About Us

About Our Program

WHAT IS IT?

Cass County  helps to ensure that onsite systems used to treat wastewater discharged from homes and businesses in non City Sewered areas effectively protect public health, and water resources in Minnesota.  It is a regulatory program administered by the Local Units of Government which guides property owners through the site selection, design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements for wastewater treatment systems installed on their properties.  

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

Household and commercial wastewaters contain many pollutants that can be harmful to the environment and us. In Minnesota, over 5,000 onsite systems are used by homeowners and businesses, which represent over 30% of all properties in the state. Without proper treatment, the approximately 1,000,000 gallons of wastewater discharged by these systems each day pose a significant threat to our water resources. This program helps to sustain our quality of living and property values and the health and welfare of our residents and visitors.

WHERE DOES THIS PROGRAM APPLY?

This program regulates the construction and performance of all onsite wastewater treatment systems. It applies to any building that has indoor plumbing not connected to a wastewater treatment plant by a sanitary sewer. These properties are typically in rural areas of the state or in unsewered urban fringes.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

We all are; you, the people you may hire to help you, and us, the State! Together, we are responsible for seeing that the public health and ground water and surface water quality is protected from inadequately treated wastewater. The Local Unit of Government (LUG) is responsible for establishing the rules and performance requirements for all systems, issuing and enforcing permits, seeing that the people offering site evaluations, design, construction, and maintenance services are properly trained and certified, and providing the system owner with the necessary information needed to comply with the requirements. The service providers are responsible for obtaining the appropriate training and certifications to perform services and to perform those services ethically and competently. The system owner is responsible for seeing that his or her system complies with the rules and requirements established by the LUG. We are all a team that must work together to do our part in preserving the quality of life in our county.

HOW IS IT ENFORCED?

This program assures an appropriate treatment system is constructed on the site through a Construction Permit and assures that it performs properly through an Operating Permit. A Construction Permit is required to construct a new, replacement, or modified treatment system. To obtain this permit, the property owner must submit a Site Evaluation, System Design & Site Drawings for review and approval by the LUG. Appropriately licensed practitioners must perform the site evaluation and design. After a licensed contractor has certified that construction is completed in accordance with the approved plans, the property owner is issued an Operating Permit. This permit allows the system to be used as long as it performs properly. The permit describes how the owner periodically must demonstrate to the LUG that the treatment system is performing according to the terms of the permit. The Operating Permit is issued for a limited period and must be renewed if the owner intends to continue using the system. If the owner fails to comply with the terms of the permit, the permit may be revoked. Penalties and fines can be assessed for continuing violations.

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