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Minnesota Pollution Control Agency <br />www.pca.state.mn.us <br />Requirements for city and township SSTS programs <br />The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will be working with city and township Subsurface <br />Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) Program administrators more closely in the coming years to ensure <br />that SSTS are systematically and effectively regulated. The following information outlines requirements <br />for city and township programs. <br />Minn. Stat. 115.55 subp. 2 states cities and townships may choose to regulate septic systems. Counties <br />are mandated to administer SSTS programs whenever there is no city or township program. This same <br />statute requires that city and township SSTS programs must be at least as stringent as their county's <br />program; however, if the county has adopted Alternative Local Standards (standards less stringent than <br />state rules and only allowed in specific situations), that option is not available to cities and townships. In <br />such cases, city and township ordinances must follow Minn. R. ch. 7080-7081 or be more stringent. <br />Minnesota law requires counties to amend their ordinances to include the 2011 MPCA SSTS rules by <br />February. 4, 2014. Minn. R. ch. 7082 allows cities and townships another year after the county to update <br />their ordinances. The year starts on the date of the county adoption. <br />At a glance -all SSTS programs (county, city and township) must: <br />• Have an administrator who has received the required training <br />• Adopt an ordinance that meets MPCA requirements <br />• Review SSTS permit applications for compliance with the rules <br />• Issue permits for SSTS construction <br />• Inspect SSTS at time of construction <br />• Issue certificates of compliance for newly -constructed or repaired SSTS <br />• Keep required records <br />• Provide the MPCA with annual reports with specific information <br />• Enforce compliance with their ordinance when noncompliance is found <br />Local units of government can contract for design review and construction <br />inspection services <br />Care must be taken to avoid conflicts of interest <br />State rules prohibit a contracted designer or inspector from designing a system and then approving the <br />design. Rules also prohibit a contracted inspector from installing a system and then approving the <br />installation (assuming the inspector holds all appropriate licenses). <br />Minnesota Pollution Control Agency <br />651-296-6300 I 800-657-3864 I TTY 651-282-5332 or 800-657-3864 <br />April 2013 I wq-wwistss2-39 <br />Available in alternative formats <br />