Tennessee septic rules

Who regulates septic systems

68-221-401 et seq. and Rule 0400-48-01. Nine contract counties (Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson) run their own septic programs and take applications directly. Since October 1, 2024, owners may also use a TDEC-registered third-party engineer to prepare the permit package and perform the final inspection.

• The Secretary of State's compilation of Rule 0400-48-01 is dated April 2014 (revised).
• TDEC: (888) 891-8332; apply through the local Environmental Field Office or online.

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.06; TDEC, Licensed Installers & Pumpers; TDEC, Third-Party SSDS Permits & Final Inspections

When you need a permit

Property owners and installers need a TDEC construction permit before building, altering, extending or repairing a system, and a modification permit when adding bedrooms or building over part of an existing system. A new conventional system costs $400 up to 1,000 gallons per day plus a $100 construction inspection; alternative systems are $500 plus a $200 inspection; repairs carry no permit fee but a $100 inspection, and TDEC designs the repair. Owners may install a system on their own residential property without an installer permit, but still need the construction permit.

• Additional flow: $100 per extra 1,000 gpd (conventional) or $150 (alternative); experimental systems $500.
• Review generally takes 10 days and must be finished within 45 days of a complete application; the permit expires three years after issue.
• Before the site visit, stake the property lines and house corners and mow the site.
• Electrical service to a new home requires proof of a septic permit application, sewer service or an existing system (T.C.A. 68-221-414).

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.06(1); TDEC, Online Application for Septic Related Services; TDEC, SSDS Construction Permit

Perc tests and soil evaluations

Site suitability for a conventional system is set by a high or extra-high intensity soil map made by a TDEC-approved soil consultant, and an extra-high intensity map must be submitted before TDEC will evaluate a lot for an alternative system. Where percolation tests are used, they must be run by a Tennessee-licensed engineer or surveyor, or by an approved soil consultant or registered professional environmentalist not employed by a government agency. Soil consultants are private and TDEC does not publish their fees.

• Approved soil consultants need a soils-related degree, two years of soil evaluation experience and 80 percent scores on written and field mapping tests (0400-48-01-.18).
• Soil consultant list: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/water/land-based-systems-unit/wr-sds-soil-consultants.pdf
• A TDEC-certified soil scientist may submit a complete permit application for systems under 750 gallons per day (T.C.A. 68-221-403(m)(12)).

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.07(1)(a); TDEC, Online Application for Septic Related Services

Licensed installers, pumpers and inspectors

Anyone in the business of installing, altering, extending or repairing systems needs an annual TDEC installer permit, earned with a 70 percent exam score and renewed by December 31; alternative systems (LPP, mound, oxidation lagoon, ATS/SDD) each need an added endorsement. Septic tank pumpers need an annual TDEC permit with a truck inspection every year and written permission from each disposal site. TDEC also approves ATS maintenance providers and soil consultants; search installers and pumpers in TDEC's DataViewer.

• Fees: installer $200 a year plus $100 per alternative system type; pumper $200 a year; domestic septage disposal site $400.
• Installer permits are valid statewide, but contract counties may require an extra permit.
• Only a manufacturer-certified, TDEC-approved installer may install an advanced treatment system (0400-48-01-.10(2)(b)1).
• Lookup: https://dataviewers.tdec.tn.gov/dataviewers/f?p=2005:40000:11441088973200:::::

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.19(1)(a); TDEC, SSDS Installer, Pumper and Land Disposal Permits; TDEC, Licensed Installers & Pumpers

Buying or selling a home with a septic system

We found no Tennessee rule requiring a septic inspection at sale, but TDEC issues Inspection Letters documenting an existing system's status, which owners, realtors, lenders and buyers routinely request (the rule fee for inspecting an existing system is $200), and it will test well water for bacteria. Buyers of homes with an advanced treatment system inherit a recorded deed restriction and must keep a maintenance contract in force. Past permit records are searchable online outside the contract counties.

FHA does not require a routine septic inspection. The appraiser must visually observe the system and require an inspection only when there are readily observable signs of failure, and the lender must confirm connection to public sewer when it is feasible at reasonable cost. Otherwise an onsite system is acceptable if it works properly and meets local health department requirements; if it is not sufficient and no sewer is available, the property is rejected unless the system is repaired or replaced.

VA training material for appraisers and lenders says septic inspections are generally not required unless the appraiser notes a specific problem, usually odor or seepage, though some states require them regardless. This comes from a 2017 VA training deck; the controlling VA Lenders Handbook chapter could not be read.

• Water sample fees in the rule: $115 mailed, $215 delivered directly (0400-48-01-.21(1)(h)).
• Records search: https://tdec.tn.gov/document-viewer/search/stp (does not cover the nine contract counties).
• A VA Notice of Value may require evidence from the local health authority that an individual sewage disposal system is acceptable.

Sources: TDEC, Online Application for Septic Related Services; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.10(2)(c)2; TDEC, SSDS Frequently Asked Questions; HUD Handbook 4000.1, FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (Update 18 redline, last revised 8/12/2026), II.D, Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems; VA Loan Guaranty training slides, Notice of Value Conditions (April 12, 2017)

Aerobic systems and maintenance contracts

Advanced treatment systems (aerobic units) must be TDEC-approved NSF Standard 40 Class I models, and the owner must operate and maintain them forever, an obligation that runs with the land. Maintenance must be done every three months by a TDEC-approved maintenance provider, so homeowners may not service their own unit unless approved; the manufacturer must include a four-year operation and maintenance contract in the sale price. Owners must keep a contract in force for the life of the system, and letting it lapse is a Class C misdemeanor.

