{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-163.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-163.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-163.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-163.html"}],"law_id":64577,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64577,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-163","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 32-9; 1954, c. 646; 1964, c. 436; 1970, c. 645; 1972, c. 775; 1979, c. 711; 1984, c. 457; 1990, cc. 342, 861, 869; 1994, c. 747; 2007, cc. 892, 924; 2009, c. 829; 2018, c. 830.","full_text":"As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Alternative discharging sewage system” means any device or system which results in a point source discharge of treated sewage for which the Board may issue a permit authorizing construction and operation when such system is regulated by the State Water Control Board pursuant to a general Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for an individual single family dwelling with flows less than or equal to 1,000 gallons per day.\n\t\t“Alternative onsite sewage system” or “alternative onsite system” means a treatment works that is not a conventional onsite sewage system and does not result in a point source discharge.\n\t\t“Betterment loan” means a loan to be provided by private lenders either directly or through a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality or local or regional authority serving as a conduit lender, to repair, replace, or upgrade an onsite sewage system or an alternative discharging sewage system for the purpose of reducing threats to public health and ground and surface waters, which loan is secured by a lien with a priority equivalent to the priority of a lien securing an assessment for local improvements under \u00a7 15.2-2411.\n\t\t“Conduit lender” means a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality, local or regional authority or an instrumentality thereof serving as a conduit lender of betterment loans.\n\t\t“Conventional onsite sewage system” means a treatment works consisting of one or more septic tanks with gravity, pumped, or siphoned conveyance to a gravity distributed subsurface drainfield.\n\t\t“Licensed onsite soil evaluator” means a person who is licensed under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of Title 54.1 as an onsite soil evaluator. A licensed onsite soil evaluator is authorized to evaluate soils and soil properties in relationship to the effects of these properties on the use and management of these soils as the locations for onsite sewage systems.\n\t\t“Maintenance” means, unless otherwise provided in local ordinance, (i) performing adjustments to equipment and controls or (ii) in-kind replacement of normal wear and tear parts that do not require a construction permit for adjustment or replacement of the component such as light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, motors, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, header lines, or other like components. “Maintenance” includes pumping the tanks or cleaning the building sewer on a periodic basis. Notwithstanding any local ordinance, “maintenance” does not include replacement of tanks, drainfield piping, subsurface drainfields, or work requiring a construction permit and installer. Unless otherwise prohibited by local ordinance, a conventional onsite sewage system installer or an alternative onsite sewage system installer may perform maintenance work limited to in-kind replacement of light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, and header lines.\n\t\t“Operate” means the act of making a decision on one’s own volition (i) to place into or take out of service a unit process or unit processes or (ii) to make or cause adjustments in the operation of a unit process at a treatment works.\n\t\t“Operation” means the biological, chemical, and mechanical processes of transforming sewage or wastewater to compounds or elements and water that no longer possess an adverse environmental or health impact.\n\t\t“Operator” means any individual employed or contracted by any owner, who is licensed or certified under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of Title 54.1 as being qualified to operate, monitor, and maintain an alternative onsite sewage system.\n\t\t“Owner” means the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, including sanitary districts, sanitation district commissions and authorities, any individual, any group of individuals acting individually or as a group, or any public or private institution, corporation, company, partnership, firm or association which owns or proposes to own a sewerage system or treatment works.\n\t\t“Regulations” means the Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations, heretofore or hereafter enacted or adopted by the State Board of Health.\n\t\t“Review Board” means the State Sewage Handling and Disposal Appeals Review Board.\n\t\t“Sewage” means water-carried and non-water-carried human excrement, kitchen, laundry, shower, bath or lavatory wastes, separately or together with such underground, surface, storm and other water and liquid industrial wastes as may be present from residences, buildings, vehicles, industrial establishments or other places.\n\t\t“Sewerage system” means pipelines or conduits, pumping stations and force mains and all other construction, devices and appliances appurtenant thereto, used for the collection and conveyance of sewage to a treatment works or point of ultimate disposal.\n\t\t“Subsurface drainfield” means a system installed within the soil and designed to accommodate treated sewage from a treatment works.\n\t\t“Transportation” means the vehicular conveyance of sewage.