WILLIAMSPORT – Recent cases in which recreational vehicles, or RVs, used as residences have connected to sewage systems or holding tanks have prompted the Department of Environmental Protection to warn landowners in the Marcellus Shale region such connections are illegal and dangerous without proper approvals.
“With the tremendous growth of the Marcellus Shale gas industry, there’s been a significant increase in the demand for housing,” said DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber. “To meet this demand, landowners are opening up their property to RVs and allowing those vehicles to tap into their septic or sewage systems. Doing so is illegal unless the landowner has received the proper approval from us and their local municipality.”
Taber said DEP has found instances of this activity in four counties throughout the north-central region. In one case, recreational vehicles were discharging sewage over a bank into the Tioga River. In another case, the landowner had RVs connected to the on-lot septic system serving his home, risking a malfunction that could have damaged his property.
“It’s important that the proper planning and evaluation be done before making any changes or additions to a sewage system,” said Taber. “Systems are designed with given capacity and adding to that could lead to a malfunction that contaminates the environment or causes costly damage to a family’s home or sewage systems.”
It is illegal to connect recreational vehicles to sewage facilities or holding tanks without first obtaining planning approval from the local municipality and DEP.
The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, or Act 537, requires sewage facilities planning whenever:
- A land development proposal on an existing parcel would generate at least two Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU) of wastewater, or about 800 gallons per day which is similar to two average homes;
- Addition to an already developed parcel would generate at least 400 gallons per day, or one EDU of wastewater; or
- An existing parcel zoned for residential purposes changes to commercial zoning designation, or incorporates a commercial component, such as an area accommodating recreational vehicles.
Taber also noted that any proposals for connecting to existing municipal sewer lines or on-lot septic systems require sewage facilities planning, and this planning should be completed and approved by the municipality and DEP before any permits are issued.
Sewage facilities planning involves evaluating sewage infrastructure such as public sewers, on-lot sewage systems, or holding tanks before making any changes or adding flow to ensure those systems can accommodate the additional sewage.
Property owners should contact the local sewage enforcement officer or DEP’s sewage planning staff for assistance before siting any recreational vehicles or dwellings on their property.
Sewage enforcement officers are requiring those who have violated Act 537 to remove recreational vehicles used as dwellings from their property or face enforcement action, which could include having a summary citation filed against them with the local district magistrate seeking an appropriate fine.
