Private Sewage Disposal

2024 Private Sewage Disposal Program Examination and Application Dates

The Private Sewage Disposal Program of the Environmental Health Division helps protect Vermilion County residents from the transmission of disease organisms from improper or inadequate treatment of sewage. Following the guidelines of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act and Code, the Private Sewage Disposal Program enforces standards for the installation and renovation of private sewage disposal systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates municipal wastewater treatment facilities.

The ultimate goal of the Private Sewage Disposal Program is to protect Vermilion County residents from the nuisance and unhealthful conditions that arise when sewage is inadequately or improperly handled. The Vermilion County Health Department does this by issuing permits for new and renovated private sewage disposal systems, helping to design and properly size private sewage disposal systems, inspecting newly constructed or repaired sewage systems, investigating possible sewage discharges, ordering corrections of inadequately treated sewage discharges, and surveying existing sewage systems during real estate transactions.

For a fee, the Health Department will survey sewage systems that serve properties that are part of real estate transactions. Such home loan inspections are done at the request of buyers, financial institutions, or any other party involved in the transaction. For more information contact the Environmental Health Director.

For information on Portable toilets sanitation, licensing and certification click here.

Important Updates

February 10, 2014, Property owners wanting to construct and install a private sewage disposal system must;

  1. Have their soil analyzed by a soil classifier to determine whether the soils can handle a subsurface discharging system.
  2. If the soils are found unsuitable for a subsurface discharging system the owner shall make a determination whether a surface discharging system would discharge to the Waters of the United States.  If it is determined that the system will discharge to the water of the states, the owner must apply for a National Pollution Discharge elimination System permit (NPDES).  A Notice of Intent must be completed and submitted to the USEPA.

Among the most significant changes are that all private sewage disposal systems installed after Jan. 1, 2014 will be required to have routine maintenance per requirement of the NPDES Permit No. ILG62. Percolation tests will no longer be accepted after Jan. 1, 2014.

All questions or concerns pertaining to the NPDES permits can be directed to:

r5npdes@epa.gov – Use ILG62 in the subject field

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