Last month, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his winter slumber and did not see his shadow, which means that an early spring may be on its way. Whenever it arrives, warmer weather also ushers in conditions that allow for installing or modifying onsite wastewater – or septic – systems. Now that La Plata County Public Health has assumed responsibility for regulating these systems, we wanted to provide a basic overview of what’s required before you start digging.
An onsite wastewater permit is required for new construction, alterations, repairs and changes of use – particularly the addition of bedrooms, which may require additional capacity in a septic system. Construction and alteration permits also require a soils analysis and designs from a professional engineer or certified designer. For all onsite wastewater permits, the La Plata County Public Health Department requires an application, a scope of work and payment of applicable fees. Find our complete fee schedule at https://tinyurl.com/524rn2u4.
Once you have submitted all of your materials, public health staff’s turn-around time for new construction and alteration permits is two weeks. We typically can issue repair and change of use permits within three days. Once the permit is in hand, your installer can begin work.
Once the underground components of the system are installed, La Plata County Public Health staff members will need to conduct an inspection before the work is backfilled with any dirt or other materials. To request an inspection, the system installer notifies LPCPHD, and staff members have two business days to conduct those inspections. After the inspection, we will either approve backfill, give partial approval with corrections, or notify the installer and licensee that corrections are required. In this last case, we typically will need to conduct another inspection before approving backfill, though in some cases we may accept a photo instead of an in-person inspection. Our staff will help installers navigate these requirements and work to get systems approved as quickly as possible so as to not slow construction – while also ensuring that the system is properly installed to protect public health.
All work done on an onsite wastewater system must be completed by a licensed installer. LPCPHD issues installer licenses to those who take a class and pass a test outlining the requirements for onsite wastewater system construction, repair and alterations – and then pay the licensing fee. Installers must renew their license annually but do not have to take the class more than once, provided their license has not lapsed for more than one year. Installers must pass the test and pay the renewal fee each year. For 2024, La Plata County Public Health has extended all installers who were licensed by San Juan Basin Public Health in 2023, so no renewal testing or fee is required as long as you were licensed in 2023. For those who were not, there are a series of classes scheduled as follows:
- Thursday, March 28.
- Thursday, April 18.
- Thursday, May 30.
- Thursday, July 25.
- Thursday, Sept. 26.
- Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Classes will be held in person with the option of joining via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Class attendees will be given the option to complete the test during the scheduled time. The in-person class will be held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in the Lightner Room, 2500 Main Ave.
Attendees can sign up and pay for a class via our online portal or by visiting our office at 281 Sawyer Drive, Ste. 300, Durango.
Installers who plan to work in additional counties in 2024 should contact that county directly for their licensing requirements.
Licenses expire at the end of the calendar year
Once your system is up and running, it is important to keep it maintained to maximize its lifespan and effectiveness. LPCPHD recommends having your septic tank pumped regularly – approximately every four years – to remove solids and scum that can cause failures in a leach field. Also, be sure to prevent livestock from walking on leach fields as that can cause the field to fail because of compression of the soils underneath or elements of the field itself.
Please let our staff know if you have any questions about the onsite wastewater system permitting or licensing process. Reach us at 247-5702 or eh@lpcgov.org.