\n\t\t“Treatment works” means any device or system used in the storage, treatment, disposal or reclamation of sewage or combinations of sewage and industrial wastes, including but not limited to pumping, power and other equipment and appurtenances, septic tanks, and any works, including land, that are or will be (i) an integral part of the treatment process or (ii) used for ultimate disposal of residues or effluents resulting from such treatment.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":235031,"text":"As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Alternative discharging sewage system” means any device or system which results in a point source discharge of treated sewage for which the Board may issue a permit authorizing construction and operation when such system is regulated by the State Water Control Board pursuant to a general Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for an individual single family dwelling with flows less than or equal to 1,000 gallons per day.\n\t\t“Alternative onsite sewage system” or “alternative onsite system” means a treatment works that is not a conventional onsite sewage system and does not result in a point source discharge.\n\t\t“Betterment loan” means a loan to be provided by private lenders either directly or through a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality or local or regional authority serving as a conduit lender, to repair, replace, or upgrade an onsite sewage system or an alternative discharging sewage system for the purpose of reducing threats to public health and ground and surface waters, which loan is secured by a lien with a priority equivalent to the priority of a lien securing an assessment for local improvements under \u00a7 15.2-2411.\n\t\t“Conduit lender” means a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality, local or regional authority or an instrumentality thereof serving as a conduit lender of betterment loans.\n\t\t“Conventional onsite sewage system” means a treatment works consisting of one or more septic tanks with gravity, pumped, or siphoned conveyance to a gravity distributed subsurface drainfield.\n\t\t“Licensed onsite soil evaluator” means a person who is licensed under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of Title 54.1 as an onsite soil evaluator. A licensed onsite soil evaluator is authorized to evaluate soils and soil properties in relationship to the effects of these properties on the use and management of these soils as the locations for onsite sewage systems.\n\t\t“Maintenance” means, unless otherwise provided in local ordinance, (i) performing adjustments to equipment and controls or (ii) in-kind replacement of normal wear and tear parts that do not require a construction permit for adjustment or replacement of the component such as light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, motors, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, header lines, or other like components. “Maintenance” includes pumping the tanks or cleaning the building sewer on a periodic basis. Notwithstanding any local ordinance, “maintenance” does not include replacement of tanks, drainfield piping, subsurface drainfields, or work requiring a construction permit and installer. Unless otherwise prohibited by local ordinance, a conventional onsite sewage system installer or an alternative onsite sewage system installer may perform maintenance work limited to in-kind replacement of light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, and header lines.\n\t\t“Operate” means the act of making a decision on one’s own volition (i) to place into or take out of service a unit process or unit processes or (ii) to make or cause adjustments in the operation of a unit process at a treatment works.\n\t\t“Operation” means the biological, chemical, and mechanical processes of transforming sewage or wastewater to compounds or elements and water that no longer possess an adverse environmental or health impact.\n\t\t“Operator” means any individual employed or contracted by any owner, who is licensed or certified under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of Title 54.1 as being qualified to operate, monitor, and maintain an alternative onsite sewage system.\n\t\t“Owner” means the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, including sanitary districts, sanitation district commissions and authorities, any individual, any group of individuals acting individually or as a group, or any public or private institution, corporation, company, partnership, firm or association which owns or proposes to own a sewerage system or treatment works.\n\t\t“Regulations” means the Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations, heretofore or hereafter enacted or adopted by the State Board of Health.\n\t\t“Review Board” means the State Sewage Handling and Disposal Appeals Review Board.\n\t\t“Sewage” means water-carried and non-water-carried human excrement, kitchen, laundry, shower, bath or lavatory wastes, separately or together with such underground, surface, storm and other water and liquid industrial wastes as may be present from residences, buildings, vehicles, industrial establishments or other places.\n\t\t“Sewerage system” means pipelines or conduits, pumping stations and force mains and all other construction, devices and appliances appurtenant thereto, used for the collection and conveyance of sewage to a treatment works or point of ultimate disposal.\n\t\t“Subsurface drainfield” means a system installed within the soil and designed to accommodate treated sewage from a treatment works.\n\t\t“Transportation” means the vehicular conveyance of sewage.\n\t\t“Treatment works” means any device or system used in the storage, treatment, disposal or reclamation of sewage or combinations of sewage and industrial wastes, including but not limited to pumping, power and other equipment and appurtenances, septic tanks, and any works, including land, that are or will be (i) an integral part of the treatment process or (ii) used for ultimate disposal of residues or effluents resulting from such treatment.