The Brown County Commission approved the first draft of a new ordinance governing county septic tanks.
Brown County Commissioner Diana Biddle said the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has regulations governing septic systems, but they are rarely enforced.
The state gives counties the ability to pass their own ordinances. Biddle said Brown County passed an ordinance in 1997, but it needs to be revised.
The new ordinance would require a property owner to obtain a permit before construction of a building that has an onsite sewage system.
Biddle said the new ordinance determines the type of septic system for vacation homes be based on occupancy, not the number of rooms.
The proposal will be heard again at a meeting via Zoom Monday, and the ordinance will be voted on at the May 5 county commission meeting. Both meetings start at 2 p.m.
Written public comments will be accepted until 1 p.m. Monday and can be emailed to: commissioners@browncounty-in.us.
