• Home
  • About Off The Grid
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
Friday, May 23, 2025
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
No Result
View All Result
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
No Result
View All Result
Off The Grid News
Home Current Events

Septic Tanks Now Regulated And Monitored By EPA

by Off The Grid News Staff
in Current Events
Print Print
epa septic tank

Image source: darrscleaning.com

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on TruthEmail Article
epa septic tank
Image source: darrscleaning.com

Homeowners in one Midwest state now have to get a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency if they want to install a septic system, a regulation that involves paperwork, government oversight and potentially hundreds of dollars – and it’s not the only state with a permit system.

As of Feb. 10, homeowners in Illinois must get what is called a “general permit” to install a septic tank, the EPA told Off The Grid News. The new regulation will affect any septic system that could discharge water that potentially would end up in a stream, contractor Joe Dreyer told The Quincy Herald-Whig. Dreyer said the regulations even will affect septic systems that empty into a dry creek bed that is miles away from a larger body of water.

The EPA website says the new regulation “sets discharge limits and requires periodic inspection, monitoring and reporting” by the government so as to comply with the Clean Water Act. In determining whether a septic tank permit is required, the EPA said homeowners should ask: Would water in my ditch end up in a stream?

Previously, only commercial buildings required such a permit.

“What’s happened is that they’re trying to do away with surface discharge, because (the EPA is) saying it’s polluting our waters,” Dreyer said. “What the EPA tries to say is if we get a six-inch rain, it’s going to reach waters of the United States, but it’s going to be so diluted that it doesn’t really matter.”

The True Christian Heritage and Christian Ideals That Are Woven Into The Very Fabric Of The Constitution…

Cost of a Septic System Will Increase

The EPA could not tell Off The Grid News how many other states have similar restrictions, although at least one – Ohio – does. In that state, the agency serves in more of a “guidance” role as the state itself issues the permits, the EPA said. One in four homes in the US has a septic tank.

The septic tanks that are the target of the EPA empty liquids into the ground. Residents could avoid EPA hassle by getting a non-discharge system that is fully contained, but they cost 25-30 percent more, Dreyer said. It’s also possible the EPA will require such an expensive system.

Another way the regulations will increase costs is by mandating soil and chemical testing that will cost hundreds of dollars in expense even before a permit is considered, Dreyer said.

The regulations only affect those constructing new homes but could eventually impact anyone replacing a septic tank.

Tony Dede of the Adams County (Illinois) Health Department told the newspaper the mandate requires news homes to follow the same standards previously imposed on large commercial buildings and apartment houses.

“If anybody is building a house, I recommend they call us first before scooping up a single shovel of dirt,” Dede said.

Regulations will Affect All Septic Systems at Some Point

The regulations will eventually impact owners of existing homes, when they repair or replace septic tanks.

“If you already have a home that’s on a septic system, protect it at all costs,” Dede advised homeowners. “Do every bit of maintenance that you can to keep the system in the best shape possible.”

Sign up for Off The Grid News’ weekly email and stay informed about the issues important to you

ShareTweetShareSend

Related Posts

How U.S. Tariffs Reshape China’s Top 20 Raw Supplement Imports

How U.S. Tariffs Reshape China’s Top 20 Raw Supplement Imports

by Bill Heid

The U.S.-China trade war has escalated to a critical phase in 2025, with tariffs on Chinese imports reaching unprecedented levels,...

Doomsday Dominoes: What Happens When Nukes Are Launched In India Or Pakistan

Doomsday Dominoes: What Happens When Nukes Are Launched In India Or Pakistan

by Bill Heid

Health, Environmental, and Economic Impacts of a Nuclear War Between India and Pakistan The specter of nuclear conflict remains one...

The Long…  Bloody History of India and Pakistan’s Endless Conflict

The Long… Bloody History of India and Pakistan’s Endless Conflict

by Bill Heid

A Nation Born in Bloodshed The roots of the ongoing hostility between India and Pakistan officially stretch back to 1947,...

Next Post
City Threatens Widow With Eviction For Living Off The Grid

City Threatens Widow With Eviction For Living Off The Grid

Please login to join discussion

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Student Loan Debt Eats Away At Social Security

Student Loan Debt Eats Away At Social Security

Fighting For Our Rights, One Voice At A Time

Fighting For Our Rights, One Voice At A Time

This U.S. State Can't Afford To Pay Its Electric Bill

This State’s Electricity Could Be Shut Off Because It Can’t Pay Its Bills

TRENDING STORIES

  • bubonic plague

    Is Another Bubonic Plague Pandemic On The Horizon?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Waco Fertilizer Plant Explosion & A Look Back On The “Waco Massacre”

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Make Yourself 3 Times More Likely To Survive A Heart Attack

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • AI Surveillance Of Shoppers: Walmart’s Newest Tool To Grab Your Data

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Apocalyptic’ Microchip Implants Are Here – And Being Inserted Into People’s Hands

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Subscribe to our Insider Newsletter

Huge discounts on off-the-grid gear and life saving supplements.






‘Off The Grid News’ is an independent, weekly email newsletter and website that is crammed full of practical information on living and surviving off the grid. Advice you’ll never hear from the mainstream media.

  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Extreme Survival
  • Survival Gardening
  • Off-Grid Foods
  • Worldview
  • Natural Health
  • Survival Hunting
  • Privacy
  • Financial
  • Current Events
  • Self Defense
  • Home Defense
  • Pain-Free Living
  • Miscellaneous
  • Off Grid Videos

© Copyright 2025 Off The Grid News.  All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • How-To
  • Grid Threats
  • Survival
  • Gardening
  • Food
  • Worldview
  • Health
  • Privacy
  • Hunting
  • Defense
  • Financial
  • News
  • Misc
  • Videos

© Copyright 2025 Off The Grid News.  All Rights Reserved.