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13156,"edition_id":1,"name":"Sewage Disposal","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12941,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:22","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:22","permalink":{"id":203565,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13156,"identifier":"1","token":"32.1\/6\/1","url":"\/32.1\/6\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12941,"edition_id":1,"name":"Environmental Health Services","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":203563,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12941,"identifier":"6","token":"32.1\/6","url":"\/32.1\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":64577,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-163","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/32.1-163\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-163","metadata":false},{"id":54177,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-163.1","catch_line":"Personal liability of sanitarians 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process","url":"\/32.1-164.10\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.10","metadata":false},{"id":81724,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.1:01","catch_line":"Onsite Sewage Indemnification Fund","url":"\/32.1-164.1_01\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.1_01","metadata":false},{"id":69017,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.1:1","catch_line":"Validity of certain septic tank permits","url":"\/32.1-164.1_1\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.1_1","metadata":false},{"id":82687,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.1:2","catch_line":"Eligibility for betterment loans to repair or replace failing onsite sewage systems","url":"\/32.1-164.1_2\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.1_2","metadata":false},{"id":63246,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.1:3","catch_line":"Permits for voluntary system upgrades","url":"\/32.1-164.1_3\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.1_3","metadata":false},{"id":75897,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/32.1-164.2\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.2","metadata":false},{"id":77141,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.8","catch_line":"Onsite Operation and Maintenance Fund established","url":"\/32.1-164.8\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.8","metadata":false},{"id":54654,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-164.9","catch_line":"Regulations for chamber and bundled expanded polystyrene effluent distribution systems for onsite sewage systems","url":"\/32.1-164.9\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-164.9","metadata":false},{"id":86519,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-165","catch_line":"Prior approval required before issuance of building permit; approved sewage system or nonconforming system","url":"\/32.1-165\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-165","metadata":false},{"id":64941,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-166","catch_line":"Agreements with federal agencies","url":"\/32.1-166\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-166","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":54177,"structure_id":13156,"section_number":"32.1-163.1","catch_line":"Personal liability of sanitarians defined","url":"\/32.1-163.1\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-163.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/32.1-163\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 11 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1954, chapter 646; in 1964, chapter 436; in 1970, chapter 645; in 1972, chapter 775; in 1979, chapter 711; in 1984, chapter 457; in 1990, chapters 342, 861, and 869; in 1994, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2007, chapters 892<\/a> and 924<\/a>; in 2009, chapter 829<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 830<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73804,"section_number":"15.2-2157","catch_line":"Onsite sewage systems when sewers not available; civil penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2157\/"},{"id":66759,"section_number":"32.1-164","catch_line":"Powers and duties of Board; regulations; fees; onsite soil evaluators; letters in lieu of permits; inspections; civil penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-164\/"},{"id":81367,"section_number":"32.1-166.6","catch_line":"Review Board to hear appeals","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-166.6\/"},{"id":82563,"section_number":"54.1-2300","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2300\/"},{"id":84560,"section_number":"54.1-2301","catch_line":"Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals; membership; terms; duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2301\/"},{"id":60340,"section_number":"59.1-310.8","catch_line":"Exceptions","order_by":null,"url":"\/59.1-310.8\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":81535,"section_number":"15.2-2411","catch_line":"How such appeal tried; lien of judgment; when to take effect; how enforced","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2411\/"},{"id":82563,"section_number":"54.1-2300","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2300\/"}],"permalink":{"id":203567,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64577,"identifier":"32.1-163","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-163","url":"\/32.1-163\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-163\/","token":"32.1\/6\/1\/32.1-163","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-163","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Alternative discharging sewage system<\/span>” means any device or system which results in a point source discharge of treated sewage for which the Board may issue<\/span> a permit authorizing construction and operation<\/span> when such system is regulated by the State Water Control Board pursuant to a general Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for an individual single family dwelling with flows less than or equal to 1,000 gallons per day.