Site Evaluation - Application Guide
What is a Site Evaluation?
A site evaluation is an investigation of a property to determine if it is capable of adequately treating wastewater in order to prevent risk to public health and reduce the degradation of water quality and the environment. The site evaluation report provides minimum system requirements to meet Oregon rule and where the approved system can be placed.
Research
Check to see if a Site Evaluation was conducted before applying for the Site Evaluation. You can do so by going to Dial.Deschutes.org, search for your property and then go down to the “Development” tab. There you will find Permits, such as previous Site Evaluations. Or contact a Permit Technician to assist you with the research.
If a valid site evaluation exists in County records, a new evaluation is not required. However, if the site evaluation on record has incomplete information, the property has been altered or partitioned, or new information has been discovered, a re-evaluation may be required. If you wish to place your drain field in an area different from the “Approved Area” identified on the existing site evaluation, a new site evaluation will be required.
If you did not find a site evaluation on your property, read the information on Research Checklist for Site Evaluations webpage.
Required, Conditional and Reference Forms
Required Forms
- Application Form - Site Evaluation- upload this document while applying for the Site Evaluation
Reference Forms - used as guidelines for creating your site plan, digging your 3 - 5 Test Pits and other important material or actions you need to accomplish. See the document list below for how to group these pages together.
Step by Step Instructions ( with images )
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Summary of Instructions
Before you begin, ensure that the 3 to 5 test pits have been excavated, visit this website to learn about test pit requirements.
Step 1: Log into your account on the Oregon ePermitting website. Follow instructions located on the webpage here to create an account. For Onsite/Septic Permits, you do not need to associate licenses to your account in order to apply for a Site Evaluation.
Step 2: Hover over the “Apply” button and select “Onsite/Septic Application”.
Step 3: Select Deschutes County Onsite, then select the “Onsite Site Evaluation” Application Type. Search for your address.
Step 4: Fill in any other necessary information such as the Contact information, site contact, applicant and any required information which will be marked with a red asterisk (*).
Step 5: Upload all required Documents, view the table below for more details as to what documents are required.
- Documents uploaded should not be pictures or photos of the document. Image files do not meet file type requirements.
- PDF documents are the only document file type that will be reviewed, .ZIP files will not be accepted.
| # | Document Name/Type | Document Category for Upload |
| 1 | Site Evaluation Application | Application Materials |
| 2 | Site Plan for Site Evaluation | Site Plan |
Step 6: Once your application has been submitted and deemed complete by staff, all applicable fees will be invoiced and ready for payment. If your application is not complete, the permit technician will send you an email with the outlined missing elements of your application.
