EPA Guidelines for Management of Onsite/Decentralized Wastewater Systems
EPA has developed voluntary onsite septic system management guidelines (pdf) that can be adapted for local conditions. The guidelines were developed with input from the public and private sectors stakeholders in response to recurring onsite system failures and associated public health and water resource risks.
The guidelines describe a series of five progressive management tiers and key program elements for each tier. The tiers range from programs that maintain simple system inventories and provide basic information on maintenance to programs that own, operate, and manage systems in a manner similar to centralized sewage treatment plants.
Local communities can use the guidelines to develop a program tailored to local conditions, adjusting for water resource sensitivities, the types of systems in use, system densities, and the availability of operation/maintenance services.
In addition to the EPA voluntary guidelines document listed, please see the EPA presentation which gives an overview of the program, the five management models, and additional resources: EPA Guidelines Overview (pdf).