Sec. 22-101. Definitions

Absorptive Trench shall mean a trench ranging from twelve (12) inches to thirty-six (36) inches in width with a minimum of twelve (12) inches of clean coarse aggregate and a distribution pipe, and covered with a minimum of twelve (12) inches of earth cover.

Chemical Toilet shall mean a toilet which directs human wastes into a deodorizing and liquefying chemical in a watertight tank.

Community Sewerage System shall mean any system, whether publicly or privately owned, serving two (2) or more individual lots for the collection and disposal of sewage or other wastes of a liquid nature, including various devices for the treatment of such sewage and wastes.

Deep Trench shall mean an absorptive trench greater than or equal to a depth of five (5) feet below ground grade.

Disposal Field shall mean an area used for distributing the effluent discharged from an individual sewage treatment device for absorption into the soil.

Health Officer shall mean the duly appointed Health Officer of Prince George's County, Maryland, or his/her authorized representative.

Holding Tank shall mean a part of a special method of sewage retention and disposal. A holding tank shall consist of a watertight pit or tank to receive the sewage and shall be of sufficient capacity to retain at least a one (1) week's volume of such flow.

Individual Sewerage System shall mean a single system of sewers and piping, treatment tanks, or other facilities serving only a single lot and disposing of sewage or other wastes of a liquid nature, in whole or in part, on or in the soil of the property, into any waters of this State, or by other methods.

Industrial Waste shall mean any liquid, gaseous, solid, or other waste substance, or combination thereof, resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, or business, or from the development of any natural resource, including agriculture.

Lot shall mean a designated lot or parcel on a recorded subdivision plat, or a parcel of land used as a building site or intended to be used for building purposes, whether immediate or future.

Lot Width shall mean the distance between the side lot lines measured at the front building line.

Percolation Rate shall mean the time in minutes for water in a test hole to fall one (1) inch after prewetting.

Potable Water shall mean water free from impurities in amounts sufficient to cause disease or harmful physiological effects.

Privy shall mean an earth or watertight pit or receptacle for receiving nonwater-carried human body wastes over which is placed a privy house containing a seat or seats. For the purpose of these regulations, privies are considered an on-site sewage disposal system.

Recovery Area shall mean area reserved for the sole purpose of the installation of initial and future sewage disposal systems.

Remodel shall mean the extension or relocation of a sewage disposal system or its appurtenances, additions to the system, or any other action which changes the nature or configuration of a system for the purpose of correcting a sewage disposal nuisance.

Repairs shall mean the replacement of any defective part or appurtenance of a sewage disposal system which does not alter the size or configuration of the system, and which is intended to correct a malfunction or to improve the efficiency of operation of the system.

Seepage Bed shall mean a bed exceeding thirty-six (36) inches in width with a minimum of twelve (12) inches of clean coarse aggregate and a system of distribution piping through which treated sewage may seep into the surrounding soil.

Seepage Pit or Dry Well shall mean a pit extending into the porous soil strata through which septic tank effluent may seep or leach into surrounding soil.

Septic Tank shall mean a watertight receptacle which receives the discharge of a building sanitary drainage system or part thereof, exclusive of industrial wastes, and is designed and constructed so as to separate solids from the liquid, digest organic matter through a period of detention, prior to subsurface discharge.

Sewage shall mean the water-carried human wastes created in and carried, or to be carried away from residences, hotels, schools, hospitals, industrial establishments, commercial establishments or any other private or public building, together with such domestic and other wastes as may be present.

Sewage Disposal Nuisance shall mean a condition where the contents of any sewage disposal system are accessible to humans, flies, animals, surface drainage, or are endangering a water supply or is detrimental to health in any way.

Shallow Trench shall mean an absorptive trench not less than two (2) feet but less than five (5) feet in depth.

Static Groundwater Level shall mean the level of the groundwater reached in a water table observation hole after twenty-four (24) hours.

Subdivision shall mean the division (by plat or deed) of a single tract, tracts, or other parcels of land, or a part thereof, into two (2) or more lots, for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale or of building development, (including changes in street lines or lot lines) and shall be in conformance with the provisions of Subtitle 24 of this Code.

Upgrade shall mean the extension or relocation of a sewage disposal system or its appurtenances, additions to the system, or any action which changes the nature or configuration of a system for the purpose of accommodating a change in the structure being served by the sewage disposal system, or a change in the use of the structure which results in an increase in the sewage flow.