• Units must have telemetric alarms that alert the maintenance provider and TDEC to critical malfunctions (0400-48-01-.10(2)(c)7).
• Units must participate in NSF's web-based monitoring program for the life of the system (0400-48-01-.10(2)(c)4).
• ATS use is considered for residential flows up to 1,500 gpd.

Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.10(2)(b)1

Pumping and septage disposal

Tennessee's rule sets no routine pumping interval; the property owner is responsible for keeping the system safe and sanitary. Pumping businesses need an annual domestic septage removal permit and must keep monthly logs of every pumping and discharge. Septage must go to a public, community or private wastewater treatment facility when permission can be obtained; otherwise it may go only to a site holding an annual TDEC domestic septage disposal site permit.

EPA's SepticSmart guidance says a typical household system should be inspected at least every three years by a professional and the tank typically pumped every three to five years, while alternative systems with pumps, float switches or mechanical parts should be inspected about once a year under a service contract. Pump when the scum bottom is within 6 inches of the outlet, the sludge top is within 12 inches of it, or sludge and scum fill more than 25 percent of the liquid depth. Care comes down to four elements: inspect and pump, use water efficiently, dispose of waste properly and maintain the drainfield.

• Grease trap waste may not be disposed of on a domestic septage disposal site (0400-48-01-.20(1)).
• Pumper trucks must show the business name, address and permit number on both sides (0400-48-01-.20(5)).
• Pumping frequency depends on household size, total wastewater, volume of solids and tank size.
• Flush only human waste and toilet paper; avoid grease, chemical drain openers, wipes and heavy garbage disposal use.
• Do not park or drive on the drainfield, keep roof drains and sump pumps away, and plant trees at a safe distance.
• Keep maintenance records and the sludge and scum readings from each service visit.
• SepticSmart Week is held the third week of September each year.

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.13(1); US EPA SepticSmart, How to Care for Your Septic System; US EPA, SepticSmart Week

Setback distances

Tennessee requires septic tanks, dosing tanks and advanced treatment units, as well as disposal fields, to be at least 50 feet from a water supply and 10 feet from property lines and easement boundaries (Rule 0400-48-01-.11). Tanks sit at least 5 feet from dwellings and fields 10 feet; gullies, sinkholes, streams and cut banks need 15 feet from tanks and 25 feet from fields.

• Water supply: tank 50 ft, field 50 ft.
• Dwellings: tank 5 ft, field 10 ft.
• Property lines and easement boundaries: 10 ft each.
• Gullies, ravines, dry stream beds, natural drainageways, sinkholes, streams and cut banks: tank 15 ft, field 25 ft (may change after a soil consultant's special investigation).
• Water lines: 10 ft each. Field to house-to-tank connection 10 ft; field to septic and dosing tanks 5 ft.

Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.11(1)

Help paying for a failing system

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency's Emergency Repair Program gives grants, which do not have to be repaid, of up to $24,999 per homeowner over a lifetime to fix failed plumbing or septic systems for low-income owners who are 60 or older or disabled and have lived in the home at least three years. Homeowners apply through their local ERP agency, not THDA. TDEC charges no permit fee for a repair (only the $100 inspection).

USDA's Section 504 Home Repair program (7 CFR 3550 Subpart C) helps very low-income owner-occupants in rural areas repair their homes: loans at 1 percent for 20 years, and grants for owners 62 or older that may be used only to remove health and safety hazards. Lifetime grants are capped at 10 percent, and total loans at 20 percent, of the national average area loan limit, and a grant must be repaid in full if the home is sold within 3 years.

• USDA Section 504 home repair loans (1 percent, 20 years) and grants for owners 62 and older can pay to remove health and safety hazards; see shared.usda_section_504.
• ERP places no lien on the property and has no minimum compliance period.
• Income limits depend on location and household size; ask the local ERP agency.
• Applicants must own and occupy the home, have income under the very low-income limit and be unable to get credit elsewhere.
• Elderly families must use net assets above $20,000 (others above $15,000) toward the cost.
• Loan and grant funds may pay reasonable connection fees for utilities such as water and sewer (3550.102(d)(3)).
• The dollar caps published on USDA's program page could not be read (see unverified).

Sources: Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Emergency Repair Program; TDEC, SSDS Construction Permit, Repair Permit fee line; 7 CFR Part 3550 Subpart C, Section 504 Rural Housing Loans and Grants (eCFR), 3550.101

Reporting a failing system

Report a failing system to TDEC through the Ask TDEC online form or the toll-free line 888-891-8332; in a contract county, contact that county's program. A written complaint is a public record that includes the complainant's name. When a system malfunctions, TDEC issues the owner a written notice of no more than 30 days to repair, replace or improve it.

• TDEC tracks complaints about failing septic systems in its water quality complaint system.

Sources: TDEC, Citizen Water Quality Complaints; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (April 2014 revised), 0400-48-01-.13(2)