Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lehigh, Iowa

Rules another office applies inside Lehigh

Lehigh does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems on land inside Lehigh city limits where no public sewer is available; the state rule's administrative authority is the department or the local county board of health (the specific Webster County or other body for Lehigh is not confirmed)

  • Lehigh city's own ordinance on private sewage, if any, was not located.
  • The state chapter says the administrative authority is the department or the local county board of health, so the county health body is the likely local administrator but this was not verified for Lehigh.

  ““administrative authority” means the department or the local county board of health as authorized by iowa code section 455b.172 and chapter 137.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing or altering a private sewage disposal system (PSDS) on land inside Lehigh city limits where public sewer is not available

  • Permit is issued by the administrative authority (the department or the local county board of health), not by Lehigh city.
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is obtained.
  • Applies to installation or alteration as described in 567—69.1(3)b; repairs that do not change treatment or disposal are not alterations.

  “69.1(4) construction permit required. no psds shall be installed or altered as described in 69.1(3) “b” unless a construction permit issued by the administrative authority is obtained prior to construction.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Buildings inside Lehigh city limits where no public sewer (POTW) is available

  • Allowed only with an approved private sewage disposal system (PSDS) under the state chapter and the administrative authority's permit.
  • Holding tanks are allowed only if all other PSDS options are impractical.
  • Lehigh city's own rule on private sanitation was not located.

  “(3) when a potw is not available, every building wherein persons generate domestic sewage shall be provided with an approved psds. a holding tank for waste may be used only if all other psds options are impractical.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  A new building inside Lehigh city limits: whether it must connect to the public sewer (publicly owned treatment works, POTW) depends on availability

  • Connection is required where a local ordinance requires connection to a POTW; Lehigh city's own sewer-connection ordinance was not located.
  • A POTW is considered unavailable when it is more than 200 feet from any proposed building or exterior drainage facility on a lot that abuts and is served by a POTW; the administrative authority makes the final availability determination.
  • When a POTW becomes available within 200 feet, existing buildings on private systems must connect within a time frame set by the administrative authority.
  • Water connection rules were not located.

  POTW availability distance: <= 200 feet (measured from proposed building or exterior drainage facility to the POTW or its connected facility; final determination by the administrative authority)

  “(1) no psds shall be installed, repaired, or rehabilitated where a publicly owned treatment works (potw) is available or where a local ordinance requires connection to a potw. a potw may be considered unavailable when the potw, or any building or any exterior drainage facility connected thereto, is located more than 200 feet from any proposed building or exterior drainage facility on any lot or premises that abuts and is served by a potw. final determination of availability shall be made by the administrative authority.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Lehigh or Webster County directly.

• Building permit — New dwellings and structures inside Lehigh city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Lehigh city limits
• Building code adopted — New construction inside Lehigh city limits
• Inspections — New construction inside Lehigh city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Lehigh city limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.