California Assembly Bill 885
California is one of the very few states that does not have state wide rules and regulations regarding onsite wastewater treatment. That leaves the implementation of rules and regulations to the local counties. Assembly Bill 885 would change that.
The State Water Resources Control Board is now preparing a uniform regulation governing all Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) in California. These new regulations are scheduled to be adopted in late 2006 with gradual implementation between January 2007 and January 2009.
In their presently proposed form these regulations will govern both new and repaired systems and they also include requirements for periodic inspections of existing OWTS, including both standard septic and alternative treatment systems. Under these regulations, supplemental sewage treatment systems (such as those installed by ESS) may be permitted in areas where onsite wastewater treatment is not currently allowed due to high groundwater, shallow bedrock, proximity to waterways and similar situations.
This section of our website will be updated periodically as more information is available.
The text of the proposed regulations as well as an explanation of their development can be found at the California State Water Resources Control Board website.