South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-9 - Water Pollution Control Permits › Subchapter 61-9.505 - LAND APPLICATION PERMITS AND STATE PERMITS › Part A - DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS › Section 61-9.505.A.2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
(a) The definitions
				  contained in R.61-9.122, R.61-9.124,
				  R.61-9.125, R.61-9.129, R.61-9.133, R.61-9.403, R.61-9.503 and R.61-9.504 apply
				  to this regulation. Terms not defined in this section or sections referenced
				  previously have the meaning given by the PCA.
(b) Definitions:
(1) "Agricultural waste facility" means any
				  collection, treatment, disposal or recycling activity involving livestock (such
				  as cattle, poultry, swine and turkeys), dogs, horses, pigeons, quail, or other
				  birds and animals including any activity with the production of manures, dead
				  birds or litter.
(2) "Aquifer"
				  means a geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation that
				  contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield usable quantities of
				  groundwater to springs or wells.
(3) "Background groundwater analysis" means
				  the chemical or biological quality of groundwater before application of
				  wastewater or sludge; or the groundwater chemistry or biological quality
				  up-gradient to the site of concern.
(4) "Basin or lagoon" means any in-ground or
				  earthen structure designed to receive, treat, store, temporarily retain and/or
				  allow for the infiltration/evaporation of wastewater.
(5) "Down-gradient" means the portion of the
				  water table that is down the hydraulic slope of the water table with respect to
				  a specific area or point of reference.
(6) "Evaporation basin" means a basin
				  designed specifically for the atmospheric or enhanced evaporation of
				  liquid.
(7) "Groundwater" means
				  water below the land surface found in fractured rock or various soil
				  strata.
(8) "Groundwaters of the
				  State" means all sources of groundwater wholly, partially, or bordering the
				  State of South Carolina or within its jurisdiction.
(9) "Hydraulic loading" means the rate at
				  which liquid is applied to the land per unit area. The term "application rate"
				  may be used for "hydraulic loading".
(10) "Hydrogeologic characteristics" means
				  the physical properties of the subsurface and its interaction with the
				  hydraulic properties of groundwater (e.g., migration or
				  infiltration).
(11) "Infiltration"
				  means the flow of water downward from the land surface into and through the
				  soil.
(12) "Land" for the purpose
				  of this regulation means the soil and rock above the water table aquifer and
				  the ground surface.
(13) "Land
				  Application" means use and/or disposal of treated wastewater, sewage sludge,
				  industrial sludge, septage, or additional sources (see
				  R.61-9.505.1(b)(2)(b)(2)) to the land.
(14) "Land Application Permit" refers to a
				  permit issued by the Department applicable to a treatment system, source or
				  site with no resulting discharge to surface waters of the State.
(15) "Land of the State" means all land
				  surface which is wholly or partially within the State of South Carolina or
				  within its jurisdiction.
(16) "Land
				  slope" means the rate of increase or decrease of elevation over a given linear
				  distance.
(17) "Land surface" means
				  the area of land open to the atmosphere.
(18) [Reserved]
(19) "New or expansions" means a facility or
				  land application site that is: new and has not been permitted (including
				  existing sites such as golf courses that have not been used for effluent
				  disposal); an increase (either in quantity or loading) in pollutant disposal to
				  the facility or land application site; a change in the pollutant disposal to
				  the facility or land application site (such as the introduction of a new
				  pollutant in the effluent); or expansions (in physical size, or hydraulic
				  loading) of existing permitted facilities or land application sites. The term
				  "new or expanding" may also be used.
(20) "Monitoring well" means any well used to
				  sample groundwater for water quality analysis or to measure groundwater
				  levels.
(21) "Percolation pond"
				  means any lagoon, basin or constructed impoundment having a leakage rate in
				  excess of 500 gallons/day/acre.
(22) "Permeability" means the capacity of
				  soil, rock, or other material to transmit fluids.
(23) "Pollutant":
(i) Means filter backwash, sewage, sewage
				  sludge, industrial sludge, septage, or industrial, municipal, agricultural and
				  domestic waste.
(ii) Does not mean
				  water, gas, or other material which is injected into a well to facilitate
				  production of oil or gas, or water derived in association with oil and gas
				  production and disposed of in a well, if the well used either to facilitate
				  production or for disposal purposes is approved by authority of the State in
				  which the well is located, and if the State determines that the injection or
				  disposal will not result in the degradation of groundwater or surface water
				  resources.
(24) "Potable
				  water well" means a well that supplies drinking water for human
				  consumption.
(25)
				  [Reserved]
(26) "Restrictive soil
				  horizon" means the top of the most impermeable soil layer
				  encountered.
(27) "Seasonal high
				  water table" means the highest water table as determined in the soil profile by
				  the encountered indications of soil mottling or iron concretions or by
				  measuring seasonal fluctuations of the water table in a water table well over a
				  period acceptable to the Department.
(28) "Spray field" means a specified area
				  where properly treated wastes, treated effluent from process, agricultural or
				  domestic wastewater, sewage sludge, industrial sludge or other sources is
				  applied to the land. The terms "application area", "application site", or
				  "spray disposal area" may also be used.
(29) "Soil boring" means any hand-or
				  mechanically-powered method by which samples of the subsurface can be retrieved
				  for characterization or description.
(30) "Source" means any discernible
				  conveyance, including but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel,
				  conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, or mobile equipment
				  (such as sludge application truck or device), from which pollutants are or may
				  be discharged. This term does not include return flows from irrigated
				  agriculture.
(31) "State permit"
				  refers to a permit issued by the Department for other sources covered by this
				  regulation (other than Land Application Permits) such as activities covered
				  under R.61-9.505.1(b)(2)(b)(2). The term "State Permit Program" may also be
				  used to describe the entire permit program under R.61-9.505.
(32) "Storage or holding basin" means any
				  basin designed to retain wastewater before, during or after treatment and would
				  not include waters of the State.
(33) "Tile field" means a specific area where
				  a network of soil adsorption trenches is installed below the land surface for
				  the purpose of providing final treatment and disposal of wastewater.
(34) [Reserved]
(35) "Treated wastewater" means properly
				  treated effluent from process or domestic wastewater, treated wastes from other
				  sources (see R.61-9.505.1(b)(2)(b)(2)) or treated effluent from a treatment
				  facility.
(36) "Up-gradient" means
				  the portion of the water table that is up the hydraulic slope of the water
				  table with respect to a specific area or point of reference.
(37) "Vadose zone" means the zone between the
				  land surface and the water table.
(38) "WWTP" means wastewater treatment
				  plant.
(39) "Water table" means the
				  level below the land surface at which all the voids are filled with water at a
				  pressure equal to atmospheric. The depth to the water level in the ground is to
				  be measured at least 24 hours after encountering it in a well.
(40) "Water table mound" means a high point
				  in the seasonal or normal water table which is artificially created by the
				  infiltration of liquid.
(41) "Well"
				  means any excavation which is cored, bored, drilled, jetted, dug, or otherwise
				  constructed and has a depth greater than its largest surface
				  diameter.
(42) "ND" or "No
				  Discharge" means land application. The terms "ND permit" or "No Discharge
				  permit" may be used for "Land Application permit".