San Bernardino County, CA
Septic (OWTS) permits in San Bernardino County
Updated · Prepared by the Plumb Right Now editorial team
Short answer
San Bernardino County requires a new home to connect to an available sewer; where none is available, it needs an onsite wastewater treatment system. Environmental Health Services reviews three copies of a soil percolation report, engineering details and a scaled plot plan, and Building and Safety issues the permit. Alternative systems, sewage holding tanks and systems in Designated Maintenance Areas also need an operating permit.
What San Bernardino County handles
A builder must connect to an available sewer system or, if none is available, build an onsite wastewater treatment system; new lots must be at least half an acre. [1]
Environmental Health Services reviews three copies of a soil percolation report, engineering details and a to-scale plot plan; the permit itself comes from the county Building and Safety division. [1]
An OWTS operating health permit is required for alternative treatment systems, sewage holding tanks and systems in Designated Maintenance Areas, including on change of ownership; holding tanks are inspected annually. [2]
Who this applies to
Septic rules matter most in the High Desert, mountain communities and rural valley areas. Most homes in San Bernardino, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville are on sewer, but outlying parcels may still be on septic.
Buying a home on septic
- Ask whether the system is conventional, alternative or a holding tank; the last two need an operating permit that transfers with ownership.
- Check whether the parcel sits in a Designated Maintenance Area with scheduled inspections.
- Have the tank pumped and inspected before closing; see sewer camera inspection for the building drain, and watch for a drain backing up after heavy use.
Common questions
Must I connect to sewer in San Bernardino County?
If a sewer is available, yes; a septic system is only for properties without available sewer.
What is the minimum lot size for septic in San Bernardino County?
New lots must be at least half an acre.
Who issues the septic permit in San Bernardino County?
Building and Safety issues it after Environmental Health Services approves the perc report and plans.
How many copies of the perc report does San Bernardino County want?
Three, with one original signature, plus engineering details and a scaled plot plan.
Who can do a perc test in San Bernardino County?
A qualified professional such as a registered civil engineer, engineering geologist, geotechnical engineer, registered geologist or REHS.
Do sewage holding tanks need a permit in San Bernardino County?
Yes, an annual operating permit, and staff inspect them every year.
What is a Designated Maintenance Area?
An area where septic systems need an operating permit and scheduled inspections, renewed every two years.
Does a septic operating permit transfer when I buy a house?
For alternative systems, holding tanks and DMA systems, a change of ownership needs an operating health permit.
Are Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga homes on septic?
Most are on sewer; county septic rules mainly matter for outlying and rural parcels.
What standards govern San Bernardino County septic design?
The county's Local Agency Management Program for onsite wastewater treatment systems.
Cities and services in San Bernardino County
- Plumbing services in San BernardinoSan Bernardino has run its own municipal water department since 1905 and pumps every drop from the Bunker Hill basin beneath the city. Inland Empire h…
- Plumbing services in OntarioOntario, California pairs older neighborhoods near downtown and the airport with large new subdivisions in the former dairy land of New Model Colony. …
- Plumbing services in Rancho CucamongaRancho Cucamonga is a mostly owner-occupied suburb at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, largely built from the 1970s on. Cucamonga Valley Water D…
- Plumbing services in VictorvilleVictorville is a High Desert city that grew fast from the 1980s on, with mostly slab-on-grade tract homes. All of its drinking water is groundwater fr…
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- Toilet Installation in CaliforniaCalifornia's fixture law for pre-1994 homes: when a remodel permit triggers toilet replacement, the 2017 deadline and seller disclosure.
- 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 Riverside CountyRiverside County permits septic systems in unincorporated areas and contract cities: when an OWTS application is needed and who can do perc tests.
- 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 (2)
- San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services, Land Use and Wastewater · checked 2026-10-03
- San Bernardino County, Local Agency Management Program for OWTS · checked 2026-10-03