Does Ray Township have public sewer or water?

Homes in Ray Township rely on private wells and septic systems. The county's largest sewer district does not list the township, and new homes need a well before a building permit. The zoning ordinance refers to a planned sewer district, but not for the Agricultural Residential zone. The township building department can confirm what serves a given parcel.

Who issues septic permits in Ray Township?

The Macomb County Health Department issues permits for wells and septic fields in Ray Township. The township issues building permits and grants occupancy only after the county approves the tile field and the water supply. The septic permit belongs to the owner. We dig for the county soil evaluation and build the system to that permit.

What does a new septic system cost in Ray Township?

The price turns on what the county soil evaluation finds and the system the county permits. Wet clay can call for an elevated or engineered tile field, which changes the price. The distance from the house to the field matters, and so does the yard restoration. We look at the lot and put a free estimate in writing, and the county charges its own fees.

What are the signs of a failing septic system?

The Macomb County Health Department lists odors and wet spots over the drain field as warning signs. It also names sewage on the surface, extra-green grass, backups, slow drains and gurgling pipes. Call (877) 633-5773 if you see any of them. We check the system and put repair or replacement in writing.

Septic System Installation in Ray Township, MI | Septic, Sewer and Excavation Contractor

Is Ray Township on Sewer or Septic?

Ray Township covers 36 square miles, from 26 Mile north to 32 Mile. The 2020 Census counted 3,780 people. The township's zoning ordinance notes that most of its roads are gravel. Wolcott Mill Metropark alone covers about a tenth of the land.

The county's largest sewer district serves Macomb Township to the south, but Ray Township is not on its list. The township's new-home checklist asks for a county septic permit and county approval of the well. The well must be in place before the building permit application goes in. So a new home here starts with its own well and septic system.

The zoning ordinance refers to a planned township sewer district. It also says the Agricultural Residential district is not meant to be served by it. Lots there must have at least 90,000 square feet, just over two acres. The ordinance says many homes on small lots with wells and septic systems are not desirable.

Ray Township Soils and the County Septic Permit

The federal soil survey rates almost all of Ray Township as very limited for a standard drain field. It names a high water table and slow-draining soil as the main reasons. Across most of the township, the seasonal water table rises to within about a foot of the surface. Locke sandy loam and Ziegenfuss clay are the most common soils.

Michigan has no statewide septic code, so the Macomb County Health Department sets the rules for your lot. Its Environmental Health Services Division runs the soil evaluation, often called a perc test. The county requires a backhoe on site for that visit, at the owner's cost. We can dig those test holes once MISS DIG 811 has cleared the utilities.

For a new home, an acceptable soil evaluation comes before the permit, and the permit is the owner's. The application needs a professional site plan that shows the system and a reserve area. Ray Township's zoning ordinance mentions county requirements for elevated or engineered tile fields, the local term for drain fields. A raised field, it says, never justifies sending stormwater onto the lot next door.

The township will not grant occupancy until the county inspects and approves the tile field and the water supply. We build the system to the owner's permit and coordinate that county inspection. Then we restore the yard with topsoil and seed.

Older Homes and Septic Replacement in Ray Township

Census survey data puts the median build year of Ray Township homes at 1972. Nearly one home in five was built before 1940. Nearly all are detached single-family houses.

Macomb County requires a septic and well evaluation before a home that uses them can close a sale. In Ray Township, that covers almost every sale. County staff or a registered private evaluator does the inspection. The tank is pumped with the evaluator on site, and a pumping company handles that part.

When an evaluation or a backup turns up a failed system, a replacement needs a county permit. The county's homeowner pamphlet warns that failing systems are often impossible to repair and must be replaced. Smaller problems, like a broken baffle or a cracked pipe, may only need septic system repair. We check the whole system and put our recommendation in writing.

Building Around the Septic System on Ray Township Lots

Census permit data shows 18 new single-family homes authorized in Ray Township in 2025, up from 11 in 2023. Each new home needs a plot plan the township engineer approves. Ray Township also requires a township permit before any dig or fill changes the way a lot drains. A job that moves more than 500 cubic yards of material needs a fill and removal permit too.

New homes also need a soil erosion permit from the Macomb County Public Works Office. FEMA's flood maps show flood zones in parts of the township. The township's plot plan must show any 100-year floodplain and any wetlands on the lot. We plan our excavation and grading around those rules.

In the Agricultural Residential district, homes sit at least 80 feet back from a local road. On a regional road the setback is 152 feet, so driveways run long. Driveway work in the road right of way needs approval from the Macomb County Department of Roads. We pour long concrete driveways and keep them off the septic system, as the county's septic pamphlet advises.

A Ray Township inground pool permit needs site plans that show the pool's distance from the septic system and well. We plan inground pool construction around both. The county also asks owners to keep downspouts and sump pumps out of the septic system. We pipe that water away from the drain field.