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

Rules another office applies inside Southwest Township

Southwest Township 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 septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems on land inside Southwest Township, served by the Crawford County Health Department.

  • Systems must conform to the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Code.
  • For a surface-discharging system that discharges effluent to waters of the United States, an EPA NPDES General Permit is required before operation; that EPA process is separate from CCHD's application process.

  “The Environmental Health staff review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems BEFORE they are constructed.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of a private sewage system on land inside Southwest Township.

  • Contact Environmental Health before installation to obtain a construction/installation application.
  • A certified-soil-scientist soil analysis may be needed before approval.
  • Only an Illinois-licensed private sewage installation contractor or the homeowner may install a private sewage system.

  private sewage permit application fee: 100 USD (Payable to the Crawford County Health Department.)

  “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

  Installation of private sewage disposal systems inside Southwest Township.

  • The described systems include aeration systems, septic tanks with subsurface seepage fields or buried sand filters, and holding tanks.

  “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 wells inside Southwest Township, except community water wells.

  • IDPH's program excludes community water wells.
  • The program is conducted through agreements with 90 local health departments.

  “To ensure the safety of these water supplies, the IDPH and local health departments review water well installation plans, issue permits for new well construction, and inspect wells.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction in qualifying stream floodways inside Southwest Township.

  • Applies in urban areas where stream drainage area is at least one square mile and rural areas where drainage area is at least ten square miles.
  • A statewide permit may automatically authorize certain minor activities if its terms and conditions are met.
  • Where a floodway has not been delineated, the Division generally requires permits for work anywhere in the floodplain.

  urban stream drainage-area threshold: >= 1 square mile · rural stream drainage-area threshold: >= 10 square miles

  “All construction activities in the floodways of streams (the channel and the adjacent portion of the floodplain that is needed to safely convey and store flood waters) in urban areas where the stream drainage area is one square mile or more or in rural areas where the stream drainage area is ten square miles or more must be permitted by the Division prior to construction.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Private sewage permit applications for property inside Southwest Township.

  • The fee is payable to the Crawford County Health Department.

  private sewage permit application fee: 100 USD

  “A $100.00 Permit Application fee payable to the Crawford County Health Department is also required.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Private sewage system installation inside Southwest Township.

  • A soil analysis by a certified soil scientist may be needed before approval.
  • The CCHD application process is separate from the EPA NPDES permit process for qualifying surface-discharge systems.

  “A soil analysis by a certified soil scientist may be needed before approval of your system can be given.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Southwest Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Southwest Township.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Southwest Township.
• Inspections — Residential building work inside Southwest Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Southwest Township.

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.