340-071-0600 Sewage Disposal Service Licenses (1) License required. A person may not perform sewage disposal services or advertise or represent himself as being in the business of performing such services without a valid license issued by DEQ to perform those services. A separate license is required for each business, organization, or other person conducting sewage disposal services. (2) Types of licenses. DEQ may issue three types of sewage disposal service licenses. (a) Installer license. An installer license is required for any person to construct or install onsite systems or parts of onsite systems or to perform the grading, excavating, or earth- moving work associated with constructing or installing onsite systems. (b) Pumper license. A pumper license is required for any person to pump out or clean onsite systems, including portable toilets or any part of them, and to dispose of the material derived from pumping out or cleaning onsite systems or portable toilets. (c) Installer/pumper license. The combined installer/pumper license authorizes a person to perform the work authorized by the installer and the pumper licenses. (3) Duration of license. The duration of a sewage disposal service license may not exceed three years following the issue date. DEQ may issue licenses for periods of less than three years to stagger expiration dates. DEQ will provide licensees written notice of the expiration date assigned and date application for renewal is due. (4) Certification requirement. (a) Each business with an installer or installer/pumper license must identify at least one person certified under OAR 340-071-0650 who will supervise installation of onsite systems for the licensee. (b) Applicants must submit evidence of the certification required by this section to DEQ with their application. (5) New, renewal, and reinstatement licenses. Persons applying for new, renewal, or reinstatement of existing licenses must submit the following to DEQ for each license: (a) A complete license application form. (b) Evidence of a surety bond or equivalent security DEQ - approved in the penal sum of $15,000 for each installer or installer/pumper license or $5,000 for each pumper license and evidence that the security or bond will be continued through the license cycle and satisfies all other requirements of section (7) of this rule. (c) The applicable license fee in OAR 340-071- 0140(6). (d) Evidence of certification as required in section (4) of this rule. (e) For pumper licenses: (A) A completed Sewage Pumping Equipment Description/Inspection form documenting inspection by an agent of all pumping equipment to be used for work under the license; and (B) On DEQ’s request, summary origin-destination pumping information for pumping services. (6) Transfer or amendment of license. DEQ may amend or transfer a valid sewage disposal service license to reflect changes in business name, ownership, or entity (e.g., from individual to partnership or corporation). Persons applying for a license transfer or amendment must submit the following to DEQ: (a) A complete application to transfer or amend the license with the applicable license fee in OAR 340-071-0140(6); (b) A rider to an existing bond or a new form of security as required in subsection (5)(b) of this rule; (c) The valid sewage disposal service license (not suspended, revoked, or expired) being transferred or amended; (d) For business name changes, a new Sewage Pumping Equipment Description/Inspection form for each vehicle to be used for work under the license; and (e) For installer licenses, evidence of certification as required in section (4) of this rule. (7) Security requirements. (a) Security this rule requires may be any of the following. (A) A surety bond executed in favor of the State of Oregon on a form the Attorney General approved and DEQ provides. The bond must be issued by a surety company licensed by the Insurance Commissioner of Oregon. A surety bond must require at least 45 days’ notice to DEQ before cancellation is effective and must otherwise remain in effect for at least two years after the sewage disposal service license terminates, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. (B) An insured savings account irrevocably assigned to DEQ with interest earned by such account made payable to the depositor. (C) Negotiable securities of a character approved by the State Treasurer irrevocably assigned to DEQ with interest earned on deposited securities made payable to the depositor. (b) Any deposit of cash or negotiable securities under ORS 454.705 must remain in effect for at least two years following termination of the sewage disposal service license except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. A claim against such security deposits must be submitted in writing to DEQ with an authenticated copy of: (A) The court judgment or order requiring payment of the claim; or (B) Written authority by the depositor for DEQ to pay the claim. (c) When proceedings under ORS 454.705 have been commenced while the security required is in effect, such security must be held until final disposition of the proceedings is made. At that time claims will be referred for consideration of payment from the security so held. (8) Licensee responsibilities. Each licensee: (a) Is responsible for violations of any statute, rule, or order of the commission or DEQ pertaining to the licensed business. (b) Is responsible for any act or omission of any servant, agent, employee, or representative of such licensee that violates any statute, rule, or order concerning the license privileges. (c) Must deliver written notice, before completing licensed services, to each person: (A) The rights of the recipient included in ORS 454.705(2); and (B) The name and address of the surety company that has executed the bond required by ORS 454.705(1); or (C) A statement that the licensee has deposited cash or negotiable securities for the benefit of DEQ to compensate any person injured by the licensee’s failure to comply with ORS 454.605 to 454.745 and rules of this division. (d) Inform DEQ of changes that affect the license, such as changes in the business, ownership, or entity (e.g., changes from individual to partnership or corporation). (9) Misuse of license. (a) A sewage disposal service licensee may not allow anyone to perform sewage disposal services under its license except the licensee’s employees. (b) A licensee may not: (A) Display or cause or permit to be displayed any license that is fictitious, revoked, suspended, or fraudulently altered; (B) Fail or refuse to surrender to DEQ any license that has been suspended or revoked. (C) Give false or fictitious information or knowingly conceal a material fact or otherwise commit a fraud in any license application or any other activities associated with the license. (10) Denial, suspension, or revocation of licenses. (a) DEQ may refuse to grant, renew, or reinstate or may suspend or revoke any sewage disposal service