Pursuant to the Act on Maintaining Cleanliness and Order in Municipalities, municipalities are required to keep a register of cesspools (septic tanks). One reason for registering them is the need to comply with the obligation to monitor how frequently these tanks are emptied. This also applies to household wastewater treatment plants—their registration makes it possible to monitor the frequency and manner of disposing of municipal sewage sludge accumulating during the operation of the treatment plant.
Compliance with the applicable regulations in this area—which are being tightened at both national and European Union levels—is driven primarily by concern for the environment. Its condition is causing increasing concern, and awareness of the scale of the changes requires effective action to protect natural resources. Therefore, we inform you about the ongoing inspections in the Municipality of Bolesławiec of properties equipped with cesspools (septic tanks) and household wastewater treatment plants.
Under the applicable regulations, owners of properties not connected to the sanitary sewerage system are required, in the event of an inspection, to document how liquid waste is disposed of from their premises. First, such an owner must have an agreement with a company holding a permit to provide services involving the emptying of cesspools and the transport of liquid waste; second, the owner must collect proof confirming payment for these services.
Both the agreement and proof of payment must be presented during the inspection. Please remember that the receipts and VAT invoices held must confirm the regular removal of liquid waste from the septic tank. The frequency of liquid-waste collection should prevent waste from overflowing from the tank and ensure uninterrupted use of the tank. However, waste should not be removed less frequently than once every two months.
Owners of household wastewater treatment plants should remember that they are required to remove sewage sludge from them in accordance with the operating instructions for the household wastewater treatment plant. This must also be properly documented. The owner must have an agreement for the removal of sewage sludge and proof of payment for the aforementioned service. The operation of a household wastewater treatment plant with a capacity not exceeding 7.5 cubic metres per day must additionally be reported to Bolesławiec City Hall.It is worth knowing that every owner of a property located next to an existing sewerage network is required to connect to it. This follows directly from the Act on Maintaining Cleanliness and Order in Municipalities.
Connecting a property to the sewerage network is not mandatory if the property is already equipped with a household wastewater treatment plant meeting the requirements set out in separate regulations. If construction of a sewerage network at a given location is technically or economically unjustified, the property must be equipped with a cesspool for liquid waste or a household treatment plant for domestic wastewater.
Wastewater removal services may be provided only by companies holding a permit to conduct activities involving the emptying of cesspools and the transport of liquid waste, issued by the Mayor of Bolesławiec. The list is available on the Bolesławiec City Hall website.
Property owners who have not fulfilled the obligations arising from the Act—that is, who have not signed agreements for emptying cesspools or removing sludge from household wastewater treatment plants—should do so immediately.
Disposing of liquid waste from a property in breach of the law is subject to the provisions of the Code of Procedure in Petty Offence Cases. Consequently, property owners who fail to perform the obligations mentioned in this article are subject to a fine.