\n\t\t“Alternative onsite sewage system<\/span>” or “alternative onsite system<\/span>” means a treatment works<\/span> that is not a conventional onsite sewage system<\/span> and does not result in a point source discharge.\n\t\t“Betterment loan<\/span>” means a loan to be provided by private lenders either directly or through a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality or local or regional authority serving as a conduit lender<\/span>, to repair, replace, or upgrade an onsite sewage system or an alternative discharging sewage system<\/span> for the purpose of reducing threats to public health and ground and surface waters, which loan is secured by a lien<\/span> with a priority equivalent to the priority of a lien<\/span> securing an assessment for local improvements under \u00a7 15.2-2411<\/a>.\n\t\t“Conduit lender<\/span>” means a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a locality, local or regional authority or an instrumentality thereof serving as a conduit lender<\/span> of betterment loans<\/span>.\n\t\t“Conventional onsite sewage system<\/span>” means a treatment works<\/span> consisting of one or more septic tanks with gravity, pumped, or siphoned conveyance to a gravity distributed subsurface drainfield<\/span>.\n\t\t“Licensed onsite soil evaluator<\/span>” means a person<\/span> who is licensed under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300<\/a> et seq.) of Title 54.1 as an onsite soil evaluator. A licensed onsite soil evaluator<\/span> is authorized to evaluate soils and soil properties in relationship to the effects of these properties on the use and management of these soils as the locations for onsite sewage systems.\n\t\t“Maintenance<\/span>” means, unless otherwise provided in local ordinance<\/span>, (i) performing adjustments to equipment and controls or (ii) in-kind replacement of normal wear and tear parts that do not require a construction permit for adjustment or replacement of the component such as light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, motors, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, header lines, or other like components. “Maintenance<\/span>” includes pumping the tanks or cleaning the building sewer on a periodic basis. Notwithstanding any local ordinance<\/span>, “maintenance<\/span>” does not include replacement of tanks, drainfield piping, subsurface drainfields<\/span>, or work requiring a construction permit and installer. Unless otherwise prohibited by local ordinance<\/span>, a conventional onsite sewage system<\/span> installer or an alternative onsite sewage system<\/span> installer may perform maintenance<\/span> work limited to in-kind replacement of light bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, and header lines.\n\t\t“Operate<\/span>” means the act of making a decision on one’s own volition (i) to place into or take out of service a unit process or unit processes or (ii) to make or cause adjustments in the operation<\/span> of a unit process at a treatment works<\/span>.\n\t\t“Operation<\/span>” means the biological, chemical, and mechanical processes of transforming sewage or wastewater to compounds or elements and water that no longer possess an adverse environmental or health impact.\n\t\t“Operator<\/span>” means any individual employed or contracted by any owner<\/span>, who is licensed or certified under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300<\/a> et seq.) of Title 54.1 as being qualified to operate<\/span>, monitor, and maintain an alternative onsite sewage system<\/span>.\n\t\t“Owner<\/span>” means the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, including sanitary districts, sanitation district commissions and authorities, any individual, any group of individuals acting individually or as a group, or any public or private institution, corporation, company, partnership, firm or association which owns or proposes to own a sewerage system<\/span> or treatment works<\/span>.\n\t\t“Regulations<\/span>” means the Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations<\/span>, heretofore or hereafter enacted or adopted by the State Board<\/span> of Health.\n\t\t“Review Board<\/span>” means the State Sewage Handling and Disposal Appeals<\/span> Review Board<\/span>.\n\t\t“Sewage” means water-carried and non-water-carried human excrement, kitchen, laundry, shower, bath or lavatory wastes, separately or together with such underground, surface, storm and other water and liquid industrial wastes as may be present from residences, buildings, vehicles, industrial establishments or other places.\n\t\t“Sewerage system<\/span>” means pipelines or conduits, pumping stations and force mains and all other construction, devices and appliances appurtenant thereto, used for the collection and conveyance of sewage to a treatment works<\/span> or point of ultimate disposal.\n\t\t“Subsurface drainfield<\/span>” means a system installed within the soil and designed to accommodate treated sewage from a treatment works<\/span>.\n\t\t“Transportation<\/span>” means the vehicular conveyance of sewage.\n\t\t“Treatment works<\/span>” means any device or system used in the storage, treatment, disposal or reclamation of sewage or combinations of sewage and industrial wastes, including but not limited to pumping, power and other equipment and appurtenances, septic tanks, and any works, including land, that are or will be (i) an integral part of the treatment process or (ii) used for ultimate disposal of residues or effluents resulting from such treatment.