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

Rules another office applies inside Wapella Township

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Wapella Township subject to DeWitt County zoning.

  • The applicable controls depend on the district in which the land is located.
  • County jurisdiction also includes municipalities without their own zoning ordinance; this claim does not determine whether the Village of Wapella has its own ordinance.

  “All buildings erected hereafter, all uses of land or buildings established hereafter, all structural alterations or relocation of existing buildings occurring hereafter, and all enlargements of or additions to existing uses occurring hereafter shall be subject to all regulations of this chapter which are applicable to the zoning districts in which the buildings, uses or land shall be located.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage systems serving property inside Wapella Township.

  • County building-permit approval requires health-department review materials for private sewage systems.
  • Additional approval may be required by the health department, IDPH, and/or IEPA.

  “The DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department does not guarantee trouble free operation of this sewage treatment and disposal system by the issuance of a permit or final inspection of the sewage installation.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Private sewage-system construction for property inside Wapella Township.

  • Application is made to the Board of Health under the county code.
  • A soil report is required on all private sewage-system applications; if soil is unsuitable for a subsurface field, alternative technology will be required.
  • Incomplete applications are not reviewed and are returned.

  private sewage permit fee: 200 USD

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter, or extend individual sewage disposal systems within DeWitt County unless he or she holds a valid permit issued by the Health Department stating the name of such person for whom the specific construction, alteration or extension is proposed.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage systems serving residential or nonresidential property inside Wapella Township.

  • Residential systems must be evaluated within three years of installation and every five years thereafter.
  • Nonresidential systems must be evaluated within three years and every three years thereafter.
  • Residential aerobic treatment units using chlorination require evaluation and service every six months; other residential aerobic treatment units require annual evaluation and service.

  “In order to comply with IDPH Regulations, private sewage systems serving residential properties shall be evaluated within three (3) years of installation and every five (5) years after the initial evaluation.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private water-well construction inside Wapella Township.

  • IDPH administers the program through agreements with local health departments.
  • Community water wells are excepted from the described private-water program.

  “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

  Land within a special flood hazard area on unincorporated land inside Wapella Township.

  • The parcel must be shown to be within a special flood hazard area, unless a competent engineering study proves it outside the SFHA.
  • Habitable and usable floor areas and listed building utility areas must be at least three feet above base flood elevation.
  • Development that increases the base flood elevation in the floodway is prohibited.

  minimum elevation above base flood elevation: >= 3 feet (All habitable and usable floor areas, including basements, and listed utility areas.)

  “All lands located in the unincorporated area of the county which are shown to be within the special flood hazard areas shall be subject to the standards, regulations and procedures established and contained in this chapter.”

• Permit processPartial

  Private sewage and private-water review before a county building permit for property inside Wapella Township.

  • A proposed property layout and approximate setbacks from property lines and utilities are required.
  • A soil report is required on every private sewage application, though it is not required before approval to obtain a building permit.
  • Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will be returned.

  “In order to obtain approval to receive a building permit from the county zoning office, the following information is required by the health department prior to a review process:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Wapella Township.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Wapella Township.
• Local zoning — Whether Wapella Township itself has adopted and administers a zoning ordinance.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Wapella Township.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Wapella 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.