Phillips septic work starts with NCHD

Most homes on the Phillips County plains, outside Holyoke and Haxtun town sewer, send their wastewater into a septic system in the yard. That makes septic a matter of public health, not just plumbing, and the rules treat it that way.

An OWTS permit covers any building that creates wastewater flow and is not tied into a city sewer system, across the six counties the Northeast Colorado Health Department serves. The permit comes from the health department, and it applies to a brand-new system or a repair to one already in the ground.

So the moment you plan to add a bathroom, replace a system that has failed, or build on a bare lot, NCHD is the office to call first. The same goes when a seller tells a comfortable story about a tank nobody has looked at in years. An old septic story is not a permit, and it will not stand in for one.

Ask what the application asks for, what a site review and system design involve, and which inspections happen before the work is signed off. Once the permit comes through, tuck the paperwork into the property file. Years from now, the next owner, or a lender, or you on a forgetful afternoon, will be glad the record is right there with the deed.