If you own land or are buying land and would like to place a septic system on the property to serve a home or business you will need an Improvement Permit, a Construction Authorization, and an Operation Permit from the Chatham County Environmental Health Division prior to receiving your certificate of Occupancy from Building Inspections.

1. Applying for Improvement Permit:

Submit:

• Application 
• Fee
• Site Plan
• Flood Plain Determination
• Stream Identification Form, from Environmental Services(if you are subdividing the property)
• Legal Representation Document, if applicable

2.  Once all the proper paper work and fee have been submitted an appointment will be scheduled for the applicant and the appropriate Environmental Health Specialist to meet on the property. The applicant will need to know where the proposed house site is located and will need to be able to show the EHS where the property corners are. The applicant can request flagging to help mark house site location and property line locations.

3. If the soil is suitable for a septic system the Improvement Permit will be issued and will be valid for 5 years. (If you applied for a perpetually valid permit then a survey must be submitted to the Environmental Health Office within 30 days after the evaluation with the approved septic area surveyed to a 1"=60' scale.)

4. Applying for the Construction Authorization When you are ready to build you must submit a Construction Authorization application.

Submit:

• Application
  
  
• Updated Site Plan

5. Once all the proper paper work and fee have been submitted an appointment will be scheduled for the applicant and the appropriate Environmental Health Specialist to meet on the property.

6. The Construction Authorization will be issued and will be valid for 5 years from the date on the corresponding Improvement Permit.

7. The septic system can be installed at any time (depending upon the weather) once the Construction Authorization has been issued.

8. Once a certified septic contractor has installed the system and the EHS has approved the installation the Operation Permit will be issued.

9. The owner will then need to record the Operation Permit at the Register of Deeds Office. (see instruction sheet for recording the OP)

10. Once the Operation Permit has been recorded then the Environmental Health Office will notify Building Inspections that the septic system has been approved.

NOTE: If a newly constructed private drinking water well will be the water source for the affected property, the Environmental Health Specialist will also need to complete the well inspection including water sampling before the building inspections office will be able to schedule a building final.