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OVERVIEFi <br />Conventional, Alternative, Discharging, Non - Discharging, <br />Public and Private Waste Treatment Systems <br />Technology and Regulation <br />In the past three years, there have been several reports and <br />much discussion regarding operation' and appropriate <br />geographic location of various types of waste treatment <br />systems. Two problems that have caused much confusion are <br />the terminology and language which are used to describe the <br />types of waste treatment systems and the complex mesh of <br />regulatory authority for the design, siting, monitoring and <br />permitting of these systems. The confusion and concern <br />involving the regulatory responsibility for various types of <br />waste treatment systems has also been partially responsible <br />for a moratorium on the use of some types of systems in the <br />University Lake watershed and for a proposal for the <br />Environmental Health section of the Orange County Health <br />Department to initiate a monitoring, maintenance and quality <br />assurance program. This overview will address most of the <br />issues by: 1) providing an explanation of terminology used in <br />descriptions of waste treatment equipment and technology; 3) <br />providing a simple description of waste treatment collection <br />systems; 3) providing a simple description of the technology <br />and classification system for waste treatment technology; and <br />4) providing a description of the existing regulatory and <br />permitting authority for each classification of systems. <br />This report will not address such issues as bonding of <br />systems, escrow funds for system failures, public management <br />entities, or developmental restrictions for rural areas or <br />watershed areas. These issues can be more appropriately <br />addressed by departments, boards, and agencies other than the <br />Health Department. <br />1. Termin_ ol2a <br />Generally, all.- sanitary waste treatment systems can be <br />classified under three broad categories: <br />1) Conventional waste treatment systems: <br />Systems that incorporate technology, equipment and materials <br />that have a long history of widespread use are termed <br />conventional systems. An example of a conventional treatment <br />process and equipment is the common septic tank with a <br />gravity nitrification field, which have been in use for more <br />than fifty years by at least fifty percent of the population <br />of the United States. <br />