Manufacturers may seek wastewater approval through certification testing

The Department must approve an eligible application for innovative wastewater system status after verifying the required testing and plans. The route covers manufacturers of on-site wastewater systems that have not been evaluated or approved as provisional systems under state law. The system must have been approved under a protocol set by a nationally recognized certification body, found to perform acceptably under that protocol, and designed and installed consistently with the approved system. The testing data must include at least 55 influent and effluent data sets covering required substances, gathered over at least 26 weeks with sampling each week, and meet state effluent standards. If the proposal uses separate disinfection technology approved by a nationally recognized certification body, fecal coliform data are not required. This route does not apply when a manufacturer seeks approval for both an advanced pretreatment system and a dispersal system. If enacted, the act would apply to innovative system approval applications filed on or after it becomes law.

A professional engineer may use advanced pretreatment technology that North Carolina has not yet approved when designing a proposed wastewater system. This applies to professional engineers designing proposed on-site wastewater systems. The engineer must use recognized engineering practices, follow applicable Commission rules, and include the information those rules require in the engineer's findings.