2013 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 23 - Health and Safety
Chapter 23-19.15 - The Rhode Island Cesspool Act of 2007
Section 23-19.15-4 - Definitions.

§ 23-19.15-4 Definitions. – For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall mean:

(1) "Cesspool" means any buried chamber other than an individual sewage disposal system, including, but not limited to, any metal tank, perforated concrete vault or covered hollow or excavation, which receives discharges of sanitary sewage from a building for the purpose of collecting solids and discharging liquids to the surrounding soil.

(2) "Department" means the department of environmental management as established in chapter 17.1 of title 42.

(3) "Director" means the director of the department of environmental management or his or her designee.

(4) "Failed cesspool" means a cesspool where one or more of the following conditions exist: (i) the cesspool fails to accept or dispose of sewage, as evidenced by sewage at the ground surface above or adjacent to the cesspool, or in the building served; (ii) the liquid depth in a cesspool is less than six (6) inches from the inlet pipe invert; (iii) pumping is required more than two (2) times a year; (iv) the cesspool is shown to have contaminated a drinking water well or watercourse; or (v) there is shown to be direct contact between the bottom of the cesspool and the groundwater table.

(5) "Individual sewage disposal system" or "ISDS" means any system of piping, tanks, disposal areas, alternative toilets or other facilities designed to function as a unit to convey, store, treat and/or dispose of sanitary sewage, by means other than discharge into a public sewer system.

(6) "System inspector" means a person approved by the department as capable of properly assessing the condition of an ISDS.

History of Section.
(P.L. 2007, ch. 136, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 233, § 1.)