Orange County NC Website
GLOSSARY <br />Effluent - The liquid discharge of a septic tank or other <br />sewage treatment device. <br />Inspection - An evaluation of all components of any given <br />sewage treatment and disposal system to determine performance <br />and compliance of the system with applicable rules and <br />regulations. <br />Maintenance Agreement - An agreement between the Orange <br />County Health Department and the system owner addressing the <br />responsibility and schedule of maintenance of. the sewage <br />disposal system. All system owners in the program will have <br />various responsibilities (detailed on page 25). Some classes <br />of systems will require the owner to set up and meet a <br />schedule of routine maintenance in an agreement with the <br />Health Department. This maintenance may include solids <br />removal, grease removal, electrical component checks, or any <br />other items considered critical to the operation of the <br />system and would be performed by a private sector contractor. <br />Repair - Any work done to a sewage disposal system other than <br />routine maintenance or pumping. <br />Sewage Treatment and Disposal System - A complete sanitary <br />system of sewage collection, treatment, and disposal. The <br />following types of systems are currently permitted in Orange <br />County and do not include any experimental systems. <br />Ground Absorption System - These systems consist of <br />primary treatment (usually a septic tank) with a <br />subsurface disposal field for the septic effluent. They <br />rely on the soil to treat and dispose of the effluent. <br />They, may be modified with pump chambers, other <br />appurtenances, or further treatment of the effluent <br />before disposal. Conventional, pump conventional, low <br />pressure pike, and mound systems comprise the majority <br />of systems in this category. Systems larger than 3000 <br />gallons per day treatment capacity require an engineer's <br />design. <br />Non - Discharge systems - These systems are similar to <br />ground absorption in the primary treatment of the <br />sewage. After the primary treatment, the effluent is <br />treated at least once more before being disinfected. <br />The effluent is then distributed to the surface of the <br />ground by mechanical means. Spray irrigation systems <br />are the principal systems in this category in Orange <br />County. These systems require an engineer's design. <br />