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

Rules another office applies inside Chalmers Township

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An owner who owns and occupies a single-family dwelling in Chalmers Township and performs private-sewage work serving that residence.

  • The owner-builder remains subject to all other provisions of the Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act and 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 905.
  • This claim concerns the state private-sewage contractor-license exception, not a general building-permit exemption.

  “a person who owns and occupies a single family dwelling and who constructs, installs, maintains, services or cleans the private sewage disposal system which serves his/her single family residence shall not be required to be licensed under this section; however, such person shall comply with all other provisions of the act and this part.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems serving land within Chalmers Township.

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

  surface-discharge threshold: <= 1500 gallons per day (IDPH regulation described for systems discharging treated effluent to ground surface.)

  “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 a new private sewage disposal system serving land within Chalmers Township.

  • A new system includes replacement of a septic tank or addition/removal of a major component.
  • A new system includes an absorption-field increase of 25% or more, or removal and replacement of 25% or more of an existing absorption field.
  • Approval requests must use Department or local-authority forms and include the required plans, site information, design volume, soil or percolation information, owner information, and applicant signature.
  • The person doing covered work must notify the Department or local authority at least 48 hours before work begins.

  absorption-field change threshold: >= 25 percent (Increase, or removal and replacement with new piping and backfill.) · advance notice: >= 48 hours (Before commencement of construction, installation, repair, or modification.)

  “plan approval shall be obtained from the department or local authority prior to beginning any construction of a new private sewage disposal system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage systems installed and permitted under 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 serving Chalmers Township.

  • For a residential septic tank serving a subsurface seepage system, evaluation is required before or within three years after installation and at least every five years thereafter.
  • Other system types have different intervals; an aerobic treatment unit requires evaluation and maintenance at least every six months, and specified surface-discharging systems require yearly evaluation.
  • An owner may request a Department-approved alternative maintenance interval; approval is case-specific, nontransferable, and void upon change in ownership or use.

  residential initial evaluation: <= 3 years after installation (Residential septic tanks serving a subsurface seepage system.) · residential recurring evaluation: per 5 years (After the first evaluation; more frequent evaluation may be needed based on use.)

  “private sewage disposal system septic tanks serving residential properties shall be evaluated prior to or within 3 years after the date of installation of the system.”

• Permit processPartial

  Applications for approval to construct a private sewage disposal system serving land in Chalmers Township.

  • This is only the state private-sewage approval process, not a general building-permit process.
  • The application must be submitted before construction to IDPH or the applicable local authority.

  “plan approval shall be obtained from the department or local authority prior to beginning any construction of a new private sewage disposal system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction within Chalmers Township.
• Building code adopted — Building construction within Chalmers Township.
• Inspections — Building construction within Chalmers Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New residential dwellings within Chalmers Township.
• Local zoning — Land within Chalmers Township, Illinois.

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.