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Board adopts local OWTS ordinance update and LAMP revisions to streamline ADU permits
Summary
The Board adopted updates to the county’s Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) and amended the county code governing on‑site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), including new local approvals for ADU systems, allowances for small parcels under one acre, and revised drain‑field depth and ADU design‑flow rules.
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors adopted updates to the county’s Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) and amended Title 8, Chapter 8.80 of the codified ordinances governing on‑site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS).
Jeff Lamour of the Public Health Department’s Environmental Health Division said the proposed changes align local practice with the county’s approved LAMP and the state’s OWTS policy while reducing administrative delays for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Key updates adopted by the board include local approval authority for OWTS serving ADUs (removing the need for state concurrence for each ADU permit), allowance for OWTS installation on existing small parcels under one acre, defined design flows specific to ADU development to size systems appropriately, updated drain‑field depth requirements for existing homes, and a new permitting framework to allow septic transfer for consolidation and temporary storage where appropriate.
Lamour said the county’s initial LAMP and ordinance were adopted in 2016 and last updated in 2021; the most recent LAMP update had been approved by the regional water quality control board in June 2023. The changes are intended to reduce delays for homeowners seeking ADUs and to provide technical clarity for contractors and property owners.
George Perez, manager of environmental services, explained that system adequacy is based on design flows tied to bedroom counts and that the department can require property owners to have a licensed professional evaluate older systems where permit records are missing. The board closed the public hearing on the ordinance and approved three separate actions: adoption of a negative declaration for the updates, adoption of the ordinance language amending Title 8 Chapter 8.80, and adoption of the updated LAMP. Motions were moved and seconded by Supervisors Martha Cardenas Singh and Peggy Price in the combinations recorded in the minutes; the board recorded each motion as carried.
Supervisors praised the local control changes as a way to help increase housing options through ADUs while maintaining public‑health protections and permitting standards.
