SEPTIC OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS
Owners of systems with off-lot permitted discharges are covered by Summit County’s Septic Operation and Maintenance Inspection program. Those are systems that drain wastewater into an open or closed ditch, field tile, storm sewer, creek, stream or other body of water.
For the most current information regarding inspections and pricing, please visit the Summit County website, Operation Permits | Summit County Public Health (scph.org). The video at this link is especially informative.
If the inspection finds that work on the system must be performed, the Summit County Health District will notify the owner who will then be “given a reasonable time-frame (generally one to six months) to complete the work.”
If minor corrections are required, follow-up inspections will not require an additional fee. However, corrections that involve work requiring a permit will be charged a permit fee and the inspection fee will be deducted from the cost of the permit.
If you have an off-lot discharging septic system, be prepared! It will be inspected. Keep your system properly maintained. We can help. See our Septic Maintenance page.
For more information about the operation and maintenance inspections, read The Summit County Health District’s “Water Quality Request” document. (The document is in .pdf format so you will need a PDF Reader to read it. If you need one a FREE copy of Foxit Reader or Adobe Reader may be used.) General information about Summit County’s program can be found at Sewage Treatment Systems | Summit County Public Health (scph.org)
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER/SEPTIC & WATER SYSTEM INSPECTIONS
Summit County Health District rules require that, before a home can be transferred to a new owner, the Household Sewage Treatment System (Septic) and Private Water System must be inspected!
The inspection will determine if the system(s) adversely affects the public health and the environment or violates any other applicable rule or regulation. It will decide if the systems’ structure and operational status are in substantial conformance with the District’s various regulations. The District will give both the seller and the buyer a copy of the inspection report.
What does this all mean? Your systems will have to be in good shape or the District will require repairs or system replacement, as necessary. A system that is a public nuisance will have to be fixed or the District will shut it down.
Well-kept records regarding your septic system make this process easier. In addition to dates and types of services done to the system, record the names of your service provider. The county will have a description of your system; you may want to add that to your records. If for no other reason, these records will demonstrate to a buyer the home has been well maintained.
While we cannot help you with your water system, we can help you with your septic system. How? The best way to protect your system is to keep it cleaned out. That is how we can help. Go to our Septic Maintenance page for details. For more information about the real estate transfer inspection rules, read the Summit County Health District’s document Point of Sale | Summit County Public Health (scph.org)