Sourced from Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water HSTS documentation, OAC 3701-29, and ORC Chapter 3718 — last checked August 2026.
Who Does What
| Permit | Agency | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| NPDES General Permit | Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water | The legal right to discharge treated effluent off lot |
| Operation Permit | Local health district (county or city) | Operation and maintenance of the system itself |
Only systems that discharge off lot need the Ohio EPA permit. Every household sewage treatment system in Ohio needs an operation permit from the local health district, regardless of type.
Why It’s Built This Way
Ohio EPA regulates what goes into Ohio’s waters. The Ohio Department of Health, through local health districts, regulates how sewage treatment systems are sited, designed, installed and maintained.
A discharging system sits in both jurisdictions at once. Ohio EPA describes the arrangement directly: the health department rules require siting, design and operation to accord with Ohio EPA’s NPDES program, while the NPDES permit relies on the service contracts, maintenance requirements and design standards the health department establishes. Neither can operate independently of the other.
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How Coverage Is Obtained
The application is a two-part Notice of Intent, and the split explains why some homeowners don’t realize they hold this permit at all — the health district does half the work.
Part one is completed by your local health district through Ohio EPA’s eBusiness Center, confirming the property meets the general permit’s eligibility requirements.
Part two is completed by you and carries a $200 application fee. You receive an already-completed application by email or from the health district, confirm the information, sign page one, and return it. Some health districts submit the signed copy on your behalf.
Once approved, the permit is emailed to the health district and to you, if an email address was included.
What Isn’t Eligible
The general permit doesn’t cover everything. Ohio EPA excludes co-mingled discharge streams, discharge proposals from newly created lots, discharges to exceptional quality waters, and discharges from industrial facilities.
If your situation falls into one of those categories, the general permit route isn’t available and you’d be looking at a different path entirely — worth knowing before you plan around it.
The Seven Things Ohio EPA Expects of You
Ohio EPA publishes homeowner responsibilities explicitly. Most people with discharging systems couldn’t name three of them.
1. Get the installation permit after NPDES coverage. For new construction or replacement of a failing system, obtain Ohio EPA coverage first, then the installation permit from the health district.
2. Maintain an operation permit for the life of the system. Ohio Administrative Code requires it. Your district sets the terms. Keep a copy with your household records.
3. Hold an active service contract with a manufacturer trained or certified service provider registered with your local health district. Not any contractor — a registered one.
4. Have annual diagnostic sampling performed. See below — this is the one most people miss.
5. Renew the NPDES permit. Five-year increments. OHK000004 ends December 31, 2026.
6. Transfer coverage when the property sells.
7. Terminate coverage if the discharge stops — on connection to sewer, for instance.
The Annual Sampling Requirement
Sampling can be handled by your service provider as part of the O&M contract. If you’re not certain it’s happening, that’s worth confirming.
Ohio Septic Guide — Free Tool
Does Your Septic System Discharge Off Lot?
Around 20,000 Ohio households have a septic system that discharges treated effluent to a ditch, stream or other surface water rather than dispersing it entirely on the property. If yours is one of them, you hold two separate permits from two separate agencies — and one of them has a hard expiration date.
Directional guidance only. Ohio EPA administers the NPDES general permit; your local health district administers the operation permit and the system itself. For NPDES questions, Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water HSTS group can be reached at DSW.HSTS@epa.ohio.gov.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some Ohio septic systems need two permits?
Systems that discharge off lot fall under both Ohio EPA jurisdiction, for the discharge itself, and local health district jurisdiction, for the system. Only Ohio EPA can issue NPDES permits in Ohio.
Does every Ohio septic system need an Ohio EPA permit?
No. Only systems that discharge off lot. Systems that disperse effluent into a leach field on the property need only the local health district operation permit.
What does the NPDES application cost?
The Notice of Intent is two parts. Your local health district completes part one through Ohio EPA eBusiness Center. You complete part two, which carries a $200 application fee.
What is not eligible for general permit coverage?
Co-mingled discharge streams, discharge proposals from newly created lots, discharges to exceptional quality waters, and discharges from industrial facilities.
What is annual diagnostic sampling?
A requirement for discharging systems. Samples are tested for total suspended solids, ammonia, dissolved oxygen, E. coli, and chlorine where used. Ohio EPA places responsibility on the homeowner, and not all health districts provide the service.