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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Arcola

Town of Arcola 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 on-site wastewater systems serving property inside Arcola town limits.

  • The state process is for an individual on-site wastewater disposal system; a central sewer option may be used instead.
  • Local jurisdictions may have separate land ordinances.

  “All regulations shall be applied uniformly in all areas of the state”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of an individual on-site wastewater disposal system inside Arcola town limits.

  • The permit is required for a water meter and for installation of an on-site wastewater disposal system.
  • Where sewer is available, the MSDH refers applications within one mile of a sewer line to connect and requires a sewer-provider rejection letter before proceeding with the on-site application.

  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.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-grid wastewater disposal serving residential property inside Arcola town limits.

  • Mississippi classifies gray water as wastewater.
  • Wastewater must be piped 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.”

• Well permitLimited

  Private water wells inside Arcola town limits.

  • A groundwater-withdrawal permit is required for wells with surface casing diameters of 6 inches or greater.
  • The MDEQ guidance states that some exclusions apply.
  • All water-well drillers operating in Mississippi must be licensed by the state and submit a driller's log for every well drilled.

  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

  Permanent water-meter service for residential property inside Arcola town limits.

  • A permanent sewage-disposal solution must be available before a permanent water meter is issued.
  • The solution can be a sewer line or septic system.
  • If public sewer is unavailable, the applicant must apply to MSDH for the appropriate paperwork.
  • MSDH automatically refers applications within one mile of a sewer line to connect and requires a sewer-provider letter of rejection before proceeding.

  sewer referral distance: 1 mile (Applications within this distance are automatically referred to connect.)

  “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.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Arcola town limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Arcola town limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Arcola town limits.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Arcola town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Arcola 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.