Lea County, New Mexico septic permits and requirements

Permitting authority

New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Environmental Health Bureau, Liquid Waste Program

New Mexico Environment Department Environmental Health Bureau — Hobbs field office: 575-397-6910; 2120 N Alto, Hobbs, NM 88240. NMED’s current Liquid Waste Permit Search Request form lists this field office in Lea County.

NMED is the permitting authority

New Mexico’s Liquid Waste Disposal and Treatment Regulations are administered by the New Mexico Environment Department for these counties. Bernalillo County follows a separate county-administered program, and sovereign Tribal lands are not governed by the state Liquid Waste Regulations; this guide therefore should not be used for Tribal lands.

Permit before a new system or modification

20.7.3.401 NMAC states that a person must obtain a department permit before installing a new on-site liquid waste system or modifying an existing one. The rule also requires an on-site liquid waste permit before constructing or modifying a residential or commercial unit on a lot where such a system is required.

Application requires property, water and system details

NMED’s Liquid Waste Permit or Registration application requests the legal owner, physical system location, county, lot size, subdivision or legal-description information, water-supply information, existing liquid-waste permit numbers, installer information and a separate treatment/disposal design page for each proposed system on the lot.

Site plan and design information matter

The NMED application requires existing permitted systems to be identified and new, modified or unpermitted systems to be clearly shown. Its design section addresses wastewater design flow, hydrology or limiting-layer depths, soil description, treatment units and disposal-field design, so site conditions can materially change what is approvable.

Installer and homeowner rules

State regulation generally requires a valid and appropriate New Mexico Construction Industries Division contractor license for installation or modification. A homeowner exception exists for a qualified homeowner installing or modifying a permitted conventional system serving the homeowner’s personal residence; the regulations include qualification requirements for that exception.

Final inspection and property transfers

NMED’s permit application includes final-inspection approval before the system is treated as approved. State regulation also contains a property-transfer evaluation process for existing onsite systems; an approved final inspection or qualifying transfer evaluation completed within 180 days of transfer can satisfy the timing exception described in 20.7.3.902 NMAC.

Finding an older permit

NMED provides an online Wastewater Treatment System Permit Finder for older records. The agency warns that the public finder is only current through January 27, 2017; for newer records or an unsuccessful search, use the local Environmental Health Bureau field office and provide a legal description or proof of ownership when possible.

Official sources

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