Can I add a bedroom or bathroom if my house is on a septic system?
Can I add a bedroom or bathroom if my house is on a septic system?
Generally speaking, unless your septic system was designed with additional capacity, any addition to your home will require modification or replacement of your septic tank and/or soil absorption system (leaching field or trench). Additions to a home served by a septic system must be reviewed and approved by the GEPA Water Pollution Control Program and Chief Engineer, as part of a DPW Building Permit Application. You should coordinate with GEPA as early as possible if planning an addition, and have your engineer or architect discuss the situation with GEPA staff to determine if percolation tests will be required. Make sure to find your “as-built” drawings showing the dimensions of your existing septic system for review during the design process. If you can’t find these drawings, it is more likely that a new leaching field will be required to ensure you have adequate soil absorption area for the planned addition.
Additions to a home that do not increase the number of bedrooms (for example a kitchen remodel, an office, or a new living room) do not require modification of the existing septic system.
Keep in mind, also, that no addition may be built on top of a septic tank or leaching field, and the 10 foot setback from the building to the septic tank and 20 foot setback to the soil absorption system must be maintained. In addition, the 100% reserve leaching field area and its setbacks must be preserved to account for the possibility of future system failure. On a small lot, this may impose a significant limit on the size of any proposed addition.
If you do not have adequate space available to re-size your septic tank and soil absorption system to accommodate your proposed addition, the addition will not be permitted by GEPA pursuant to 22 GAR §12105(e) & (f).
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Waste System Permit Application Update
Notice to the Public: Pursuant to Public Law 37-105, GEPA’s interim authority to issue construction and operating permits for Type 4 facilities and holding tanks expired on July 31, 2025. GEPA is unable to proceed with the review or approval of Waste Disposal System permit applications until regulations have been adopted.
UPDATED AS OF JULY 18, 2024: Requirements for Septic Systems
Please be advised that the Toilet Facilities and Sewage Disposal Chapter codified in 10 GCA Chapter 48 has been amended through the enactment of Guam Public Law 37-105.
On July 18, 2024, Bill 175-37(COR) as substituted and amended on the floor was signed into law as Guam Public Law 37-105 and is effective upon enactment. As a result of this enactment, certain conditional environmental clearances issued by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency for building permits issued by the Department of Public Works have changed and will now be performed in accordance to this new law and its amended provisions.
Permitting Tips Presentations: Contractors, Home Builders and Property Buyers
In case you missed our Construction & Industry Forum on March 29, 2023, you can click on the links below to access presentations about Guam EPA’s construction permitting process:
In Guam, the use of onsite wastewater disposal systems commonly referred to as ”septic systems,” is regulated through a number of laws and regulations. These laws and regulations cover specific requirements for the permitting, design and construction of septic systems in Guam. Guam EPA has developed this FAQ to help you understand the application of various requirements to the design, permitting, and construction of a septic system for a single family dwelling.
Guam Business License & Permit Center Window Hours
Guam Business License and Permit Center Agency Window Hours:
