Will County Considers First Update to Wastewater Ordinance Since 2016

Will County Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting October 2, 2025

Article Summary: Will County is preparing to update its ordinance governing private wastewater systems, with proposed changes including the first fee increases since 2016 and updated terminology. The Public Health & Safety Committee received an initial briefing on the revisions, which will be the subject of a formal public hearing at its next meeting.

Wastewater Ordinance Revision Key Points:

• The Will County Health Department has proposed revisions to its Onsite Wastewater Treatment Ordinance.

• The main changes involve updating terminology to modern standards and increasing various fees for the first time in nine years.

• The ordinance will be renamed from “Sewage Treatment and Disposal” to “Onsite Wastewater Treatment.”

• A formal public hearing on the proposed changes is scheduled for the committee’s November meeting.

The Will County Public Health & Safety Committee on Thursday, October 2, 2025, reviewed proposed updates to the county’s ordinance for private sewage and wastewater systems, which includes the first fee increases in nine years.

Elizabeth Bilotta and Amanda Musgrove of the Will County Health Department presented the revisions to the committee, explaining that the ordinance was due for a review that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We actually haven’t had a fee update since 2016,” Musgrove, the department’s program coordinator for environmental health, told the committee. “Compared to other counties surrounding us, our fees are still very similar to theirs.”

The most visible change is renaming the ordinance from “Sewage Treatment and Disposal” to “Onsite Wastewater Treatment” to reflect more current terminology. Other changes include updating definitions to align with state code and changing the term for enforcement actions from a “hearing” to an “administrative conference” at the recommendation of the State’s Attorney’s office.

Musgrove explained that the department typically reviews its ordinances every three years, and this update will get it back on that cycle.

Committee members received the draft ordinance for review. The proposed changes are not yet final, as the item was presented for discussion only. A formal public hearing will be held at the committee’s November meeting, after which the committee will vote on whether to recommend the updated ordinance to the full Will County Board for approval.