Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mount Vernon Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Mount Vernon Township

Mount Vernon 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 septicState (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Mount Vernon Township.

  • Illinois local health agencies may also review construction plans under local ordinance or as an agent of IDPH.

  ground-surface discharge threshold: <= 1500 gallons per day (IDPH describes regulation of treated-effluent systems discharging up to this amount.)

  “The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields) as well as those that discharge treated effluent up to 1,500 gallons per day to the ground surface (such as sand filters and aerobic treatment systems).”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of private sewage disposal systems inside Mount Vernon Township.

  • Plans for private and alternative private sewage disposal systems are reviewed and approved before construction; local health agencies may conduct this review under local ordinance or as an IDPH agent.

  “Staff also review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems and alternative private sewage disposal systems before construction.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private-water wells inside Mount Vernon Township.

  • Community water wells are excepted from the program description; IDPH conducts the program through agreements with 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.”

• Permit processPartial

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Mount Vernon Township.

  • The published process covers private and alternative private sewage-system plan review and approval before construction, not general building permits.

  “Staff also review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems and alternative private sewage disposal systems before construction. There are about 90 local health agencies in Illinois that also review sewage disposal system construction plans, either by authority of a local ordinance or as an "agent" of the Department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Mount Vernon Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mount Vernon Township.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Mount Vernon Township.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Mount Vernon Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Mount Vernon 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.