Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Wilmar, Arkansas

Rules another office applies inside Wilmar

Wilmar does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Onsite wastewater (septic) permitting for land inside Wilmar city limits, Drew County, Arkansas. The Arkansas Department of Health sets the rule; the county health unit's environmental health specialist acts as the Department's authorized agent.

  • Rule Section 4.8 makes the city or county authorized agent the Department's authorized agent only where a city or county has an authorized agent; the source does not state whether Wilmar city has been designated one, and this was not verified.
  • Systems under 1,500 gallons per day are reviewed by the Arkansas Department of Health and its local health units; systems 1,500 gallons per day and larger are reviewed by the Department of Energy and Environment's Division of Environmental Quality, per the program page.

  “the arkansas department of health’s onsite wastewater program sets statewide policies and provides assistance to environmental health specialists in each of the local health units.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair or extension of an individual onsite wastewater (septic) system on land inside Wilmar city limits, under the Arkansas Department of Health rule administered through its local authorized agent.

  • A construction permit must be obtained before the system is built, altered, repaired or extended.
  • A permit for construction is valid for one year from the date of approval; it may be deemed invalid if site or soil conditions change or the information is inaccurate.
  • A separate permit for operation must be obtained after the system is inspected and approved.
  • Owners or installers must notify the authorized agent at least 24 hours before starting work; emergency repairs may proceed without notice if a permit is obtained within ten working days.
  • Plan review fee for individual systems: $30 for structures of 1,500 sq. ft. or less; higher fees apply to larger structures (Section 4.9.1).

  plan review fee, residential structure 1,500 sq. ft. or less: 30 USD (Section 4.9.1.1; larger structures pay $45 (1,500-2,000 sq. ft.) and $90 (2,000-3,000 sq. ft.) under Sections 4.9.1.2-4.9.1.3; payable to the Department)

  “for those cities or counties with authorized agents, the authorized agent shall be the authorized agent of the department.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Installation inspection of an individual onsite wastewater (septic) system on land inside Wilmar city limits under the Arkansas Department of Health rule

  • The installation inspection is discretionary under the rule ('may be made'), though the installer must notify the authorized agent when the installation is ready for inspection.
  • Within five days, the installer must submit documentation to the local health unit that the system was installed under the approved permit.
  • An operation permit must be issued after inspection and approval before the system may operate (Section 4.6).

  “an installation inspection may be made during the construction of any onsite wastewater system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Wilmar or Drew County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Wilmar city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Wilmar city
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for Wilmar city, Arkansas
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Wilmar city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Wilmar city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.