Public Health & Environment

Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems

Septic Permits, Permit Records & Operating Permits

Septic Permits

A Septic Permit is required to be obtained from the County for:

• All new installations of sewage tanks, soil dispersal and treatment areas;
• All repair, extension, replacement or modification of existing systems and components; or
• Any changes in use of a facility served by a subsurface sewage treatment system.

The Septic Permit must be obtained prior to a Building Permit being issued. Either the homeowner or the contractor can apply for a Septic Permit. The steps to obtaining a Septic Permit from the County are as follows:

1. Contact a licensed designer.
2. The designer must conduct soil testing (soil borings and percolation tests) on your lot and design a system based on that soil testing.
3. Once you receive a design, complete a Septic Permit Application. Submit the permit application, the design and the applicable fee to the Department.
4. The Department must conduct a site review of the lot to verify soil conditions and make sure the location of the proposed system meets all setbacks.
5. If the County agrees with the soil observations and all setbacks are met, the permit will be issued.

Permit Records

The County has electronic permit records of septic systems that the County permitted. These records go as far back as 1972; however the records that far back are not as complete as one would hope for, so those permit records may or may not be available. These permit records can be mailed, faxed or emailed, depending on your needs.

If you would like a permit record of any septic system in the County, please contact the Department at 651-430-6655. Please have the address or Parcel Identification Number (P.I.D.).

Operating Permits

An annual Operating Permit issued by the County is required for some of the more complex septic systems to ensure that the system does not adversely impact the environment and the public health, and to ensure the longevity of the system. The following systems require an annual Operating Permit:

1. Type III Systems – Systems that vary from standard Type I or Type II systems, formerly “other systems”.
2. Type IV Systems – Advanced treatment systems that use pre-treatment devices that are registered for use with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
3. Type V Systems – Advanced treatment systems that use pre-treatment devices that are not registered for use with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
4. All MSTS
5. Holding tanks
6. Food, beverage and lodging establishments
7. Hazardous waste generators

Why is an Operating Permit necessary?

The Operating Permit ensures that the system is being operated and maintained properly. Operation and Maintenance is essential to the long-term performance of onsite wastewater treatment technologies. Site visits by a licensed service provider can provide early detection of problems that could result in malfunction of onsite wastewater treatment systems if left uncorrected. Early detection makes it possible to take action before a system becomes a public health hazard, a liability to the owner, or a problem to the environment.

Wastewater is a public health concern because sewage can contain disease-causing organisms called pathogens. The pathogens must be removed from the wastewater before it reaches the groundwater. Soil based systems rely on a layer of unsaturated soil for pathogen removal. This unsaturated zone provides treatment by filtering, chemically altering, and biologically degrading the pathogens. Other more complex onsite systems may also be designed to remove nitrogen or phosphorus, or additional pathogens before soil treatment begins. These systems must be operated appropriately and monitored if they are to achieve the desired performance requirements.

Through growing concern for the protection and preservation of water resources, citizens and government have learned that we must assure that wastewater treatment is done effectively. It was once assumed that a wastewater system was working properly when sewage discharge did not back up into the house or surface onto the yard. Now, we know that proper treatment is achieved not only when the waste “disappears” but rather when contaminants are removed before the effluent reaches the groundwater.

Wastewater treatment systems are designed and planned to last a long time. “System reliability” describes the life cycle performance of an onsite wastewater treatment system as a result of its engineering, installation, and design. All system components have operating limits and maintenance activities that must be performed to keep the entire system operating. Servicing or maintaining these components should extend their operational life and improve system reliability. By doing so, these systems will protect human health and the environment today and well into the future.

Monitoring and Maintenance Frequency

The frequency required for both monitoring and maintenance may vary based on the complexity of the treatment process, the system reliability, and the amount and type of wastewater being treated by the system. Monitoring frequency is also determined on the basis of public and environmental risk. For example, a system may be at higher risk of failure due to its physical or geographical location on a particular property or based on its performance requirements such as the type of waste it is treating.

For more information call the Washington County Public Health and Environment Department at 651-430-6655.

Septic Permit Fees

A Septic Permit Application fee is the total of two fees: (1) An Application Fee and (2) a Permit Fee. For example, if you were to apply for a permit to install a drainfield, the permit fee would be $280 (Application Fee for an Individual Lot) plus $295 (Drainfield System Permit) for a total fee of $575.  Click here to view the current Septic Permit Fee Schedule.