July 1, 202 — This memorandum serves to notify all Licensed Septic Installers of immediate changes to the review and approval of septic applications and permits in Anne Arundel County. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has required the following procedural changes take place effective immediately for all Septic Permits and Septic Applications:
For all repair septic applications, including but not limited to BAT Unit only applications, Conventional Tank only applications and Innovative and Alternative Septic Systems, site plans will be required to be submitted and approved by the Approving Authority (Department of Health) prior to the installation of any part of the septic system. The Department of Health will conduct the perc test in the field with the contractor as done previously, and then provide a site plan requirement letter to the property owner, applicant and the septic contractor. This letter will recommend the minimum septic requirements required for the property. It is the property owner’s responsibility to determine who will create and submit the site plan for the design to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health for review.
Site plans should include:
- locations of any house or structures on the property and all adjoining, neighboring properties
- any Stormwater Management Devices
- swimming pools
- location and tag number of all water wells within 100 feet of the property
- existing septic system location
- all perc test locations
- layout/design of the proposed septic system
- public water line if served by public water
- water main in the street if served by public water
- property lines
- easements
- right of ways
- anything that can impede the installation of the septic system must be shown (e.g., steep slopes, concrete slabs, large trees)
- 100’ minimum distance between any part of the septic and a waterway is still required (variance is still possible).
- Site plans must be signed and dated by the preparer. Every site plan must include a note that states, “The installer is responsible for verifying that all parts of the system will be installed on the property.”
There will now also be a change in the process for perc and installing dry wells due to this change from MDE. In order to do a perc and install dry well, a site plan will have to be submitted to the Department of Health and a field review done by the Department before approval can be given to proceed with the perc and install process.
Conventional tank only permits will no longer be an automatic issuance due to this change. Site plans and the application for a tank only will have to be submitted to the Department, reviewed and then approved before a tank only installation permit can be issued.
Site plans must be legible and all dimensions either to engineer’s scale or each measurement dimensioned on the site plan itself. The Department will not be doing any site plan design or creation. Submit site plans to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at 3 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401 or email the Environmental Health Specialist that conducted the perc test on the site. Please reference the percolation test application number or permit number for each site plan.
For questions or concerns, you may contact the Department of Health at 410-222-7193.