Household Sewage Treatment System Permits

Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF)

Household Sewage System repairs, alterations and/or replacement funding is now available for homeowners who qualify for financial assistance. If your system is failing and you are unsure if you qualify, please fill out the intake application and return the completed application to our office for consideration.

Permits to Install, Alter, or Repair Household Sewage Treatment Systems.  Site review and permit fees are non-refundable.

The Environmental Health Division permits and inspects all new, replacement, or alterations for household sewage treatment systems in Pickaway County. If you are building a new home where public sewer is not available or live in an existing home where the sewage system is failing or not functioning properly, contact the Environmental Health Division for information regarding household sewage treatment systems permit to install, alter, or replace.

Steps to obtain approval for sewage system permit for new construction:

  1. Contact a soil evaluator to have soils evaluated in accordance to OAC 3701-29-07.
  2. Contact a sewage system designer to have a sewage system designed for the new home.
  3. Contact Pickaway County Engineer’s Office for property address if one has not already been assigned to property.
  4. Submit the Sewage System Design and Site Review Application to the health department along with payment, sewage system design, soil reports, address issued by Engineer’s office, and home plan for health department to review in accordance to OAC 3701-29-10.  
  5. Health department staff will visit the site to review designs, soils, and ensure the proposed system meets requirements of OAC 3701-29. The site shall be staked in order to identify the location of the driveway, proposed home, sewage system, barns, pools, etc.
  6. Once designs are approved, a permit to install can be purchased (see Fees for associated costs).

Steps to obtain a permit for the alteration or replacement of a sewage treatment system due to system failure:

  1. If you are concerned about your system failing, please contact our office to schedule an inspection of your existing system.
  2. A soil evaluation may be necessary depending on the scope of alterations and repairs to be completed at the site.
  3. A design indicating the replacement, alterations, or additions to the system must be completed and submitted in accordance to OAC 3701-29-10.
  4. Submit the Sewage System Design and Site Review Application to the health department along with payment, sewage system design, and soil reports (if completed) for health department to review.
  5. Once designs are approved, a permit to alter or replace can be purchased (see Fees for associated costs).

Real Estate Evaluations for Household Sewage Systems

If you are purchasing an existing home in Pickaway County and would like for the Household Sewage Treatment System to be inspected, you can contact the Environmental Health Division for a real estate inspection (see Fees for associated costs). Independent contractors who inspect sewage treatment systems for real estate sales will need to be registered with PCPH as a service provider. Please contact our office for a list of registered service providers if you are seeking an independent company to inspect a system for a real estate sale. You can also contact our office regarding permit history of a property with an existing home and household sewage treatment system.

Sewage System Contractors

If you provide services as a sewage treatment system installer, septage hauler, or sewage system service provider, you are required to have a statewide bond and liability insurance and register with each county health district in which you are performing those services.   In order to become registered for any of the contractor registrations, you must also pass the statewide contractor exam, provide proof of 6 hours of CEUs on an annual basis, and obtain manufacturer training and certification to install system specific components along with the bonding and liability insurance requirements.   Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding registration to become a sewage system contractor.