Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Greene Township, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside Greene Township

Greene 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)

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana, administered by the St. Joseph County Department of Health under County Code chapter 51. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • County Code 51.06 applies to any septic system installed or proposed to be installed in the county.
  • County Code 51.03 incorporates Indiana Department of Health septic rules by reference; under 51.02 the most restrictive requirement governs where rules conflict.
  • Chapter 51 was amended in its entirety by Ord. 131-23, adopted November 21, 2023 (footnote 1 to chapter 51).
  • This is a county health-department rule applied inside the township; no township-adopted septic rule was found.
  • Whether a town or city inside Greene township has its own health rule was not checked.

  “a permit from the department of health is required to install, replace, or repair a septic system in st. joseph county.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, replacement or repair of a septic system on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • Permit application, permit fee and a soil report from a certified soil scientist must be submitted to the health department; the health department then reviews the soil report and issues minimum design specifications.
  • Under County Code chapter 51, residential permits cover one- or two-family dwellings, two dwellings with a daily design flow of 750 gallons per day or less, residential outbuildings for the owner's private use, and connection of a dwelling to a cluster system.
  • Obtaining the health department permit does not release a person from obtaining any other required permit or approval.
  • A septic system must also be installed by a septic installer/inspector with the department of health.
  • Chapter 51 also lists conditions for a homeowner to install a system personally (signed homeowner agreement, installation permit, preconstruction meeting, and 100 percent self-performed work); the lead-in sentence for that list was not captured, so this is not recorded as an exemption.
  • The permit fee amount was not captured.

  “a permit from the department of health is required to install, replace, or repair a septic system in st. joseph county.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic system installation and repair work on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • The installer must contact the health department within 24 hours of reaching each installation hold point and must not build past a hold point until the health department gives partial or final approval.
  • The health department may require a pre-construction conference before installation starts; no work may begin before that conference if one is required.
  • A septic inspection done for property-transfer compliance under the source water protection ordinance (County Code sections 52.001 through 52.014) requires a septic system inspector license from the health department.
  • Chapter 51 was amended in its entirety by Ord. 131-23, adopted November 21, 2023.

  “the contractor installing a septic system shall contact the health department within at least 24 hours of reaching any hold point for an inspection and shall be responsible for protecting the integrity”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Structures that generate wastewater on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • Each such structure must be served by a sanitary sewer system, or by a septic system located on the same property, on a property with an applicable septic easement, or connected to an approved cluster system.
  • A holding tank is an option under chapter 51; a residence or business connected to a holding tank may not be occupied until the health department issues a holding tank operating permit.
  • Other off-grid sanitation methods were not described in the cited text and were not verified.
  • Chapter 51 was amended in its entirety by Ord. 131-23, adopted November 21, 2023.

  “all structures in which wastewater is generated shall be served by one of the following: (1) a sanitary sewerage system; or (2) a septic system that is:”

• Well permitRequired

  Installation of any potable or non-potable water well (including irrigation, geothermal, monitoring and fire-suppression wells) on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • Complete a well-permit application and submit it with the well-application fee to the health department before installation.
  • Well-permit fee is non-refundable and must be paid when the application is submitted; the fee amount was not captured.
  • Under County Code 52, a water well unused for more than one year must be abandoned, and abandonment requires a health department permit and a registered well driller who notifies the department at least two hours beforehand.
  • Well-driller registration rules were not captured in the text opened.

  “complete a well-permit application and submit it to the department of health with the well-application fee.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New construction, or a failing septic system, on land inside Greene township where a sanitary sewer is available adjacent to the property or along an adjacent easement or right-of-way. Sewer only; the cited rule does not address a water connection requirement. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • The property owner must connect unless the sewer provider gives a written waiver to the health department.
  • The health department may grant a variance from the connection requirement if connection costs are prohibitive and there is no compelling public health reason to connect.
  • The health department will follow any decision of the St. Joseph County Regional Water and Sewer District on whether a property uses a district-controlled sanitary sewer, unless there is a compelling public health reason not to.
  • The health department may require connection to a sanitary sewer where there is a compelling public health reason.
  • New subdivisions are handled under chapter 153 of the county code, which was not opened.
  • Chapter 51 was amended in its entirety by Ord. 131-23, adopted November 21, 2023. The distance threshold for adjacency was not stated in the cited text.
  • Water connection requirements were not verified.

  “if new construction is proposed or a septic system fails and a sanitary sewerage system is available adjacent to the property or adjacent to an easement or right-of-way which is adjacent to the property, the property owner shall connect to the sanitary sewerage system unless a written waiver is provided by the sanitary sewerage system to the health department.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Septic tanks and dosing tanks on land inside Greene township, St. Joseph County, Indiana, where the land is in a regulatory flood area. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • Septic tanks and dosing tanks may not be installed with the top of the tank below the regulatory flood elevation.
  • This is a septic-only restriction; general floodplain development permits were not verified.
  • Chapter 51 was amended in its entirety by Ord. 131-23, adopted November 21, 2023.

  “septic tanks and dosing tanks shall not be installed with the top of the tank below the regulatory flood elevation.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic and water-well permits only, for land inside Greene township. The county has not published a general building-permit process in the pages opened. The county rule applies countywide, including Greene township.

  • Septic: application, permit fee and certified soil-scientist soil report go to the health department; the health department reviews, issues minimum design specifications, and then issues the permit after approval of the design.
  • Septic variance requests use a health-department form and must comply with the provisions of rule 410 of the Indiana Department of Health.
  • Well: application and fee go to the health department before installation; the well may be installed only after approval.
  • Building-permit process was not verified.

  “to apply for a septic permit, a permit application, permit fee, and soil report from a certified soil scientist must be submitted to the department of health.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new residential construction inside Greene township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder building-permit exemption for a homeowner building on their own land inside Greene township.
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new construction inside Greene township.
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Greene township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Greene 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.