Home » Environmental Health » Well and Septic Inspections

Well and Septic Inspections

Group of people inspecting a septic tank

Through the Well and Septic Inspection program, Environmental Health specialists complete evaluations on rural properties in Laramie County during the conveyance or transfer of property ownership. The goal is to protect the health and well-being of both the people using these systems and the environment around them.

Evaluations are required by FHA, VA, and many conventional loan agencies. State Statutes (which you can view here) required the State Department of Health to adopt rules so that VA/FHA loans would not be required to meet all EPA drinking water quality standards.

What Happens During an Inspection?

During an inspection, an Environmental Specialist will review the following items:

  • Backflow prevention on irrigation systems
  • Comparison of septic system capacity vs. the present size of the home
  • Illegal laundry waste dumping
  • Integrity of the well
  • Last pumping of the septic tank
  • Surface evaluation of the septic system
  • Water tests for Coliform Bacteria, Nitrates, Sulfates, TDS (plus lead and pH, when needed)

How to Request an Inspection

First, you’ll need to fill out the form below, either by downloading and completing a hard copy, or submitting online.   

(Property evaluations will not be started until payment has been received.  Submissions must have payment completed within 3 business days of submission.  Nonpayment will result in the application denial.)

Water Supply and Sewerage System Inspection – Request for Conveyance of Property Application (pdf)

Along with your application, you’ll be required to:

  • Submit a septic tank pumping receipt that’s less than three years old
  • Know the well registration number and depth. If you don’t have this information, please contact the Wyoming State Groundwater Engineer at 307.777.6150 to obtain it

Request a Refinance Water Test

This test is ONLY for bacteriological (total coliform & E. coli).

(Property evaluations will not be started until payment has been received.  Submissions must have payment completed within 3 business days of submission.  Nonpayment will result in the application denial.)

Refinance Water Test Application (online)
Refinance Water Test Application (pdf)

FAQs

A septic system is a method of disposing household wastewater in areas where public sewers are not available. The standard type of septic system involves a septic tank (to hold wastewater from toilets and drainpipes until solids settle out in the tank), and a system of pipes that distribute the remaining liquid waste underground over a large area—the leach field—where the wastewater “percolates” through the soil, which helps to clean the water. The goal is to make sure this filtration though the soil is sufficient to clean the wastewater before it reaches drinking water well sources or surface waters.

First, contact us for a permit at 307.633.4090. We’ll refer you to contractors who do soil tests according to current regulations. Upon receiving the soil tests from your contractor, you can submit that information with an application. Next, we will inspect your site to ensure the system can be constructed in compliance with state and county regulations, and that soil and groundwater conditions are satisfactory for a septic system. Once your site has been approved, and your septic system has been constructed by a licensed septic system contractor, we will perform an inspection to ensure the contractor constructed the system to meet permit conditions and current regulations.

Contact us at 307.633.4090. We will consult with you on the causes for failure, advise you on how the failure can be remedied, and advise you on contractors who are licensed to perform repairs. (Please note: A repair permit is required before beginning any system upgrade.

An average of every 3 years is recommended for most families.

The cost of a septic system is a major investment. To protect that investment and prolong the life of your system, it’s necessary to have the septic tank pumped out every 3 to 4 years. Since all solids in your household wastewater settle out in the tank, it’s important to have the tank pumped. This helps avoid having sludge block the pipes that allow the liquids to move on to the leach field for filtration. Failure to routinely pump the septic tank may result in the clogging of your leach field and cause a premature malfunction of the system.