Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Prairie Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Prairie Township

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Installation of private sewage systems inside Prairie Township.

  • A licensed private sewage installation contractor or the homeowner may install the system.
  • A soil analysis by a certified soil scientist may be needed before approval.
  • The required Crawford County Health Department permit-application fee is $100.00.

  “Only Illinois licensed private sewage installation contractors or the homeowner are allowed to install private sewage systems in Illinois. A soil analysis by a certified soil scientist may be needed before approval of your system can be given. A $100.00 Permit Application fee payable to the Crawford County Health Department is also required.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage systems inside Prairie Township, which is within Crawford County.

  • Illinois Department of Public Health regulates private sewage installation.
  • Crawford County Health Department Environmental Health staff review and approve plans before construction and inspect installation.

  “The Environmental Health staff review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems BEFORE they are constructed. Improperly constructed and maintained private sewage disposal systems can pose health risks, therefore the Environmental Health staff review plans and inspect the installation of systems to ensure that these systems are installed properly.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of a private sewage system on property inside Prairie Township.

  • Contact Environmental Health for an installation application before installation.
  • A certified-soil-scientist soil analysis may be needed before approval.
  • The permit-application fee is $100.00 payable to Crawford County Health Department.
  • For qualifying surface discharges to waters of the United States, an EPA NPDES General Permit is required before operation; that process is separate from the CCHD process.

  private sewage permit application fee: 100 USD

  “Before the installation of a private sewage system on your property, please contact the Environmental Health office or have your private sewage installation contractor contact the Environmental Health office to get an application for the construction/installation of a private sewage system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New private sewage-system installation inside Prairie Township.

  • The inspection concerns installation of private sewage disposal systems.
  • Aeration-system dealers must furnish the homeowner an initial two-year service policy; renewal thereafter is recommended, not stated as mandatory.

  “The Environmental Health staff review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems BEFORE they are constructed. Improperly constructed and maintained private sewage disposal systems can pose health risks, therefore the Environmental Health staff review plans and inspect the installation of systems to ensure that these systems are installed properly.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private water-well construction inside Prairie Township.

  • The state page excepts community water wells from the stated all-water-well regulation.
  • IDPH and local health departments review plans, issue permits, and inspect wells.

  “In the private water and closed loop systems program, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) administers the licensing of water well and pump installation contractors and regulates the construction, modification and sealing of all water wells, with the exception of community water wells. In addition, the program administers the registration of closed loop well contractors and regulates the construction, modification, and sealing of all closed loop wells.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Private sewage-system permit applications inside Prairie Township.

  • This fee is specifically for the private sewage permit application, not a general residential-building permit fee.

  private sewage permit application fee: 100 USD

  “Only Illinois licensed private sewage installation contractors or the homeowner are allowed to install private sewage systems in Illinois. A soil analysis by a certified soil scientist may be needed before approval of your system can be given. A $100.00 Permit Application fee payable to the Crawford County Health Department is also required.”

• Permit processPartial

  Private sewage-system installation applications inside Prairie Township.

  • Contact Environmental Health before installation to obtain an application.
  • Plans are reviewed and approved before construction.
  • A certified-soil-scientist soil analysis may be needed before approval.

  “As of January 1, 2014, numerous updates have been implemented to the IL Private Sewage Disposal Code. Before the installation of a private sewage system on your property, please contact the Environmental Health office or have your private sewage installation contractor contact the Environmental Health office to get an application for the construction/installation of a private sewage system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Prairie Township or Crawford County directly.

• Building permit — Residential building construction inside Prairie Township, excluding the separately documented private-sewage permit process.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Prairie Township.
• Inspections — Residential buildings inside Prairie Township, excluding private sewage systems.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Prairie Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Prairie Township, Crawford County, Illinois.

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.