Effective January 1, 2015, sewage contractors in Ohio have to obtain a bond or other equivalent security from the Ohio Department of Health. Installers, service providers and septage haulers for household sewage systems have to post a separate bond for each classification of registration with their local health districts. This bond provides coverage for all sewage treatment system work within any local health districts in Ohio.

Who Does This Concern?

• Installer – “any person who engages in the business of installing or altering or who, as an employee of another, installs or alters any sewage treatment system or gray water recycling system.”
• Service Provider – “any person who services, monitors, evaluates or samples, but does not install or alter, sewage treatment systems or gray water recycling systems. For the purpose of this chapter, service provider shall include a homeowner servicing his own system to meet the requirement of a service contract for product approval or demonstration of maintenance for an O&M program established in accordance with rule 3701-29-19 of the Administrative Code.”
• Septage Hauler – “any person who engages in the collection, transportation, disposal, and/or land application of domestic septage. A septage hauler may also evaluate and report on the condition of any tank they are pumping.”

How Do I Register?

All sewage contractors must submit completed applications to the local health district where they plan to work. Required materials in the application include:

• Registration application fee
• Proof of surety bond
• Certificate for passing examination (75% needed)
• General Liability Insurance of at least $500,000
• Proof of completing 6 continuing education hours during previous calendar year (for 2016 registration and beyond)

Sewage contractors must register annually. For more information regarding registration and examination information, visit the Ohio Department of Health’s sewage treatment system contractor registration fact sheet

What are the Bonding Requirements?

HSTS – Household Sewage Treatment Systems

SFOSTs – Small Flow On-Site Sewage Treatment Systems

There are three separate bond forms for each classification of sewage contractor, which can be found on the Ohio Department of Health website. These bonds are in effect until December 31 of the calendar year in which they are issued, and must be renewed annually.

What’s the Next Step?

If you find yourself in need of a sewage contractor bond, contact a surety provider to receive a quote for your bond. Once you obtain the bond, you will need to include it with your registration materials. If you have any questions about surety bonds, feel free to call SuretyBonds.com at 1 (800) 308-4358. Or, if you would like to receive a free quote for your sewage contractor bond, take a couple minutes to fill out a bond request form online.

photo credit: seaislecitynj.us