Permits & Procedures

 

State Sanitary Permits & Procedures | County Sanitary Permits & Procedures

 

State Sanitary Permit and Procedures

 

WHEN:

  1. A State sanitary permit is required for the proper siting, design and installation of a Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) when a new structure, commercial or residential, is being proposed to be erected on a parcel of land that does not have municipal sewer service available.

  2. Where there is an existing structure that has a failing Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS), a State sanitary permit is required prior to replacement of that existing failed POWTS.

You may also need a State sanitary permit for the following:

  1. Proposed building addition(s) to an existing structure

  2. Proposed plumbing installation in a new or existing outbuilding, other than water lines only

  3. Property rezoning request

  4. Conditional Use request

  5. Proposed land division

 

WHY:

To ensure the new and/or existing Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) will meet the minimum required setbacks and separation to stated limitations and any body of water, seasonal or otherwise, as specified in the State of Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapters 382-389 and the Kenosha County Sanitary Ordinance Chapter 15 (pdf).

 

HOW:

You or your State of Wisconsin licensed POWTS installer must submit the necessary application for sanitary permit and required paperwork along with the appropriate sanitary permit “Fees” to obtain a sanitary permit.

Procedures

The following Procedures are used by persons interested in obtaining a State Sanitary Permit for a New or Replacement Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS):

  1. Contact a State of Wisconsin Certified Morphological Evaluator (soil tester) to conduct a soil and site evaluation to determine site suitability for a POWTS.
  2. After the soil and site evaluation is completed, you must contact a State of Wisconsin licensed POWTS installing plumber to design a proposed POWTS for the site in question. Installers and soil testers can be found in the yellow pages of the telephone book or download a “list” (pdf, 64k) of POWTS installers and soil testers that work in and around Kenosha County. This list is not all inclusive and is not an endorsement of such contractors by the County of Kenosha.
  3. The POWTS design submittal will include:
    1. A Sanitary Permit Application
    2. Two (2) complete sets of POWTS plans on paper no larger than 11" x 17"
    3. An original signature soil test
    4. A properly signed and notarized maintenance agreement
    5. A service contract where required
    6. Other documents as required
  4. Appropriate sanitary permit and maintenance agreement recording fees must be submitted for sanitary permit review and issuance.
  5. Before an application for sanitary permit can be issued to the applicant, the applicant must own the property for which they seek the permit. You will be considered owner of the property when the permit applicant’s name appears on the recorded warranty deed or land contract. Either of these documents will be recorded with the Kenosha County Register of Deeds.
  6. The State of Wisconsin will review all pressurized POWTS prior to County receipt of plans. All pressurized plans will include mound, inground pressure, at-grade, all Pretreatment Systems. Holding Tank systems with wastewater flows more than 3,000 gallons per day will also require State plan review. Typically, all plans for POWTS that will serve one- and two-family dwellings and their accessory buildings will be reviewed by the Kenosha County Department of Planning and Development, as well as holding tank sites with a proposed wastewater flow of less than 3,000 gallons.

 

See “ Forms ” page for the required documents for sanitary permit issuance.

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County Sanitary Permits and Procedures

 

WHEN:

County sanitary permits shall be obtained prior to constructing and installing the following: vault privy, indoor non-plumbing sanitation systems, construction/reconnection to an existing system, disconnection/reconnection of a system, private interceptor sewer connections, reconstruction of a structure connected to an existing POWTS and on-site renovation/treatment of an existing system.

The application for a County sanitary permit “Form” will be used for this process.

 

WHY:

To verify that the components of the proposed and existing project will meet the minimum administrative code required standards.

 

HOW:

You or your State of Wisconsin licensed plumber must submit all or a combination of the following items listed under the Procedures heading to obtain a County permit.

Procedures

Dependent on the particular modification, connection or installation being conducted on a POWTS or non-plumbing sanitation system, all or some of the following provisions shall apply:

  • A County Sanitary Permit Application (pdf) can be printed from this website and must be completed by a plumber, an owner, his agent or a contractor. All modifications, connections, re-connections, etc. entailing plumbing or construction on a POWTS shall require the permit application to be completed by a licensed plumber. Non-plumbing sanitation system installations may have its permit application completed by the owner, his agent or a contractor provided the application includes the owner's signature.
  • All submitted plan paperwork shall be on paper no larger than 11" x 17".
  • Complete design plans as specified in Chapter 15.04-4 of this ordinance.
  • All items in Chapter 15.04-3 may be required as part of the application submittal.
  • For all systems utilizing in situ soil for treatment and final dispersal, a soil and site evaluation report shall be required to document compliance with the vertical soil separation requirement as stated in SPS 383.03(2)(b)2.a & b, Wisconsin Administrative Code regarding estimated seasonal high groundwater and/or bedrock. If a soil test is not on file with the County, or if the one on file does not provide adequate documentation, then a new soil and site evaluation must be conducted.
  • An evaluation and a report conducted by a licensed plumber, a certified septage servicing operator or a POWTS inspector relative to the condition, capacities, baffles, manhole covers and risers for any existing treatment component or holding tank. The report shall be on a form provided by the County and must be completed to the satisfaction of the Sanitarian.
  • An evaluation and report by a licensed plumber or POWTS inspector relative to the conditions and capacities of all other dispersal components and verifying that the system is not failing by definition and that it will be capable of handling the proposed wastewater flow and contaminant load from the building to be served.
  • Re-connection to an existing holding tank may require a new servicing contract and a holding tank agreement which meets current requirements of this ordinance.
  • Re-connection to an existing POWTS may require a new maintenance agreement.
  • The site plan prepared for the particular POWTS modification/re-connection shall document all minimum setback requirements of the Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter 383.
  • When re-connecting to an undersized system is permitted by Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapters 383 and 384 an affidavit of per capita sizing must be recorded with the Register of Deeds.
  • All modifications/installation shall be inspected by the County at the time of completion prior to backfilling to insure compliance has been maintained.

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See “Forms” page for the required documents for sanitary permit issuance.