OBTAINING ONLOT SEWAGE
PERMITS
FOR CAMPS & COTTAGES
Persons desiring an On Lot Sewage Permit for hunting, fishing, or summer camps and cottages have several options available to them.
It is a well observed fact that, over time and changing ownership, many seasonal facilities such as hunting and fishing camps evolve into year round residences. With this evolution in mind, state regulations require that even seasonal sites demonstrate the capability to support a sewage disposal system able to serve a full-time residence.
Therefore, sufficient site and soils testing must be conducted to identify and protect a location suitable for the installation of an onlot sewage disposal system to service a structure with indoor plumbing. In this way, seasonal and recreational cabins & cottages are prepared for long term use.
VAULT PRIVY (Outhouse)
The most requested type of Permit is for the construction of a privy or outhouse. In cases where there is no indoor pressurized water system, there is also no piped wastewater, so there is no need for a septic system. Structures served by a privy MUST NOT BE SERVED BY WATER UNDER PRESSURE AND CAN NOT HAVE INDOOR PLUMBING FACILITIES. WATER MUST BE HAND CARRIED INTO AND OUT OF THE BUILDING.
To obtain a Privy Permit the property must have areas that have been tested for suitable soils and have been approved for a conventional in-ground, sandmound, or an alternate type of sewage disposal system. (There is ONE exception, and that is a lot which is larger than one acre and subdivided prior to 1972 may not necessarily require soils & perc. testing).
Complete soils’ testing is
required in almost all cases to obtain a Privy Permit. Although
there is no minimum lot size, the proposed location of the
privy must be located at least fifty feet (50’) from the dwelling and fifty
feet (50’) from any springs, wells, or other surface water features and 10'
from property lines and other right-of-ways.
Since the lot is required to have an approved location to site a conventional septic
system (gravity bed or trench or sandmound) in the event that indoor
water is someday proposed, most lots must be at least one (1) acre in size.
The
privy structure is typically built on top of a 1000-gallon concrete septic tank
and is pumped empty when the tank is 75% full.
Click
here to view Vault Privy construction regulations
Privy standards have changed over the years and an examination of the privies construction can reveal much information.
Modern privies are built above a watertight concrete vault. (A septic tank is often used as the vault) Many older substandard privies were simply constructed above a small hand dug pit into the ground.
The combination of a privy and an indoor water supply is not typically permitted under state law. Such a situation should cause a prospective buyer to ask questions about waste disposal.
Do not make the mistake of assuming that upgrading a pit privy to a holding tank is an available option - it is not. Most lots that utilize pit privies are too small to construct an septic system. Pit privies are routinely upgraded to vault privies, not holding tanks.
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When the camp is to be served by an indoor pressurized water system or other indoor plumbing a soil absorption septic system (in-ground leech field or sand mound) MUST be permitted and constructed. Before a permit can be issued complete soils & perc. testing is required. This soils testing will determine the type of system able to be permitted on the property. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING SITE AND SOILS TESTING REQUIREMENTS.
HOLDING TANKS ARE NOT PERMITTED FOR ANY RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, INCLUDING SEASONAL CAMPS & COTTAGES. (The only instance where a holding tank is used would be when a Privy is constructed on top of a septic tank as described above. Although this is not really a holding tank, the term "holding tank" is often used to describe a privy vault.)
Modern regulations do not allow for long-term holding tank usage to residential type structures, including recreational hunting and fishing cabins & camps.
Generally speaking, cabins without indoor plumbing rely on privies for sanitary facilities while cabins with indoor plumbing facilities utilize onlot septic systems, not holding tanks.
Permits for incinerating and composting toilets have the same water and use restrictions as a Vault Privy. However, these devices are installed inside the dwelling and have the advantage of providing for an indoor facility.
Visit these websites for more information: