No City Sewer? Your Hood County Septic System Needs a Permit

Out past the reach of Granbury's sewer lines, which is most of the county, homes handle their own wastewater with a septic system, what Texas calls an On-Site Sewage Facility. You need a county OSSF permit not just to put a new one in, but to modify or replace an existing one, all run through Hood County Environmental Health at 100 E. Pearl St. (817-579-3200).

The department reviews the design, permits the work, and inspects it, and their office keeps lists of certified installers, site and soil evaluators, and maintenance providers so you're not guessing who's qualified to do the job. Their application packet and TCEQ's homeowner guides spell out what the soil test and layout have to show.

If you're buying rural land or an older country house, septic deserves a close look during due diligence, not an afterthought. Ask the seller for the system's permit records, make sure its size fits how you actually plan to live there (a three-bedroom system won't carry a future five-bedroom build), and call Environmental Health before you close if anything's unclear.