Custer septic work needs the right OWTS permit

Outside Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, most homes are not on a sewer line, so the septic system is part of the basic property homework. An on-site wastewater treatment system, or OWTS, needs a permit for installation, and the permit follows the system through its whole life.

The path splits in two. A new system has its own permit, and modifying or repairing an existing one runs through a separate track. Repairs, modifications, and upgrades all call for inspection and approval from the Planning and Zoning office, and the county’s OWTS rules sit on top of the state regulations the zoning page points to.

For a buyer, that turns “there’s a septic tank out there somewhere” into a set of real questions. Ask for the permit records, the repair history, and whether the system is actually sized for the home being sold or for the addition being planned.

For an owner, a phone call before swapping parts or changing how the house is used confirms which track you are on and keeps the inspection record clean. None of this is hard once you know whether you are on the new-install path or the repair path. The Custer County permit page and the zoning regulations both lay out which path applies.