Free guide
Sewer or septic? Find your septic permit in Garland County
Step by step: how to tell what your house has, where to get the old permit, how to find the tank, and what Arkansas charges for a permit.
Step 1
Are you on sewer or septic?
Around Hot Springs it can go either way. City sewer reaches a lot of Garland County outside the city limits, and plenty of homes near town are still on a tank. Here's how to find out, quickest first.
- Look at your water bill. A sewer charge on the bill means you're on sewer. No sewer line item usually means septic.
- Call Hot Springs Utilities. 501-321-6654 is their wastewater permits line. Give them the address and ask if the house is connected to sewer.
- Walk the yard. Round or square lids in the grass, a green or black plastic riser, or a low spot downhill from the house all point to a tank.
- Ask the county. If the house was ever permitted for septic, the Garland County Health Unit can look it up. See step 2.
Inside the Hot Springs Village gates, homes are on the POA's own sewer system, not septic.
Step 2
Find the original septic permit
The county health unit keeps septic permits. It's the best place to learn when the system went in and what was approved.
- Call: Garland County Health Unit, 501-624-3394
- Ask for: the Onsite Environmental Specialist
- Have ready: the address, the year the house was built, the subdivision and lot number, and the original owner or builder if you know it
- Office: 1425 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs. Mon 8 to 4:30, Tue 9:30 to 6, Wed to Fri 8 to 4:30
Ask whether they have the permit and any drawing that shows where the tank and field are. Older cabins may not have a record at all. If there's nothing on file, an inspection by a septic company is the next step.
Step 3
Find the tank in the yard
- Start where the sewer line leaves the house. Look in the crawlspace or basement for the pipe going out through the wall.
- The tank is usually out that side of the house, often downhill from it.
- Look for lids, risers, a slight mound or dip, or a patch where the grass grows differently.
- Check the county permit drawing or an old pumping receipt if you have one.
Don't open a tank or climb into the hole. Septic tanks hold gases that can knock a person out, and old lids can give way. A pumping company finds and opens tanks every day.
Permits
What a septic permit costs in Arkansas
The state sets the fee to review a septic permit application. It's based on the size of the house, not counting garages, carports and porches.
| House size | Review fee |
|---|---|
| 1,500 sq ft or less | $30 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft | $45 |
| 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft | $90 |
| 3,000 to 4,000 sq ft | $120 |
| 4,000 sq ft and up | $150 |
| Repair, alteration or extension of a system | $30 |
That's the permit fee only. The soil test, design and installation are paid to the people doing that work.
Emergency repairs can start before the permit is issued, but the permit has to be obtained within 10 working days.
Sewer nearby?
If city sewer is close
Under Arkansas Department of Health rules, a home generally has to connect to a public sewer that's within 300 feet of where the sewer leaves the house, if it can be reached without crossing someone else's property. Hot Springs Utilities (501-321-6654) can tell you what's near your lot.
Sources
- Garland County Health Unit address, phone and hours: garlandcounty.org
- Asking for the Onsite Environmental Specialist for permit records: Arkansas Department of Health FAQs
- Permit review fees and the 10-day emergency rule: Ark. Code Ann. 14-236-116 and 14-236-112, as published by the Arkansas Department of Health
- 300-foot sewer connection rule: ADH Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems, Rule 4.1
- Hot Springs Utilities wastewater line: hotspringsar.gov
Need septic help around Hot Springs?
Send a short request. A licensed local septic company calls you back. We don't do the work ourselves.