Residential On-Site Sewage Disposal System

District Health Department No. 2 Onsite Sewage Disposal Program is designed to assure compliance with the local Environmental Health Regulations.  The goal of the program is to effectively manage onsite wastewater disposal and treatment systems so that residents of the health district are protected against potential disease causing organisms found in wastewater and to ensure that the state’s ground and surface water resources are protected from potential contaminants.

Permit

The Environmental Health Regulations require that property owners obtain a construction permit prior to installing or repairing an onsite sewage disposal system. An onsite sewage disposal system permit will provide the specifications and requirements for the sewage disposal system construction. The system must then be constructed in accordance the Environmental Health Regulations and with any special permit requirements.

An onsite sewage disposal system permit is valid for the remainder of the year in which it has been issued and for all of the following calendar year. However, A permit may be extended for twelve (12) months provided the permit holder submits a written request on an extension form provided by the health department and the required fee within 30 days of the permit’s expiration date, and there are no site changes which would affect the existing permit.   Only one (1) permit extension is allowed, after which time a new permit application must be submitted.

Applying for a Permit

Permit applications can be obtained at any District Health Department No. 2 office and on this website.  following the submission of an application and the associated fee, a site visit will be arranged.   Environmental Health staff will then conduct a site review and soil evaluation and then, if site conditions allow, issue a permit for construction of the sewage disposal system.

The site factors determining the size and location of a proposed sewage disposal system include but are not limited to:

  • Soil texture and stratification (layering)
  • Seasonal high water table
  • Topography and slope
  • Isolation to surface water and drainage areas
  • Isolation to water wells
  • Property line location
  • The number of bedrooms in the proposed home
  • Garbage grinders and/or sewage ejector pumps

A completed application is valid for the remainder of the year it was submitted and for two (2) additional calendar years, after which time a new application must be submitted.

* The application can be obtained from the link at the right*

Final Inspection

A final inspection of the completed system must be conducted by District Health Department No. 2 staff prior to covering/backfilling the sewage disposal system.

Final inspections will be arranged by mutual agreement with the health department and the system installer and/or property owner.