The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have
the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event--The maximum rainfall
event with a probable recurrence interval of once in 25 years, with
a duration of 24 hours as defined by the National Weather Service
in Technical Paper Number 40, Rainfall Frequency Atlas of the United
States, May 1961, and subsequent amendments, or equivalent regional
or state rainfall information developed from it.
(2) Active disposal unit--A disposal unit that has
not closed and/or is still receiving sewage sludge, biosolids, domestic
septage, or water treatment residuals.
(3) Aerobic digestion--The biochemical decomposition
of organic matter in sewage sludge into carbon dioxide, water, and
other by-products by microorganisms in the presence of free oxygen.
(4) Agricultural land--Land on which a food crop, a
feed crop, or a fiber crop is grown. This includes range land and
land used as pasture.
(5) Agricultural management unit--A portion of a land
application area contained within an identifiable boundary, such as
a river, fence, or road, where the area has a known crop or land use
history.
(6) Agronomic rate--The whole application rate (dry
weight basis) designed:
(A) to provide the amount of nitrogen needed by the
crop or vegetation grown on the land; and
(B) to minimize the amount of nitrogen that passes
below the root zone of the crop or vegetation to the groundwater.
(7) Anaerobic digestion--The biochemical decomposition
of organic matter in sewage sludge into methane gas, carbon dioxide,
and other by-products by microorganisms in the absence of free oxygen.
(8) Annual metal loading rate--The maximum amount of
a metal (dry weight basis) that can be applied to a land application
unit during a 365-day period.
(9) Annual whole application rate--The maximum amount
of biosolids, domestic septage, or water treatment residuals that
can be applied to a land application unit during a 365-day period.
(10) Applied uniformly--Land application conducted
in such a way that the agronomic rate is not exceeded anywhere in
the land application unit.
(11) Aquifer--A geologic formation, group of geologic
formations, or a portion of a geologic formation capable of yielding
groundwater to wells or springs.
(12) Base flood--A flood that has a 1% chance of occurring
in any given year.
(13) Beneficial use--The land application of biosolids
or domestic septage in a manner that complies with the requirements
of Subchapter B of this chapter (relating to Land Application and
Storage of Biosolids and Domestic Septage), or the land application
of water treatment residuals in a manner that complies with the requirements
of Subchapter F (relating to Land Application, Storage, and Disposal
of Water Treatment Residuals) and does not exceed the agronomic rate
for a food, fiber, feed, or turf crop, or any metal or toxic constituent
limitations that the food, fiber, feed, or turf crop may have. Land
application of biosolids, water treatment residuals, or domestic septage
at a rate below the optimal agronomic rate will be considered a beneficial
use.
(14) Beneficial use site--An area of land that contains
one or more land application units.
(15) Biosolids--Sewage sludge that has been treated
or processed to meet Class A, Class AB, or Class B pathogen standards
under this chapter for beneficial use.
(16) Bulk biosolids--Biosolids that are not sold or
given away in a bag or other container for land application.
(17) Certified nutrient management specialist--An organization
in Texas or an individual who is currently certified as a nutrient
management specialist through a United States Department of Agriculture-Natural
Resources Conservation Service recognized certification program.
(18) Class A biosolids--Biosolids meeting the metal
limits in §312.43(b)(1) and (3) of this title (relating to Metal
Limits) and the pathogen reduction requirements in §312.82(a)(1)(B)
of this title (relating to Pathogen Reduction).
(19) Class AB biosolids--Biosolids meeting the metal
limits in §312.43(b)(1) and (3) of this title (relating to Metal
Limits) and the pathogen reduction requirements in §312.82(a)(1)(A)
of this title (relating to Pathogen Reduction).
(20) Class B biosolids--Biosolids meeting the metal
limits in §312.43(b)(1) of this title (relating to Metal Limits)
and one of the pathogen reduction requirements in §312.82(b)
of this title (relating to Pathogen Reduction).
(21) Contaminate an aquifer--To introduce a substance
that causes the maximum contaminant level for nitrate in 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) §141.11, as amended, to be exceeded
in groundwater or that causes the existing concentration of nitrate
in groundwater to increase when the existing concentration of nitrate
in the groundwater already exceeds the maximum contaminate level for
nitrate in 40 CFR §141.11, as amended.
(22) Cover--Soil or other material used to cover sewage
sludge, biosolids, domestic septage, or water treatment residuals
placed on an active disposal unit.
(23) Cover crop--Grasses or small grain crop, such
as oats, wheat, or barley, not grown for harvest.
(24) Cumulative metal loading rate--The maximum amount
of an inorganic pollutant (dry weight basis) that may be applied to
a land application unit.
(25) Debris--Solid material such as rubber, plastic,
glass, or other trash that may pass through a wastewater treatment
process or sewage sludge or biosolids process. Also, material that
may be collected with domestic septage. This solid material is visibly
distinguishable from sewage sludge, biosolids, and domestic septage.
This material does not include grit or screenings removed during the
preliminary treatment of domestic sewage at a treatment works, nor
does it include grit trap waste.
(26) Density of microorganisms--The number of microorganisms
per unit mass of total solids (dry weight basis) in the sewage sludge
or biosolids.
(27) Displacement--The relative movement of any two
sides of a fault measured in any direction.
