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

Rules another office applies inside Edwardsville Township

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

• Building permitLimited

  Accessory structures over 200 square feet on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township that is subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • This does not establish the permit rule for the City of Edwardsville or Village of Glen Carbon parcels within the Township.
  • All structures must conform to the general development regulations of the County Zoning Ordinance.

  accessory structure area: > 200 square feet

  “All accessory structures over 200 S.F. in size must obtain a building permit.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Development projects in floodplains under Madison County jurisdiction on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township.

  • Limited to floodplain development under Madison County jurisdiction.
  • The Township includes City of Edwardsville and Village of Glen Carbon parcels with separate local jurisdiction.

  “Inspect all development projects and take any and all penalty actions outlined in Section 13 as a necessary to ensure compliance with this ordinance.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage systems on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township that is subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • Madison County is designated by IDPH as an authorized state agent.
  • The Township contains City of Edwardsville and Village of Glen Carbon parcels; their rules may differ.

  “Madison County has continuously been designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health as an authorized agent of the State of Illinois”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, or extension of an individual sewage disposal system on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • A valid permit must be issued by the Madison County Building, Zoning and Environmental Department.
  • Applications use Department forms and require sufficient review information.
  • Municipal parcels within the Township may be subject to separate municipal administration.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter or extend the individual sewage disposal systems within the County unless a valid permit has been issued”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  A private sewage system installed by a homeowner for the homeowner's personal residence on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • The system may not be covered or placed in operation until inspected and written Department approval is issued.
  • The Township includes municipal parcels that may have separate rules.

  “shall not be covered or placed in operation until the installation shall be inspected and written approval of the system shall have been issued by the Department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal systems on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • The cited prohibition applies to named private sewage-disposal systems.
  • Separate municipal rules may apply to City of Edwardsville or Village of Glen Carbon parcels.

  “Septic tanks discharging to farm tiles, storm sewers, village tiles, roadside ditches, drainage ditches, railroad ditches, ground surface, rivers, lakes, streams or intermittent waterways.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private water-well construction inside Edwardsville Township.

  • This state program excludes community water wells.
  • IDPH conducts the program through agreements with local health departments.

  “the IDPH and local health departments review water well installation plans, issue permits for new well construction, and inspect wells.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • The condition described concerns private-sewage subdivision plats.
  • Additional requirements may be imposed by the Land Use Committee under the Subdivision Control Ordinance.
  • Incorporated parcels may be subject to municipal subdivision rules.

  “The Land Use Committee requires that a approved private sewage subdivision plat be on file for all subdivisions approved under the authority of the Madison County Subdivision Control Ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Private-sewage permit applications on unincorporated land within Edwardsville Township subject to Madison County jurisdiction.

  • Applications must use Department-provided forms and include sufficient review data.
  • This establishes a private-sewage process, not a comprehensive process for every construction permit in the Township.

  “All applications for permits shall be made on forms provided by the Building, Zoning and Environmental Department. Sufficient data shall be included to allow review”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Edwardsville Township.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Edwardsville Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Edwardsville Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Edwardsville Township.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Edwardsville 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.