2008 Issue

www.utahengineerscouncil.org 18 Management, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Biosolids and Residuals Management, Storm Water Management, Water Quality Management (including Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLs), Water Quality Standards, SourceWater Assessment and Protection, Underground Injection Con- trol, Coastal Zone Management, Nonpoint Source Control Program, The guidelines also emphasized the need for trained designers, installers and operators. In response to this issue, the State Legislature adopted a certification and training program, administered by the department in partner- ship with the Utah State University in Logan, Utah. In 2002, certification of onsite system designers, installers and operators became a requirement. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION The Utah Water Pollution Control Act empowers the Water Quality Board to promulgate rules related to individual and clustered wastewater disposal systems. Utah Division of Water Quality, a division within Utah Department of Environment Quality, acts as a staff to the board and develops rules. In partnership with twelve local health departments, individual onsite systems are re- viewed, approved, inspected and monitored. Local health departments are delegated approval authority for all individual onsite domestic wastewater systems. The executive secretary of the board, also the director of the division, approves cluster or community type and individual onsite non-domestic wastewa- ter systems. The relationship among agencies is shown in Figures 1 and 2. PROGRAM ELEMENTS The rules for individual onsite wastewater systems are essentially prescriptive except in few instances where a designer with adequate justification may propose a system for review and approval by the local health department and the Utah Water Quality Board. Nor- mally, the best professional judgment exer- Figure 2, Admistrative Setup DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS— continued