage treatment systems with capacities of five thousand gallons or less per day. After the establishment of such categories, said commissioner shall have jurisdiction [, within available appropriations,] to issue or deny permits and approvals for such systems and for all discharges of domestic sewage to the groundwaters of the state from such systems. Said commissioner shall, pursuant to section 19a-36, [and within available appropriations,] establish minimum requirements for alternative on-site sewage treatment systems under said commissioner's jurisdiction, including, but not limited to: (1) Requirements related to activities that may occur on the property; (2) changes that may occur to the property or to buildings on the property that may affect the installation or operation of such systems; and (3) procedures for the issuance of permits or approvals by said commissioner, a local director of health, or a sanitarian licensed pursuant to chapter 395. A permit or approval granted by said commissioner, such local director of health or such sanitarian for an alternative on-site sewage treatment system pursuant to this section shall: (A) Not be inconsistent with the requirements of the federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 USC 1251 et seq., the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f et seq., and the standards of water quality adopted pursuant to section 22a-426, as such laws and standards may be amended from time to time, (B) not be construed or deemed to be an approval for any other purpose, including, but not limited to, any planning and zoning or municipal inland wetlands and watercourses requirement, and (C) be in lieu of a permit issued under section 22a-430 or 22a-430b. For purposes of this section, "alternative on-site sewage treatment system" means a sewage treatment system serving one or more buildings on a single parcel of property that utilizes a method of treatment other than a subsurface sewage disposal system and that involves a discharge of domestic sewage to the groundwaters of the state. |
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| 28 | + | Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than July 1, 2018, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to establish onsite wastewater treatment rules that provide a basis for approval of alternative technologies. Such regulations shall authorize the approval of alternative technology onsite wastewater treatment systems that do not meet the location, design or construction requirements for a conventional onsite wastewater treatment system but that, through field testing, calculations and other engineering evaluations, provide the same degree, or greater, of environmental and public health protections as conventional onsite wastewater treatment systems. In developing such regulations, the commissioner may review and consider the alternative onsite wastewater treatment systems technology programs of other states, including, but not limited to, such program of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. |
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