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

Rules another office applies inside Nelson Township

Nelson 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 septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic and sewage disposal systems on land inside Nelson township; the county board of health and county health department administer them

  • Septic permits, approvals and the county septic tank cleaner licensing are issued by the county board of health / health officer.
  • Connections to a public sewer are handled by the municipality owning that sewer, not the county board of health (8-2-9(a) proviso).
  • No township-level septic authority was found in the Nelson township record.

  “Applications shall be approved by the County Health Department and permits shall be issued before any construction or repair is undertaken and before the building permit is issued.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic tanks, privy vaults, sink drains and sewage disposal systems in Lee County, including land inside Nelson township (county rule; no Nelson township septic ordinance was found)

  • Permit must be obtained from the county board of health before work proceeds, except that where the connection is to a public sewer, arrangements are made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the county board of health.
  • Application must be in writing with a plat showing existing and proposed wells, sewers, septic tanks, seepage systems and privy vaults, plus drawings, plans and specifications (8-2-9(b)(1)).
  • Systems serving more than fifteen persons that discharge to streams need an Illinois EPA permit (8-2-9(d)(1)).
  • Status is conditional because construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “No septic tank, privy vault, sink drain, or sewage disposal system shall be erected, constructed, or repaired in this county, except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the County Board of Health; provided, however, that where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, arrangements shall be made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the County Board of Health.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-sewer sanitation (alternative septic systems) on land inside Nelson township in Lee County

  • Alternative systems must have been adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health (8-2-8(a)), and the system must meet the criteria in 8-2-8(b).
  • Two-year written warranty from installer, service contract, alarm and inspection requirements apply (8-2-8(b)(1)-(5)).
  • A septic permit is required before installation of an alternative system (8-2-8(b)(7)).
  • Failure of an alternative system must be reported to the health department (8-2-8(e)).
  • Privy rules (8-2-4) and private disposal rules (8-2-5) are listed in the table of contents only; their text was not captured.

  “Alternative systems are allowed within Lee County; provided, that the following criteria are met prior to or during the installation of the system:”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic/sewage application fees for systems on land inside Nelson township in Lee County

  • Fee increases every three years by $25.00 under the code; the code may be altered by amendment.
  • The code fee table prints columns for 2024, 2027 and 2030; the 2024 column amounts are the printed rates, and the 2027 and 2030 columns show the scheduled increases.
  • A late filing fee is added, set by the Lee County Board of Health and paid to the county health department; the amount is not stated in the code.
  • Septic tank cleaner license fee is $125.00 per year (8-2-10(c)), separate from the application fee.
  • Fees accompany the application; status conditional because the permit must be obtained before construction.

  tank-only septic application fee, contractor-submitted: 125 USD (code fee table prints $150.00 for the 2027 column and $175.00 for the 2030 column) · residential tank and field septic application fee, contractor-submitted: 225 USD (code fee table prints $250.00 for the 2027 column and $275.00 for the 2030 column) · non-residential septic application fee, contractor-submitted: 325 USD (code fee table prints $350.00 for the 2027 column and $375.00 for the 2030 column) · residential septic application fee, owner-installed (twice the contractor-installed residential fee): 450 USD (derived from the code's rule that owner-installed fee equals twice the contractor-installed residential amount; not separately printed) · late filing fee: set by Lee County Board of Health

  “A fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) for tank-only installation, two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225.00) for residential properties, and three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325.00) for commercial properties must accompany each sewage application submitted by a licensed septic contractor. The fee for required permits shall increase every three years by $25.00.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic/sewage permit process for land inside Nelson township in Lee County; no township building permit process was found

  • Application must be in writing on the health authority's form, with a plat, drawings, plans and specifications (8-2-9(b)(1)).
  • Soil classification results must accompany each application (8-2-9(b)(2)).
  • Applications are approved by the county health department and permits are issued before any construction or repair and before the building permit is issued (8-2-9(b)(3)).
  • Variance route is in section 8-2-13 and revocation in 8-2-14; their text was not captured.

  “Application for permits under this section shall be in writing and in such form as prescribed by the health authority. Each application shall be accompanied by a plat showing the locations of all existing and proposed wells, sewers, septic tanks, seepage systems, privy vaults, and other sewage disposal facilities and by drawings, plans, and specifications of all the above units which are proposed to be installed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Whether a general building permit is required for new residential construction inside Nelson township
• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner-builder may build a home inside Nelson township without a contractor
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, governs new construction inside Nelson township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Nelson township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Nelson 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.