Septic Systems (SSTS)

Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) Ordinance Update

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) completed an update to Minnesota rules governing Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) in 2008. On September 23, 2013, the City Council adopted a new SSTS ordinance which complies with those new rules. Major changes to the ordinance include:

• Management Plans: Management plans are required for all new or replaced SSTS. A management plan describes operational and maintenance requirements and the frequency of each to ensure system performance, including a planned course of action to prevent an illegal discharge.
• Operating Permit: An operating permit is required for SSTS with a pretreatment device, custom engineered design, design flow of more than 5,000 gallons per day. Operating permits specify system performance, operating, and maintenance requirements and schedules, monitoring locations, procedures and recording requirements.
• Compliance Inspections: Compliance inspections are required for construction of a new system; modification, upgrade, or repair of existing systems; prior to issuance of building permits for bedroom additions; expansion or change in use of the building or property being served by the system that might impact performance of the system; and at time of property transfer. Compliance inspections ensure that an SSTS is working properly.
• Maintenance: SSTS are required to be inspected and if needed be emptied every 3 years. The owner must submit the required MPCA Septic Tank Maintenance Reporting Form to the City. This will allow the City to create a system of tracking the required maintenance inspections.
• Abandonment: Requires the abandonment of SSTS no longer in use.

View the SSTS Ordinance Adopted September 2013 (PDF).