Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Gardner, North Dakota

Rules another office applies inside Gardner

Gardner 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 septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage-treatment systems serving premises, including premises inside Gardner city limits.

  • The state rule directs an applicant to local or district health units where a written permit may be required.
  • A public or noncommunity sewage-treatment system is deemed available when the occupied premise is within 200 feet [60.96 meters].

  public or noncommunity sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (A premise used for human occupancy within this distance must discharge sewage into that system.)

  “"Permit" means authorization from a local public health unit or other political subdivision [...] the department has the exclusive authority to adopt rules regarding licensing, permitting, and inspections of onsite wastewater treatment systems.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Installation, addition to, or alteration of an individual sewage-treatment system at a building of human occupancy, including inside Gardner city limits.

  • The installer may be required to apply to local or district health units for a written permit before construction.
  • This provision applies where public or noncommunity sewage-treatment systems are not available.

  “Where public or noncommunity sewage treatment systems are not available [...] previous to beginning any construction may be required to make application to the local or district health units for a written permit to make the desired installation.”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  Human-waste disposal at premises inside Gardner city limits where water under pressure is not available.

  • Waste must be deposited in approved privies, chemical toilets, or another installation acceptable to the administrative authority.

  “Where water under pressure is not available [...] approved privies, chemical toilets, or such other installations acceptable to the administrative authority.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  A premise used for human occupancy inside Gardner city limits, where a public or noncommunity sewage-treatment system is deemed available.

  • The rule concerns sewage discharge, not water-service connection.
  • The system is deemed available if the premise is within 200 feet [60.96 meters].

  sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (The premise must discharge sewage into the available public or noncommunity sewage-treatment system.)

  “if such premise is within two hundred feet [60.96 meters], the approving authority shall require that sewage be discharged into that system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Gardner or Cass County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Gardner city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Gardner city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Gardner city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Gardner city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Gardner city limits.

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.