Septic Repair Permit
If your septic system needs to be repaired, you will need to submit for a permit to correct the onsite wastewater system.
What is the process?
Apply Online
Email a completed building application Construction Permit Application and plans to [email protected]. All applicable materials described in this document shall be included. All files must be in PDF format to upload and be grouped accordingly. Please follow these guidelines when naming your documents: 01 General, Septic resubmittals will be numbered consecutively, i.e. V1, V2, V3, etc. After reviewing the submittal, you will be contacted by a Land Use Tech if there are any corrections necessary.
Submit Site Plan
The County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department requires a comprehensive site plan. Not all items will be applicable but in general you must include plans drawn to scale, completely dimensioned, showing direction and approximate slope of surface, location of present or proposed retaining walls, drainage channels, water supply lines or wells, paved areas and structures on the plot, number of bedrooms, and location of the private sewage disposal system with relation to property lines and structures. Details of construction necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of; Local Agency Management Program (LAMP), California Plumbing Code (CPC) Appendix H, and RWQCB OWTS Policy, together with a full description of the complete installation including quality, kind, and grade of materials, equipment, construction, workmanship, and methods of assembly and installation
Pay Invoice
All fees are paid through the PermitSLO Portal. An invoice number will be emailed to you upon successful digital submittal by the Land Use Tech and must be paid prior to issuance.
Please note for all Planning and Building applications, after 15 days of non-payment of invoice, the application will be voided and resubmittal will be required.
Review
Once all materials have been successfully submitted a review process will begin. During this process please be attentive to the listed email as this will be the primary means of contact. There may be a need for a resubmittal during the review. The resubmittal process shall follow the guidelines of the original submittal process.
Permit Issuance
Once the review process is complete and all fees are paid, you will be contacted by the Land Use Tech and your permit will be issued in digital PDF format
Inspection
The contractor or permit-holder will need to schedule any applicable inspection(s) for a construction project, identified by its permit number. To schedule an inspection, please use the Department of Planning and Building’s PermitSLO Portal. You can also call (805) 788- 6602 or email [email protected]. All requests must be received before midnight for an inspection the following business day.
Who is eligible?
Qualified System Installers: A Licensed General Engineering Contractor (Class A), General Building Contractor (Class B), Sanitation System Contractor (Specialty Class C42), or Plumbing Contractor (Specialty Class C-36) shall install all new OWTS and replacement OWTS in accordance with California Business and Professions Code Sections 7056, 7057, and 7058 and Article 3, Division 8, Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.
Is there a charge for this service?
All fees are paid through the PermitSLO Portal . An invoice number will be emailed to you upon successful digital submittal by the Land Use Tech and must be paid prior to issuance.
When and where is this service offered?
This service is available throughout the year during regular business hours except during scheduled holidays.
FAQS
Any OWTS that has pooling effluent, discharges wastewater to the surface, or has wastewater backed up into plumbing fixtures (because the dispersal system is no longer adequately percolating the wastewater) is deemed to be failing. A failing system no longer meets its primary purpose to protect public health, and as such the dispersal system must be replaced, repaired, or modified so as to return to proper function.
Any OWTS septic tank failure, such as a baffle failure or tank structural integrity failure such that either wastewater is exfiltrating or groundwater is infiltrating is deemed to be failing, no longer meeting its primary purpose to protect public health, and requires major repair, and as such shall require the septic tank to be brought into compliance.
Any OWTS that has a failure of one of its components, such as a distribution box or broken piping connection, shall have that component repaired so as to return the OWTS to a proper functioning condition. If the repair/replacement cannot meet the criteria outlined in this document, or involves seepage pits, the applicant must pursue permitting the repair through the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB).
Abandoned septic tanks will need to be pumped. The receipt or a copy of the receipt of the pumping will need to be given to the County. The tank will then need to be filled with sand, cement slurry, or gravel. If tank is completely removed the excavated area will need to be backfilled with an approved material and compacted to 90%.
