Lowndes County, Alabama septic permits and requirements

Permitting authority

Lowndes County Health Department / Alabama Department of Public Health onsite sewage program

Lowndes County Health Department: 334-548-2564; 507 East Tuskeena Street, Hayneville, AL 36040. ADPH also operates a Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program for qualifying households.

Alabama permit framework

Alabama requires a permit from the local health department before installing a new onsite sewage disposal system or repairing an existing system. State guidance calls for site and soil evaluation, permit review, licensed installation, and health-department approval before use.

Existing septic records

ADPH says property owners or their agents may request existing septic-system information from the local health department. A completed Approval for Use may include a diagram of the installed system.

County has a special sanitation-improvement program

ADPH established a Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program to support installation or repair of ADPH-approved systems designed for difficult local soil conditions. This is a county-specific assistance program and does not replace the ordinary requirement to obtain approval for onsite sewage work.

Special enforcement agreement does not eliminate permitting

Under the ADPH interim agreement described for Lowndes County, qualifying residents with straight pipes or failing septic systems are not referred for criminal enforcement merely because of those conditions while participating in specified processes. ADPH still directs residents toward approved onsite systems designed for the property and the applicable approval process.

Official sources

SepticScope summarizes public-agency information for planning purposes. The permitting agency's current instructions control if they differ from this guide.