Your Septic System

Septic systems treat the waste water from your property to protect human health and lake water quality. Your septic system replaces the sewer system available in most urban areas. It is an underground wastewater treatment structure which keeps you, your neighbors, and your lake safe from bacteria, viruses and nutrients in your household waste.

Maintaining your septic system is relatively easy and inexpensive. Failure of your septic system will require costly replacement of either the tank, the leach field, or both. Replacement costs will include designing a new system, obtaining approval from the Code Enforcement Officer, purchasing the new system, and hiring a qualified excavation company to undertake its installation. The aggregate costs for all of this is likely to be in the range of $10,000 to $25,000, depending on circumstances.

• Septic System Permit Search: This service provided by The Division of Environmental and Community Health of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services allows citizens to search for the septic plans for a provided address. This service is provided by a third party working in partnership with the State of Maine. Click HERE to begin.
• Caring for Your Septic System: For the sake of Maine's water resources, out of sight should mean out of mind. To view and/or download this brochure, please click HERE.
• Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act: The Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act (MSZA) requires municipalities to adopt, administer, and enforce local ordinances that regulate land use activities in the shoreland zone. To view Maine DEP's shoreland zoning handbook, click HERE.