(28) Disposal--The placement of sewage sludge, biosolids,
domestic septage, or water treatment residuals on the land for any
purpose other than beneficial use. Disposal does not include placement
onto the land where the activity has been approved by the executive
director or commission as storage or temporary storage and it occurs
only for the period of time expressly approved.
(29) Disposal unit--Land that only sewage sludge or
biosolids is placed for disposal. A sewage sludge or biosolids unit
must be used for sewage sludge and biosolids. This does not include
land that sewage sludge and biosolids is either stored or treated.
(30) Disposal unit boundary--The outermost perimeter
of a surface disposal site.
(31) Domestic septage--Either liquid or solid material
removed from a septic tank, cesspool, portable toilet, Type III marine
sanitation device, or similar treatment works that receives only domestic
sewage. Domestic septage does not include liquid or solid material
removed from a septic tank, cesspool, or similar treatment works that
receives either commercial wastewater or industrial wastewater and
does not include grease removed from a grease trap or chemical toilet
waste.
(32) Domestic sewage--Waste and wastewater from humans
or household operations that is discharged to a wastewater collection
system or otherwise enters a treatment works.
(33) Dry weight basis--Calculated based on having been
dried at 105 degrees Celsius until reaching a constant mass (i.e.,
essentially 100% solids content).
(34) Experimental use--Non-routine beneficial use land
application or reclamation projects where sewage sludge or biosolids
are added to the soil for research purposes, in pilot projects, feasibility
studies, or similar projects.
(35) Facility--Includes all contiguous land, structures,
other appurtenances, and improvements on the land used for surface
disposal, land application, or incineration.
(36) Fault--A fracture or zone of fractures in any
materials along which strata, rocks, or soils on one side are displaced
with respect to strata, rocks, or soil on the other side.
(37) Feed crops--Crops produced primarily for consumption
by domestic livestock, such as swine, goats, cattle, horses, sheep,
or poultry.
(38) Fiber crops--Crops such as flax and cotton.
(39) Final cover--The last layer of soil or other material
placed on a sludge or biosolids unit at closure.
(40) Floodway--A channel of a river or watercourse
and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge
the base flood without cumulatively increasing the surface elevation
more than one foot.
(41) Food crops--Crops consumed by humans. These include,
but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, and tobacco.
(42) Forest--Land densely vegetated with trees and/or
underbrush.
(43) Grease trap waste--Material collected in and from
a grease interceptor in the sanitary sewer service line of a commercial,
institutional, or industrial food service or processing establishment,
including the solids resulting from dewatering processes.
(44) Grit trap--A unit/chamber that allows for the
sedimentation of solids from an influent liquid stream by reducing
the flow velocity of the influent liquid stream. In a grit trap, the
inlet and the outlet are both located at the same vertical level,
at, or very near, the top of the unit/chamber; the outlet of the grit
trap is connected to a sanitary sewer system. A grit trap is not designed
to separate oil and water.
(45) Grit trap waste--Waste collected in a grit trap.
Grit trap waste includes waste from grit traps placed in the drains
prior to entering the sewer system at maintenance and repair shops,
automobile service stations, car washes, laundries, and other similar
establishments. The term does not include material collected in an
oil/water separator or in any other similar waste management unit
designed to collect oil.
(46) Groundwater--Water below the land surface in the
saturated zone.
(47) Harvesting--Removal of a food, fiber, feed or
turf crop from a land application unit by the means of cutting, picking,
drying, baling, or gathering. The act of cutting and leaving vegetative
material on the land application unit is not considered harvesting.
(48) Holocene time--The most recent epoch of the Quaternary
period, extending from the end of the Pleistocene Epoch to the present.
Holocene time began approximately 10,000 years ago.
(49) Incinerator--An apparatus for burning sewage sludge
or biosolids at high temperatures until it is reduced to ash.
(50) Incorporation--Mixing the applied material evenly
through the top three inches of soil.
(51) Industrial wastewater--Wastewater generated in
a commercial or industrial process.
(52) Institution--An established organization or corporation,
especially of a public nature or where the public has access, such
as child care facilities, public buildings, or health care facilities.
(53) Irrigation conveyance canal--A canal that is constructed
to convey water from the source of supply to one or more farms.
(54) Lagoon--A surface impoundment that is authorized
under a permit issued by the commission for the storage of sewage
sludge or biosolids. Any other type of impoundment must be considered
an active disposal unit.
(55) Land application or land apply or land applied--The
spraying or spreading of biosolids, domestic septage, or water treatment
residuals onto the land surface; the injection of biosolids, domestic
septage, or water treatment residuals below the land surface; or the
incorporation of biosolids, domestic septage, or water treatment residuals
into the soil to either condition the soil or fertilize crops or vegetation
grown in the soil.
(56) Land application unit--An area where materials
are applied onto or incorporated into the soil surface for beneficial
use or for treatment and disposal, where the disposal occurs within
five feet of the surface of the land. The term does not include manure
spreading operations.
(57) Land with a high potential for public exposure--Land
that the public uses frequently and/or is not provided with a means
of restricting public access.
(58) Land with a low potential for public exposure--Land
that the public uses infrequently and/or is provided with a means
of restricting public access.
(59) Leachate collection system--A system or device
installed immediately above a liner that is designed, constructed,
maintained, and operated to collect and remove leachate from a disposal
unit.
(60) Licensed professional geoscientist--A geoscientist
who maintains a current license through the Texas Board of Professional
Geoscientists in accordance with its requirements for professional
practice.
Cont'd... |
