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Season Kick-Off
After much anticipation, spring has finally arrived and with that, the 2023 construction season is just around the corner!
The On-Site Wastewater Division enjoyed the opportunities to connect with the SSTS professionals during the winter months at both the Ordinance 61 Amendment Open House Meetings as well as the Contractor Open House Meeting. From the entire Division, thank you to all who participated. The collaboration, conversations, and improvements made to the SSTS Program have been positively impactful and couldn’t have been done without you all.
The Division looks forward to getting back into the field with you and continuing to serve the property owners and protect the natural resources of this great county.
Open House Meeting Follow-Up
- Printed Copies Available: To follow up on the meetings noted above, for those interested in printed copies of the amended SSTS Ordinance 61 and Technical Standards, the Division is happy to provide them through coordinated pick-up or mailing options.
- New Construction Inspections: Contact the Division within a minimum of 48 hours to schedule a final inspection. No portion of the system shall be covered or put into use until a Certificate of Compliance is issued (unless specifically approved by the Department). Environmental Specialists will be verifying that topsoil cover requirements are met through follow-up inspections.
- MPCA Clarification: The MCPA has provided additional clarification regarding inspection completion. The MPCA deems inspections to be “complete” when all applicable field work has been completed and the inspector has all the necessary information needed to determine compliance, without the need for further site visits. Once inspectors have the information, and complete the inspection report, they have 15 days to submit the inspection report to the Department. Please note, payment is not considered a qualifier for completion.
- New Forms: As noted at the Open House Meeting, the most recent versions of the St. Louis County forms have been added to the On-Site Wastewater Webpage here: Septic Forms. Reminder! As-Builts are required to be submitted within 30 days of installation. It’s encouraged that installers have the As-Builts prepared and ready to submit during the final inspection.
- Soil Confirmation: As conditions improve and allow for soil observations, contact a St. Louis County Environmental Specialist to schedule a site visit to verify soils when soil characteristics are difficult to determine.
- Point of Sale Requirements: Compliance inspections are required prior to the sale or transfer of property. Replacement system designs for failing systems concerning point-of-sale must be accompanied with a completed compliance inspection report. Septic systems identified as failing are required to be replaced within a specified timeline indicated on the failing system notice.
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Signature Requirements: Completed septic permit applications and designs must be signed by the property owner or agent of the property owner. Permit applications are considered incomplete without proper signatures. If further clarification is needed, please contact the Division.
New Septic Record Look-Up Function
The On-Site Wastewater Division is excited to announce that through collaborative efforts with the St. Louis County GIS Division, septic records can now be searchable by Lease PIN numbers on the County Land Explorer. Traditionally, properties have only been able to be searched through their original Parcel PINS.
Moving forward, property owners, realtors, and contractors alike will have the option to access records through either search feature at their convenience.
For more detailed instructions, see the “Septic Record How-to-search Guide” here: Guide-CLE On-Site Wastewater.pdf.
Septic Loan Abatement Program
St. Louis County in partnership with Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), offers financial assistance options to property owners looking to repair or replace their failing SSTS. The deferred (forgivable) loan assistance program aids qualified low-income persons with the repair, replacement, or upgrade of their septic that has been determined failing. The low-interest loan program assists septic owners by providing a 3% interest rate loan with their SSTS compliance needs.
 The Division continues to message the resources available, and we encourage septic professionals to consider this information when providing estimates.
To access the program guidelines and additional information, click here: Septic Financial Assistance PDF.
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