Dakota County regulates septic systems in the cities of Hastings, Randolph and New Trier and Randolph and Waterford townships. The county also regulates septic systems in the shoreland/floodplain areas or unincorporated portions of the county.
County Ordinance 113 – Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems and Minnesota Rule Chapter 7080 detail septic system standards throughout Dakota County. The county maintains a list of standards found in County Ordinance 113 that are more restrictive than the state rule.
Any work on a septic system must be done by a licensed septic professional. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency maintains a list of septic professionals that are licensed to install, inspect, design and pump/maintain septic systems. Septic professionals may work anywhere in Minnesota and are not restricted to the city or county in which their company is located.
Septic system care and maintenance
Caring for your septic system involves being mindful of what goes down the drain, pumping every three years, and following system management recommendation.
Learn more about how to care for your system.
Newly installed septic systems
All newly installed septic systems must be inspected by a
certified inspector. An "as-built" compliance inspection consisting of a drawing and documentation on an inspection form specifying the final, in-place location, size and type of all septic system components is required for newly installed systems. Dakota County provides an As-Built Form.
The system must be inspected by a licensed inspector. Each township and city has a municipal septic inspector.
Compliance inspections for existing systems
Certain activities can trigger the need for a certificate of compliance on properties with existing systems. Some of these activities include:
- Expansion of a building served by a septic system.
- Changes in use of the property that could impact the system.
- Prior to the sale or transfer of property.
- Other times as specified in Ordinance 113.
If the system has not been issued a certificate of compliance in the last three years and is older than five years, a new inspection would be needed to recertify the system. A private Minnesota Pollution Control Agency-licensed inspector must do the compliance inspection. Compliance inspectors must submit their completed Compliance Inspection Reports to the local municipality with septic system jurisdiction.
Repair requirements for non-compliant systems
Non-compliant systems pose a public health risk. This includes:
- Tanks that are not watertight
- Systems discharging sewage into the ground, bodies of water or backing up into the house
- Systems without adequate vertical drainfield separation from the water table and bedrock
After a municipality notifies you of non-compliance, a homeowner has 30 days to repair the system. They have 10 months to make the upgrade permanent.
Homeowners must upgrade non-compliant systems to meet the standards of County Ordinance 113 and Minnesota Rule Chapter 7080.
Property transfers
Before selling a property, a licensed Minnesota Pollution Control Agency inspector must conduct a compliance inspection. Exceptions to this are:
- A new system (less than 5 years old) with a passing inspection
- An old system (more than 5 years old) with a passing inspection within three years
Using the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's form, the inspector must confirm a system is compliant.
After the inspection, they must issue a Certificate of Compliance or a Notice of Noncompliance. For a Notice of Noncompliance, the failing septic system must be repaired or replaced.
Property transfer compliance inspections are not required for tank or system size requirements. But, inspectors could include this in an addendum to their report. If the system fails the compliance inspection but is not an imminent threat to public health, the system must be upgraded within 10 months. The seller and buyer negotiate the cost.
Compliance inspectors must submit their completed reports to the local municipality with septic system jurisdiction.
Bedroom addition
A compliance inspection must be performed before a bedroom can be added to a home. The inspector must determine if the septic tank and the soil absorption part (drainfield, mound, etc.) are large enough to accommodate the proposed bedroom.
Regulations
Septic systems are regulated by individual city and township ordinances that are based on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards and County Ordinance 113 – Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems.
The Metropolitan Council is responsible for drinking water protection under the U.S. Clean Water Act and for controlling demand on its municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The Met Council requires each municipality to enforce Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules and to adopt a septic pump maintenance program.
Each city and township in Dakota County (except the cities of Randolph, New Trier and Hastings and Waterford and Randolph townships) is responsible for their own administration, permitting, inspections and enforcement of their septic ordinance and program.
Each township (except Randolph and Waterford) and each city (except Randolph and New Trier) has their own municipal septic inspector.
More information
For additional information on septic system records in Dakota County, contact Ben Hoyt at 952-891-7008 or ben.hoyt@co.dakota.mn.us.