- Education on private sewage disposal system maintenance
- Public complaint investigation – solid waste storage and handling
The health department does not do septic inspections for home sales/mortgage transactions.
Permits and Fees
Access permit and fee information for the following:
- New Construction - Single Family
- Renovation - Single Family
- New Construction - Commercial, Multi-Family
- Renovation - Commercial, Multi-Family
- Experimental/ Alternative System – Chemical, Incinerator, Drip, Etc.
- Aerobic Treatment Plant Monitoring
- Change of Contractor
- Subdivision Plan Review – per lot
- Septic Plan Revision
- Soil interpretation, Septic Variance, Feasibility Letter, Letter of Approval to Municipality
- Site inspection of septic disposal area
Please call 630-444-3040 to request a private sewage/septic inspection or permit.
Requesting Septic Designs
Property owners may request septic plans by completing a Septic Design Request Form or by calling
630-444-3040 to complete the form over the phone. Please have
your Parcel Identification Number ready. This can be found on your tax
bill (XX-XX-XXX-XXX). Individuals other than the current homeowner must
submit a FOIA request to obtain a copy of the septic layout for a property.
Environmental
Health staff will search records of health and county buildings to
determine if plans are available to be scanned. Scanned images will be
sent to you if they are available. Kane County Health Department septic
records are only available beginning in the 1990's. Kane County
Buildings Department records are only available from the early 1960's.
Septic systems installed prior to county records or installed without
the permits will not be available.
Please allow a minimum of 5 business days to process.
Preventing Septic System Failures
Septic system failures are often caused by:
- Systems that are not adequately sized or designed for the usage/demand placed on them
- Increased number of building occupants or wastewater-related activities, without increasing the capacity of the system
- Increased water usage from leaking fixtures
- Use of garbage grinders when system is not designed for this or improperly installed water softener discharge lines
- Systems installed without licensed contractors and inspections to ensure appropriate design and size of system
- Systems that are not serviced as frequently as needed
- Components of the system that have deteriorated or been damaged over time or due to disturbances on the property
- Age of system
- Digging into or paving over areas of the septic field
If
you suspect a failing system, contact a licensed septic service
contractor for service. Failing septic systems on your property that
tenants or neighbors observe are frequently reported and are required by
law to be corrected. See Kane County Private Sewage Ordinance 18-33: DISCHARGES OF SEWAGE; IMPROPER OPERATION OF SYSTEMS
New Septic System and Existing Septic System Repair
If
you need a new septic system or an existing one repaired, you are
either constructing a new home or business, need to upgrade a failing or
insufficient system, or add capacity due to increased demands on your
system, a KCHD septic permit is required. All septic work requiring a
permit must be completed by a licensed septic contractor. Kane County Private Sewage Ordinance prohibits
septic work requiring a permit to be completed by licensed contractors,
even for homeowners on their own property.
- If
you need a new system, ensure you do not have access to public sewer.
Unless access to public sewer requires more than a 4-inch pipe or
creates an undue hardship, you will need to connect to public sewer. If
you are close to public sewer but a hardship exists, you will need to
provide documentation to KCHD with your septic permit application.
- A
critical factor for determining the type of septic system needed is the
soil. A soil evaluation (formerly called a perc test) is required with
every application for a new system or a renovation involving the septic
field. Tank replacements do not require a soil evaluation. The soil
evaluation indicates the permeability of the soil and its suitability to
filter effluent from the tank. If the soil is not suitable for a
properly sized subsurface system, alternative systems, including aerobic
treatment units, will be required. Seasonal high water table in the
area of the septic field, floodplains and other wetlands are factors as
well. Certified soil classifiers.
- If
a repair/renovation of an existing system is needed, a septic plat is
needed for your existing system. KCHD maintains records from 1992 to the
current year, KC buildings maintains some records from the mid-60s in
unincorporated areas. If a copy of your septic plat is not available
with KC, you can check with your municipality (if in incorporated area)
or have your septic contractor probe to find the components and recreate
a plat.
- Once the soil evaluation is completed, your
licensed contractor will design a system to suit your needs based on the
estimated demands of the structure it will support and the factors
determined from the soil interpretation. When building a new home, it is
best to determine the most suitable place for the septic, before
determine the location of the home on the property. Home septic systems
are sized based on the number of rooms in the home that are designed to
be used as a bedroom, regardless of whether or not they are actually
used that way. The septic must accommodate any future use of the home
after potential resale, etc. Businesses and multi-use structure systems
are sized based on estimated water usage from the private sewage code.
Installing a Pool or Structure When You Have a Septic System
Some
municipalities require KCHD review and approval to allow installation
of a pool on a property with a septic system. Check with your
municipality to see if such approval is required.
If this is approval is required in Kane County, please submit:
Illinois Department of Public Health Codes
Part 890: Plumbing Code
Part 905: Private Sewage Disposal Code
Resources
Preparedness & Response for Septic Systems
Aerobic Treatment Plant Guide
Septic Information
EPA Septic System Guid e for Homeowners
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Owner's Manual
