Does anyone know for sure the legal status of (non-septic-system) gray water drains in their local areas? Or where a good place might be to look, ah... "anonomously"?
I have not been able to find a definitive answer to this for existing homes for Pennsylvania anywhere online. I'm sure the local SEO would know, but he's the last person I want to alert at the moment.
I have an upcoming subdivision request that will require the SEO to perform a dye test and inspection on the existing system. Currently, only the true "blackwater" drains to the septic - everything else goes "out back somewhere" in best 100-year-old farmhouse tradition. It would be a bit of work but not insurmountable to reroute things in the basement prior to the test to all go to the septic if that's required. However, since older family members "are sure" that the existing septic system is very limited in capacity - I don't want to do this if it's not actually (legally) required.
I can deal with working with the gray water if I can keep that seperate and still "be legal". This system has been this way for decades and generations. I know that separate black and gray water handling systems are approved for certain "alternative" on-lot treatment systems in new construction, but no where I've found does it spell out the deal for existing older homes.
Ideas?
Tim