Maine Subsurface Wastewater Program
Maine is a predominantly rural state, and relies heavily on decentralized sewage disposal facilities for disposal of human waste, i.e., septic systems. The State of Maine has regulated septic systems since 1926, to varying degrees. Over the years, the Maine State Plumbing Code, Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules (Rules) in their various versions have been administered by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MCDCP) and its predecessors.
The MCDCP has been, and continues to be, responsible for the Rules because they have historically been viewed as a public health code, rather than an environmental regulation.
The Subsurface Wastewater Program within the MCDCP's Division of Environmental Health is the program which promulgates and administers the Rules. Our mission is to minimize health and safety hazards associated with improperly installed subsurface waste water disposal systems.
What's New at the Subsurface Wastewater Program
2010 Tentative Schedule for Maine Site Evaluator Examinations
The schedule for the 2010 Site Evlauator written and field exams have been tentatively set. Learn more.
Subsurface Wastewater Program Merges with Drinking Water Program
The Subsurface Wastewater Program’s technical staff, Douglas Coombs LSE, PLS, CPE, James Jacobsen, ES IV, and Brent Lawson LPI, LSE, Master Plumber, will function as a technical unit of the Water Resources Team led by Andy Tolman C.G. Wendy Austin and Lorraine Martin will continue to provide administrative support to the Subsurface Wastewater Unit. Learn more.
UMaine Extension Publications
UMaine Extension Publications Distribution Center, including several publications about septic systems.
Russell Martin Retires
Effective September 1, 2009 Russell Martin retired from the position of Director of the Subsurface Wastewater Program.
Summer 2009 Newsletter
The Program has published the Summer 2009 Newsletter. It is available as an HTML page and as a downloadable Adobe PDF file. Download a free Acrobat Reader.
Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules Adopted
The Division has adopted revised Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, pursuant to a public hearing and public comments there from. The effective date is August 1, 2009. Download the Rules as an Adobe PDF file. Download a free Acrobat Reader.
The revised Rules will be posted on the Secretary of State's web site as soon as possible. The Division has prepared a Responsiveness Summary as well, addressing the specific changes and comments received.
2009 Training Videos
The Subsurface Wastewater Program's 2009 training presentations are now available for downloading as videos. They are in Microsoft Windows Movie format (*.WMV). Please note that these do not include presentations by other participants in the training sessions.
Recently Approved Products
View the list of approved products.
SOLO OT-40
BIONEST Technologies, Inc., SOLO OT-40 advanced treatment units, 170, 6ième Avenue, Grand-Mère, Québec, G9T 2G6, CANADA. These are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) pursuant to ANSI/NSF Standard 40 for residential wastewater treatment systems. http://www.bionest.ca/en
Tuf-Tite
The Division has approved the Tuf-Tite, Inc. product line of septic tank risers, distribution boxes, and NSF Standard 46 compliant effluent filters for use in Maine.
Aero-Tech
The Aero-Tech Models consist of a fiberglass tank with integral aeration-mixing, and settling areas. The device is designed to treat 500 to 1,500 gallons of wastewater per day, according to specific model. According to the information you provided, the Aero-Tech Model AT-500, AT-600, AT-750, AT-1000, and AT-1500 have been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) pursuant to ANSI/NSF Standard 40 for residential wastewater treatment systems.
ICC Technologies, LLC Flowtech
The Flowtech consists of a four inch diameter perforated plastic pipe encased in a cylinder. The cylinder is comprised of non-woven geotetextile fabric on the upper 180 degrees and plastic mesh on the lower 180 degrees. The space between the cylinder and the pipe is filled with expanded polystyrene aggregate. The units range from five feet to 20 feet in length. Further, cylinders without a central pipe are added to create a bed configuration.
Updated 11/13/09
