sc septic UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
APPLICANT - CORRECT ANSWER - - A property owner, general contractor or agent
representing the property owner, or developer who seeks a permit to construct and operate an
onsite wastewater system.
ACCESSIBILITY - CORRECT ANSWER - S.C. Code Sections 44-55-1410 and 5-31-
2010 authorizes county and municipal governments to determine if a wastewater treatment
facility is accessible to properties. Where annexation or easements to cross adjacent property are
required to connect to a wastewater treatment facility, the wastewater treatment facility shall not
be considered accessible.
ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM - CORRECT ANSWER - A system incorporating design
modifications of the proposed subsurface wastewater infiltration trench area or geometry for the
purpose of achieving compliance with required setbacks and offset to the zone of saturation
and/or restrictive horizons. No such system shall be utilized unless the Department has
established a specific standard.
ALTERNATIVE INFILTRATION TRENCH PRODUCTS- - CORRECT ANSWER --
Products specifically designed to replace or eliminate the aggregate typically utilized in
subsurface infiltration trenches. Such products must be approved for use by the Department and
must adhere to required equivalency values established herein
COLOR CHARTS - CORRECT ANSWER - Munsell System or equivalent) - Charts
bearing various color chips established by a recognized color system which use three elements—
hue, value, and chroma—to make up a specific color notation. The notation is recorded if the
form of hue, value, and chroma (e.g. 10YR 5/6). The three attributes of color are arranged in the
system in orderly scales of equal visual steps, which are used to measure and describe color
accurately under standard conditions of illumination by comparing soil samples to color chips on
various charts.
CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM - CORRECT ANSWER - An onsite wastewater system that
utilizes a network of conventional wastewater infiltration trenches installed in the naturally
occurring soil for the treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater.
, CRITICAL AREA - CORRECT ANSWER - S. C. Code Section 48-39-10(J) defines
critical area as the following: 1) coastal waters; 2) tidelands; 3) beaches; 4) beach/dune systems
which are the areas from the mean high-water mark to the setback line as determined in S. C.
Code Section 48-39-280.
CURTAIN DRAIN - CORRECT ANSWER - A subsurface interceptor drain that is
installed to collect and redirect seasonal groundwater as it flows through the soil profile to an
appropriate discharge point
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER OR SEWAGE - CORRECT ANSWER - The untreated
liquid and solid human body waste and the liquids generated by water-using fixtures and
appliances, including those associated with food service operations. For the purposes of this
regulation, domestic wastewater shall not include industrial process wastewater.
EFFLUENT - CORRECT ANSWER - The liquid discharged from a septic tank, effluent
pump station, or other sewage treatment device.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WATERS - CORRECT ANSWER - Outstanding
resource waters (ORW), Shellfish Harvesting Waters (SFH), and Trout-Natural Waters (TN) as
defined in R.61-68 and classified in R.61- 69, and including lakes greater than forty (40) acres in
size and the Atlantic Ocean, regardless of their classifications in R.61-69.
EXISTING SYSTEM - - CORRECT ANSWER - - An onsite wastewater system, which
has received final construction approval or has been serving a legally occupied residence or
structure.
EXPANSIVE SOILS - - CORRECT ANSWER - Soils containing significant amounts of
expansible-layer clay minerals (smectites) as evidenced in the field by classifications of "Very
Sticky," "Very Plastic" and where "Slickensides" are present when evaluated in accordance with
the Field Book. Such soil horizons are considered to be restrictive for onsite wastewater systems.
CORRECT Answers
APPLICANT - CORRECT ANSWER - - A property owner, general contractor or agent
representing the property owner, or developer who seeks a permit to construct and operate an
onsite wastewater system.
ACCESSIBILITY - CORRECT ANSWER - S.C. Code Sections 44-55-1410 and 5-31-
2010 authorizes county and municipal governments to determine if a wastewater treatment
facility is accessible to properties. Where annexation or easements to cross adjacent property are
required to connect to a wastewater treatment facility, the wastewater treatment facility shall not
be considered accessible.
ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM - CORRECT ANSWER - A system incorporating design
modifications of the proposed subsurface wastewater infiltration trench area or geometry for the
purpose of achieving compliance with required setbacks and offset to the zone of saturation
and/or restrictive horizons. No such system shall be utilized unless the Department has
established a specific standard.
ALTERNATIVE INFILTRATION TRENCH PRODUCTS- - CORRECT ANSWER --
Products specifically designed to replace or eliminate the aggregate typically utilized in
subsurface infiltration trenches. Such products must be approved for use by the Department and
must adhere to required equivalency values established herein
COLOR CHARTS - CORRECT ANSWER - Munsell System or equivalent) - Charts
bearing various color chips established by a recognized color system which use three elements—
hue, value, and chroma—to make up a specific color notation. The notation is recorded if the
form of hue, value, and chroma (e.g. 10YR 5/6). The three attributes of color are arranged in the
system in orderly scales of equal visual steps, which are used to measure and describe color
accurately under standard conditions of illumination by comparing soil samples to color chips on
various charts.
CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM - CORRECT ANSWER - An onsite wastewater system that
utilizes a network of conventional wastewater infiltration trenches installed in the naturally
occurring soil for the treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater.
, CRITICAL AREA - CORRECT ANSWER - S. C. Code Section 48-39-10(J) defines
critical area as the following: 1) coastal waters; 2) tidelands; 3) beaches; 4) beach/dune systems
which are the areas from the mean high-water mark to the setback line as determined in S. C.
Code Section 48-39-280.
CURTAIN DRAIN - CORRECT ANSWER - A subsurface interceptor drain that is
installed to collect and redirect seasonal groundwater as it flows through the soil profile to an
appropriate discharge point
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER OR SEWAGE - CORRECT ANSWER - The untreated
liquid and solid human body waste and the liquids generated by water-using fixtures and
appliances, including those associated with food service operations. For the purposes of this
regulation, domestic wastewater shall not include industrial process wastewater.
EFFLUENT - CORRECT ANSWER - The liquid discharged from a septic tank, effluent
pump station, or other sewage treatment device.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WATERS - CORRECT ANSWER - Outstanding
resource waters (ORW), Shellfish Harvesting Waters (SFH), and Trout-Natural Waters (TN) as
defined in R.61-68 and classified in R.61- 69, and including lakes greater than forty (40) acres in
size and the Atlantic Ocean, regardless of their classifications in R.61-69.
EXISTING SYSTEM - - CORRECT ANSWER - - An onsite wastewater system, which
has received final construction approval or has been serving a legally occupied residence or
structure.
EXPANSIVE SOILS - - CORRECT ANSWER - Soils containing significant amounts of
expansible-layer clay minerals (smectites) as evidenced in the field by classifications of "Very
Sticky," "Very Plastic" and where "Slickensides" are present when evaluated in accordance with
the Field Book. Such soil horizons are considered to be restrictive for onsite wastewater systems.
