Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Sylvarena, Mississippi

Rules another office applies inside Village of Sylvarena

Village of Sylvarena 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)

  Individual onsite wastewater systems serving land inside Sylvarena village limits under Mississippi's statewide program.

  • The state program covers designing and inspecting individual onsite wastewater disposal systems and provides permit/recommendation services.

  “The On-site Wastewater program develops policy and regulations and provides technical assistance to regional environmentalists in designing and inspecting Individual On-site Wastewater Disposal Systems (IOWDS), recreational vehicle campgrounds/lodging parks, septage pumpers/haulers and individual water supplies.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of an onsite wastewater disposal system serving land inside Sylvarena village limits.

  • The permit is also required for a water meter.

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

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Installation of onsite wastewater systems serving land inside Sylvarena village limits.

  • For the Notice of Intent - Exemption application, the page requires acreage greater than two acres.
  • Under that exemption, the Department will not inspect the system during installation.
  • The applicant remains responsible for ensuring no wastewater leaves the property or affects a watercourse.

  minimum acreage for displayed exemption: > 2 acres (Notice of Intent - Exemption application)

  “You will receive a recommendation for disposal systems appropriate for your site. The Department WILL NOT inspect your system during installation.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Wastewater disposal at residences inside Sylvarena village limits.

  • Mississippi classifies material that could be considered gray water as wastewater.
  • Wastewater must pipe into a central sewer system or septic system.
  • Gray water cannot be discharged on the ground, into ditches, or into 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.”

• Well permitLimited

  Private water wells inside Sylvarena village limits.

  • A groundwater-withdrawal permit is required for water wells with surface casing diameters of six inches or greater.
  • The state source states that some exclusions apply.

  surface casing diameter: >= 6 inches (Some exclusions apply to the groundwater-withdrawal permit requirement.)

  “State law requires that you obtain a groundwater withdrawal permit for water wells with surface casing diameters 6-inches or greater in diameter. Some exclusions apply to this requirement.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  A water-utility connection for land inside Sylvarena village limits under the statewide onsite-wastewater program.

  • A permanent sewage-disposal solution must be available before the water utility can connect the property.
  • A permanent sewage-disposal solution may be a sewer line or septic system.
  • If public sewer is unavailable, the applicant must apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health Division of On-site Wastewater for the required 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.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Mississippi State Department of Health onsite-wastewater applications serving land inside Sylvarena village 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: 325 + 6.50/lot USD

  “Notice of Intent + Final Approval is currently $197.50 Notice of Intent + Exemption is currently $100 Existing Residential Inspection is currently $100 [...] 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)

  Mississippi State Department of Health onsite-wastewater approval process serving land inside Sylvarena village limits.

  • The department provides a permit/recommendation required to obtain a water meter.
  • The property owner must use a certified installer where applicable.

  “As a property owner, you must hire someone certified by the registered manufacturer to install and/or service any of these listed products. [...] Environmentalists offer Soil and Site Evaluations that provide property owners with a Permit/Recommendation (required to obtain a water meter) and suitable for installation.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Sylvarena or Smith County directly.

• Building permit — Residential building work inside Sylvarena village limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Sylvarena village limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Sylvarena village limits.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Sylvarena village limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Sylvarena village 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.