Riverside County, CA
Septic (OWTS) permits in Riverside County
Updated · Prepared by the Plumb Right Now editorial team
Short answer
In unincorporated Riverside County and its contract cities, the Department of Environmental Health requires an OWTS construction application to install, repair or modify any septic system. A new system also needs a building permit, a percolation report from a registered Professional of Record, a scaled floor plan and proof of water service. Cities on sewer, such as most of Riverside, Moreno Valley and Corona, handle plumbing permits themselves.
What Riverside County handles
An OWTS construction application is required to install, repair or modify any septic system in unincorporated Riverside County or its contracted cities. [1]
A new septic system needs a building permit plus a percolation report with three sets of plans signed by a Professional of Record registered with the Department, a scaled floor plan and documentation of water service. [1]
Percolation tests and reports in unincorporated areas and contract cities must come from a Professional of Record registered with the Department; system certifications from a registered Qualified Service Professional or Professional of Record. [1]
Where county septic rules apply
Rural and foothill parts of the county that aren't on a sewer, along with the cities that contract with the county for environmental health, fall under the county's septic program. Most homes in Riverside, Moreno Valley and Corona are on city or district sewer instead, so their plumbing permits come from the city.
What a septic repair or replacement involves
- Have the tank pumped and the system inspected to find what failed: tank, lines or leach field. Slow or gurgling drains and a sewer smell are common early signs.
- Hire a registered professional for any percolation testing or certification the repair needs.
- File the OWTS construction application before work starts; replacing a leach field counts as a repair.
- If a sewer line reaches your street, ask whether connecting is required or cheaper than a new system; see sewer line replacement.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to repair a septic system in Riverside County?
Yes. Repairs and modifications need an OWTS construction application with Environmental Health, not just new installs.
Who can do a perc test in unincorporated Riverside County?
Only a Professional of Record registered with the Department of Environmental Health.
What do I submit for a new septic system in Riverside County?
A building permit, a perc report with three sets of plans, a scaled floor plan and proof of water service.
Does the county septic program cover Riverside city homes?
Homes on city sewer don't use it. It applies to unincorporated areas and contract cities on septic.
Who certifies an existing septic system in Riverside County?
A Qualified Service Professional or Professional of Record registered with the Department.
What program sets Riverside County septic design standards?
The county's Local Agency Management Program (LAMP), adopted under state OWTS policy.
Do I need proof of water service for a Riverside County septic permit?
Yes, such as approved plans or a water bill showing service to the property.
Is replacing a leach field a repair in Riverside County?
Yes, and it needs an OWTS construction application before work starts.
Should I connect to sewer instead of replacing a septic tank?
If sewer is available nearby, ask the sewer provider; connecting can be required or cheaper than a new system.
Where can I find registered septic professionals in Riverside County?
Environmental Health publishes an annual list of Qualified Service Professionals.
Cities and services in Riverside County
- Plumbing services in RiversideRiverside is nearly self-sufficient in water, pumping about 97% from local groundwater basins, and that water is hard. Inland heat, scale and an aging…
- Plumbing services in Moreno ValleyMoreno Valley grew fast from the 1980s on, so most homes are slab-on-grade tract houses with copper or PEX lines. Eastern Municipal Water District ser…
- Plumbing services in CoronaCorona, the 'Circle City', has older homes near Grand Boulevard and large 1980s–2000s subdivisions climbing into the foothills. The city's utility ble…
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- Backflow Testing in CaliforniaCalifornia backflow testing under the State Water Board's cross-connection handbook: in effect since July 2024, annual tests, and what homes need.
- Plumbing in CaliforniaStatewide code, licensing and climate for California.
Other California counties
- Sewer laterals in the San Diego County Sanitation DistrictSewer laterals in county sanitation district areas: owners must try to clear stoppages first, when the district helps past the property line, and owner liability.
- Septic (OWTS) permits in San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County septic rules: when sewer connection is required, perc reports, the half-acre minimum lot, and operating permits for holding tanks.
- Septic (OWTS) permits in Ventura CountyVentura County Environmental Health permits septic systems: when a construction permit is needed, what counts as a repair, and LAMP rules.
Sources (1)
- Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, Septic Systems · checked 2026-10-03