license under procedures in ORS 183.310 to 183.540 if it finds: (A) A material misrepresentation or false statement in connection with a license application; (B) Failure to comply with any provisions of ORS 454.605 through 454.785, the rules of the commission, or an order of the commission or DEQ; (C) Failure to maintain in effect at all times the required bond or other approved equivalent security in the full amount specified in these rules; or (D) Nonpayment by drawee of any instrument the applicant tendered as payment of a license fee. (b) Whenever a license is suspended or revoked or expires, the licensee must remove the license from display and remove all DEQ-issued labels from equipment used for work under the license. Within 14 days after suspension or revocation, the licensee must surrender the suspended or revoked license and certify in writing to DEQ that all DEQ- issued labels have been removed from all equipment. (c) A sewage disposal service business may not be considered for re-licensure for a period of at least one year after DEQ revokes its license. (d) A suspended license may be reinstated if: (A) The licensee submits to DEQ a complete application for reinstatement of license accompanied by the applicable license fee in OAR 340-071-0140(6); (B) The grounds for suspension have been corrected; and (C) The original license would not have otherwise expired. (11) Requirements for pumping vehicles and equipment. A licensee who pumps onsite systems must ensure that all pumping vehicles and equipment comply with the following requirements. (a) Tanks used for pumping or transporting septage must: (A) Have a liquid capacity of at least 550 gallons, except that tanks for equipment used exclusively for pumping chemical toilets not exceeding 80 gallons capacity must have a liquid capacity of at least 150 gallons; (B) Be of watertight metal construction; (C) Be fully enclosed; and (D) Have suitable covers to prevent spillage. (b) Vehicles used for pumping or transporting septage must be equipped with either a vacuum or other type of pump that is self-priming and will not allow seepage from the diaphragm or other packing glands. (c) The sewage hose on vehicles must be drained, capped, and stored in a manner that will not create a public health hazard or nuisance. (d) The discharge nozzle must be: (A) Provided with either a camlock quick coupling or threaded screw cap; (B) Sealed by threaded cap or quick coupling when not in use; (C) Located to minimize flow or drip onto any portion of the vehicle; (D) Protected from accidental damage or breakage. (e) Pumping equipment must not have spreader gates unless permitted to land apply alkaline-stabilized septage under chapter 340, division 050. (f) Each vehicle must at all times be supplied with a pressurized wash-water tank, disinfectant, and implements for cleanup. (g) Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this section or otherwise authorized in writing by the agent, pumping equipment must be used exclusively for pumping sewage disposal facilities. (h) The following may be pumped or serviced using pumping equipment without written authorization, whether or not they are connected to an onsite system or a centralized community sewer system: pump stations, lift stations, food grease tanks, vaults or tanks used for domestic sewage not contaminated with industrial or hazardous waste, and spills and backups of uncontaminated domestic sewage. (i) Chemical toilet pumping equipment may not be used for any other purpose if the pump tank has a liquid capacity of less than 550 gallons. (j) Equipment must be maintained in a reasonably clean condition at all times and must be operated in a manner that does not create a public health hazard or nuisance. (12) Vehicle identification. The onsite sewage disposal services licensee must identify vehicles as follows. (a) The licensee's name or assumed business name must be displayed on both sides of the vehicle or the attached tank and on both sides of a tank trailer. (A) Letters and numbers must be at least 3 inches high unless DEQ authorizes otherwise. (B) Letters and numbers must be in a color contrasting with the background. (b) Tank capacity must be printed on both sides of the tank. (A) Letters and numbers must be at least 3 inches high unless DEQ authorizes otherwise. (B) Letters and numbers must be in a color contrasting with the background. (c) DEQ-issued labels for each current license period must be displayed at all times at the front and rear and on each side of the vehicle. Labels must be returned to DEQ when a vehicle is no longer being used in conjunction with pumping under a sewage disposal service license. (13) Septage management requirements. The licensee and all persons managing septage: (a) Must avoid spilling sewage or septage during pumping, cleaning, or transport and must immediately clean up any spill and disinfect the spill area. (b) Must dispose of septage and sewage only in DEQ-approved disposal facilities. (c) At all times during pumping, transport, or disposal of septage, must possess origin- destination records for sewage disposal services rendered. (d) Must maintain on file for at least three years complete origin-destination records for sewage disposal services rendered. The records must be made available for review upon the request of DEQ. Origin-destination records must include the following information for each pumping, transport, and disposal occurrence: (A) Source of septage, including name and address; (B) Specific type of material pumped; (C) Quantity of material pumped; (D) Name and location of disposal site where septage was deposited; (E) Quantity of material deposited; and (F) The license numbers or vehicle numbers assigned by the licensee for all vehicles or trailers used for pumping, transport, and disposal. (e) Must transport septage in a manner that will not create a public health hazard or nuisance. (f) Must possess a current DEQ-approved septage management plan. The plan must be kept current, with any revisions approved by DEQ before implementation. (g) Must comply with the approved septage management plan and the DEQ-issued septage management plan approval letter. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 454.615, 454.625 & 468.020 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 454.615, 454.625 & 468.020 History: DEQ 29-2025, amend filed 10/01/2025, effective 01/01/2026 DEQ 15-2017, amend filed 10/31/2017, effective 11/01/2017 DEQ 14-2013, f. 12-20-13, cert. ef. 1-2-14 DEQ 11-2004, f. 12-22-04, cert. ef. 3-1-05 DEQ 16-1999, f. & cert. ef. 12-29-99 DEQ 12-1997, f. & cert. ef. 6-19-97 Reverted to DEQ 27-1994, f. 11-15-94, cert. ef. 4-1-95 DEQ 10-1996(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-16-96 DEQ 27-1994, f. 11-15-94, cert. ef. 4-1-95 DEQ 15-1986, f. & ef. 8-6-86 DEQ 9-1984, f. & ef. 5-29-84 DEQ 8-1983, f. & ef. 5-25-83 DEQ 5-1982, f. & ef. 3-9-82 DEQ 32-1981(Temp), f. & ef. 12-8-81 DEQ 10-1981, f. & ef. 3-20-81