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 32.1-163)\n\nAs used in this article, unless the context clearly requires a different\nmeaning:\n\t\t“Alternative discharging sewage system” means any device or system\nwhich results in a point source discharge of treated sewage for which the Board\nmay issue a permit authorizing construction and operation when such system is\nregulated by the State Water Control Board pursuant to a general Virginia\nPollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued for an individual single\nfamily dwelling with flows less than or equal to 1,000 gallons per day.\n\t\t“Alternative onsite sewage system” or “alternative onsite\nsystem” means a treatment works that is not a conventional onsite sewage\nsystem and does not result in a point source discharge.\n\t\t“Betterment loan” means a loan to be provided by private lenders\neither directly or through a state agency, authority or instrumentality or a\nlocality or local or regional authority serving as a conduit lender, to repair,\nreplace, or upgrade an onsite sewage system or an alternative discharging sewage\nsystem for the purpose of reducing threats to public health and ground and\nsurface waters, which loan is secured by a lien with a priority equivalent to\nthe priority of a lien securing an assessment for local improvements under \u00a7\n15.2-2411.\n\t\t“Conduit lender” means a state agency, authority or\ninstrumentality or a locality, local or regional authority or an instrumentality\nthereof serving as a conduit lender of betterment loans.\n\t\t“Conventional onsite sewage system” means a treatment works\nconsisting of one or more septic tanks with gravity, pumped, or siphoned\nconveyance to a gravity distributed subsurface drainfield.\n\t\t“Licensed onsite soil evaluator” means a person who is licensed\nunder Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of Title 54.1 as an onsite soil\nevaluator. A licensed onsite soil evaluator is authorized to evaluate soils and\nsoil properties in relationship to the effects of these properties on the use\nand management of these soils as the locations for onsite sewage systems.\n\t\t“Maintenance” means, unless otherwise provided in local ordinance,\n(i) performing adjustments to equipment and controls or (ii) in-kind replacement\nof normal wear and tear parts that do not require a construction permit for\nadjustment or replacement of the component such as light bulbs, fuses, filters,\npumps, motors, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution boxes, header lines,\nor other like components. “Maintenance” includes pumping the tanks\nor cleaning the building sewer on a periodic basis. Notwithstanding any local\nordinance, “maintenance” does not include replacement of tanks,\ndrainfield piping, subsurface drainfields, or work requiring a construction\npermit and installer. Unless otherwise prohibited by local ordinance, a\nconventional onsite sewage system installer or an alternative onsite sewage\nsystem installer may perform maintenance work limited to in-kind replacement of\nlight bulbs, fuses, filters, pumps, sewer lines, conveyance lines, distribution\nboxes, and header lines.\n\t\t“Operate” means the act of making a decision on one’s own\nvolition (i) to place into or take out of service a unit process or unit\nprocesses or (ii) to make or cause adjustments in the operation of a unit\nprocess at a treatment works.\n\t\t“Operation” means the biological, chemical, and mechanical\nprocesses of transforming sewage or wastewater to compounds or elements and\nwater that no longer possess an adverse environmental or health impact.\n\t\t“Operator” means any individual employed or contracted by any\nowner, who is licensed or certified under Chapter 23 (\u00a7 54.1-2300 et seq.) of\nTitle 54.1 as being qualified to operate, monitor, and maintain an alternative\nonsite sewage system.\n\t\t“Owner” means the Commonwealth or any of its political\nsubdivisions, including sanitary districts, sanitation district commissions and\nauthorities, any individual, any group of individuals acting individually or as\na group, or any public or private institution, corporation, company,\npartnership, firm or association which owns or proposes to own a sewerage system\nor treatment works.\n\t\t“Regulations” means the Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations,\nheretofore or hereafter enacted or adopted by the State Board of Health.\n\t\t“Review Board” means the State Sewage Handling and Disposal\nAppeals Review Board.\n\t\t“Sewage” means water-carried and non-water-carried human\nexcrement, kitchen, laundry, shower, bath or lavatory wastes, separately or\ntogether with such underground, surface, storm and other water and liquid\nindustrial wastes as may be present from residences, buildings, vehicles,\nindustrial establishments or other places.\n\t\t“Sewerage system” means pipelines or conduits, pumping stations\nand force mains and all other construction, devices and appliances appurtenant\nthereto, used for the collection and conveyance of sewage to a treatment works\nor point of ultimate disposal.\n\t\t“Subsurface drainfield” means a system installed within the soil\nand designed to accommodate treated sewage from a treatment works.\n\t\t“Transportation” means the vehicular conveyance of sewage.\n\t\t“Treatment works” means any device or system used in the storage,\ntreatment, disposal or reclamation of sewage or combinations of sewage and\nindustrial wastes, including but not limited to pumping, power and other\nequipment and appurtenances, septic tanks, and any works, including land, that\nare or will be (i) an integral part of the treatment process or (ii) used for\nultimate disposal of residues or effluents resulting from such treatment.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 32-9; 1954, c. 646; 1964, c. 436; 1970, c. 645; 1972, c.\n775; 1979, c. 711; 1984, c. 457; 1990, cc. 342, 861, 869; 1994, c. 747; 2007,\ncc. 892, 924; 2009, c. 829; 2018, c. 830.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}