Permitting is the County gate that keeps new and repaired septic systems protective of water quality. Joseph Bartkowski, founder of Solid State Septic in Ramona, walks San Diego County property owners through DEHQ authorization before steel hits the ground.
The County OWTS Ordinance became effective October 11, 2024, and the Final 2025 LAMP—approved through San Diego Water Board Resolution R9-2024-0130—took effect February 1, 2025. The permitting path below follows those documents and DEHQ’s published application suite.
Start With the Correct DEHQ Application
Installation and repair are different authorizations with different forms. Choosing the wrong path delays review and can leave work unauthorized.
- Use the Septic Installation Permit Application for new systems and qualifying replacements.
- Use the Septic Repair Authorization Application when correcting an existing system.
- Submit any required OWTS Layout Report and supporting studies with the package.
DEHQ’s San Diego County DEHQ Septic Systems applications section lists the Septic Installation Permit Application, Septic Repair Authorization Application, and updated OWTS Layout Report Template used under the Final 2025 LAMP.
Understand Why the 2025 LAMP Matters for Permits
The LAMP supplies alternative local standards that still meet State water-quality protections. Joseph Bartkowski notes that permit packages must meet current LAMP limits, not older assumptions.
- Confirm proposed flow stays within the County LAMP maximum for systems DEHQ may authorize.
- Verify setbacks, slopes, and groundwater separation against the effective 2025 standards.
- Expect DEHQ design review before installation authorization.
County materials state that the LAMP provides alternative standards to the State State Water Board OWTS Policy while achieving the same protections; the Final 2025 LAMP and San Diego Water Board Resolution R9-2024-0130 define the current local framework DEHQ implements.
Coordinate Qualified Professionals Early
Many layouts require licensed OWTS professionals, percolation testing, and related studies. Incomplete technical packages are the most common permit stall.
- Engage a DEHQ-recognized qualified professional for design and site evaluation when required.
- Obtain percolation testing permits and results before finalizing the layout.
- Add slope stability or groundwater studies when site conditions trigger LAMP thresholds.
The San Diego County DEHQ Septic Systems page publishes Qualified Professional and related registration resources, and the Final 2025 LAMP details when additional studies accompany an OWTS Layout Report.
Plan for Fees, Counter Location, and Record Retention
Administrative details change; applicants should verify current DEHQ process notes. Approved designs become part of the County’s maintained property records.
- Confirm current DEHQ fee schedules and customer-counter locations before submitting.
- Track invoice timing if work spans fiscal-year fee changes.
- Keep copies of approved permits and as-builts with the property file.
DEHQ’s San Diego County DEHQ Septic Systems program services include design review, installation inspections, and maintenance of design records—functions that depend on complete permitted applications under the County LAMP. Keeping a personal copy of every approval also helps when later repairs, ADU proposals, or property transfers reopen the OWTS file.
Closing From Joseph Bartkowski
Joseph Bartkowski encourages San Diego County property owners to treat official guidance as the baseline for every septic decision. Review the County and State resources linked throughout this article, confirm which application fits the work, keep service and permit records, and ask questions before excavation begins. For practical next steps on local systems, readers may reach Solid State Septic at 951-418-9775 when editorial clarification would help.
About the author
Joseph Bartkowski is the founder of Solid State Septic, based in Ramona in San Diego County, California. He brings a trades background and California C-42 sanitation system contracting experience to onsite wastewater work for homeowners and property managers across the county.
