Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Waterloo, Wisconsin

Rules another office applies inside Town of Waterloo

Town of Waterloo 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)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems (POWTS) on land inside Waterloo town (an unincorporated town within Jefferson County), administered by the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Department

  • The county definition names Jefferson County and its planning and zoning department as the county authority.
  • Under Sec. 12.12, the county sanitary permit is required; the ordinance also says a sanitary district, city or village must approve a POWTS proposed in its jurisdiction before issuance. Waterloo town is not listed as a sanitary district, city, or village in the quoted text.
  • The handout has no stated effective date; currency of the 2021 handout was not verified against the current county code.

  “county: jefferson county or the jefferson county planning and zoning department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, replacing, or modifying a private onsite wastewater treatment system (POWTS) on land inside Waterloo town, under the county sanitary permit

  • A separate application and sanitary permit is required for every POWTS (Sec. 12.12(1)); the permit must be obtained before the POWTS or any part is installed, replaced, or modified (Sec. 12.12(3)).
  • A sanitary permit is not required for adding manhole risers or replacing manhole covers, baffles or pumps (Sec. 12.12(3)).
  • A zoning and land use permit cannot issue for a structure needing a POWTS unless a compliant system exists or all POWTS permits have been obtained (Sec. 12.12(6)).
  • Permits are to be approved within 30 days of a complete application (Sec. 12.14(1)); the county may refuse incomplete applications; denial is required when state or county requirements are not met (Sec. 12.14(2)).
  • Application must include a plot plan, maintenance agreement or management plan, and payment of fees in the county fee schedule (Sec. 12.13).
  • Holding tanks as replacement systems are restricted; a temporary holding tank may be allowed only where public sewer is approved to be installed within 2 years (Sec. 12.09 limits, quoted text).
  • Systems in a floodplain must meet state and county floodplain requirements, with a floodproofing exception (Sec. 12.09(4)).
  • Work started before a sanitary permit is obtained is a violation subject to ordinance penalties (Sec. 12.12(2)).

  permit decision time after complete application: <= 30 days (applies to a completed application meeting Sec. 12.13 requirements (Sec. 12.14(1))) · sanitary permit fee: county fee schedule (fee amounts were not located in the cited text)

  “every powts shall require a separate application and sanitary permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or existing POWTS serving structures on land inside Waterloo town, before the structure may be occupied

  • POWTS for new or existing structures must be installed, inspected and approved by a state-licensed master plumber or master plumber restricted service, and also inspected and approved by the county planning and zoning department before the structure may be occupied.
  • The county inspector may require county verification of a soil and site evaluation before a sanitary permit issues; verification is required for all soils except those supporting in-ground or conventional absorption systems, and may be waived by the planning and zoning director.
  • County inspections are to be completed by the end of the workday following the request (excluding weekends and holidays).

  “and also inspected and approved by the planning and zoning department before the structure may be occupied.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Waterloo or Jefferson County directly.

• Building permit — New construction inside Waterloo town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Waterloo town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Waterloo town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Waterloo town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Waterloo town

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.