Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Cary, Mississippi

Rules another office applies inside Town of Cary

Town of Cary 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 septicState (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater systems serving property inside Cary town limits when public sewer is not available.

  • MSDH's Division of On-site Wastewater administers the permit process described on the official state page.
  • If a sewer line is near the property, the state process refers the applicant to the sewer provider.

  “The On-site Wastewater program develops policy and regulations”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of an on-site wastewater disposal system serving property inside Cary town limits.

  • MSDH states the permit is also required for a water meter.
  • MSDH automatically refers applications within one mile of a sewer line to connect; a letter of rejection from the sewer provider is required before MSDH proceeds.

  sewer referral distance: 1 mile (MSDH automatically refers applications within this distance of a sewer line to connect.)

  “The Permit is required for a water meter and the installation of an on-site wastewater disposal system.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Eligible new single-family first-time septic installations inside Cary town limits.

  • The exemption is exclusively for a new single-family residence installing a septic system for the first time.
  • Commercial property and replacement of an existing system are ineligible.
  • Eligibility is limited to the first residence on a single parcel of at least two acres or a second residence on a single parcel of at least five acres.
  • Under the exemption, MSDH does not visit to approve installation.

  first-residence parcel area: >= 2 acres (Must be a first residence on a parcel.) · second-residence parcel area: >= 5 acres (Must be a second residence on a parcel.)

  “The exemption application is exclusively for new, single-family residences installing a septic system for the first time. Any property that is commercial or replacing an existing system are not eligible. It may be applied for the first residence on a parcel of land of two (2) or more acres or second residence on a parcel of land of five (5) or more acres.”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Disposal of household wastewater from property inside Cary town limits.

  • Wastewater must pipe to a central sewer system or septic system.
  • Gray water may not be discharged on the ground, ditches, or bodies of water.

  “Mississippi does not recognize gray water. Anything that could be considered gray water in other states is classified as wastewater in Mississippi. All wastewater is required to pipe into a central sewer system or a septic system for proper disposal. No “gray water” can be discharged on the ground, ditches, or bodies of water.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Permanent water-meter connection for property inside Cary town limits.

  • A permanent sewage disposal solution must be available before a water utility may make the connection.
  • The solution may be a sewer line or septic system.
  • If public sewer is unavailable, the applicant must apply to MSDH for the proper paperwork.

  “State law requires you have permanent sewage disposal solution available to receive a permanent water meter. Permanent sewage disposal solutions can be a sewer line or septic system. You must have a sewer option before a water utility can make a connection to your property. If public sewer is not available in your area, you will have to apply to us for the proper paperwork.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision wastewater review affecting lots inside Cary town limits where on-site wastewater is proposed.

  • MSDH describes its subdivision review as general.
  • Available septic-system options are determined lot by lot.

  “A subdivision is reviewed by MSDH on a general basis, with the intention that the lots are sized appropriately to support a residence and septic system. The septic system options available are determined on a lot-by-lot basis.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  MSDH on-site wastewater permits serving property inside Cary town limits.

  • Online payment is subject to a processing fee.
  • All fees are subject to change.
  • Additional costs may be included if the online application is not used.

  Notice of Intent plus Final Approval: 197.5 USD · Notice of Intent plus Exemption: 100 USD · Existing Residential Inspection: 100 USD · Subdivision fee: 325 USD (Plus $6.50 per lot.)

  “Notice of Intent + Final Approval is currently $197.50 Notice of Intent + Exemption is currently $100 Existing Residential Inspection is currently $100 Private Water Well Sample is currently $10 Non-residential Water Meter is currently $0 Commercial Establishment + Final Approval is currently $412.50 Existing Commercial Establishment is currently $315 Commercial Development is currently $412.50 + $2.60/unit. A unit can be an apartment, house, trailer, RV or any other independent quarters for a single family. Subdivision is currently $325 + $6.50/lot Online payment will be subject to a processing fee. All fees are subject to change. Additional costs may be included if online application is not used.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  MSDH on-site wastewater application process serving property inside Cary town limits.

  • MSDH must receive an application, payment, and necessary documents before scheduling a visit.
  • MSDH reports an average property-visit timeframe of five to ten business days, dependent on weather and workload.

  average property visit time: 5-10 business days (Based on weather and the volume of applications in the area.)

  “We must have the application, payment, and necessary documents before we schedule a visit. Once we have everything, we average 5-10 business days to visit the property based on weather and the volume of applications in your area.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Cary or Sharkey County directly.

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Cary town limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cary town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Cary town limits.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Cary town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Cary town limits.

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.