Free lot check
What's under your lot? Free septic soil check for Arkansas
Type any Arkansas address. See the USDA soil rating for a septic drain field and why, your lot size, flood zone and what the state rules mean for it. Free, and nothing is stored.
Step 2 of 2: talk to a licensed local company
Want someone to look at the lot?
A map can't dig a soil pit. A licensed local septic company can walk the lot, tell you what it will really take, and give you a price. What you just looked up goes with your request.
Why it's hard here
Garland County soil is tough on septic
When USDA soil scientists rate soils for a standard septic drain field, about four out of five acres in Garland County come back Very limited. Only about 3% of the county rates better than that.
That doesn't mean you can't have septic. It means a plain gravel trench probably won't work as-is, and the system has to be designed around the problem. The reason matters more than the rating:
- Rock close to the surface. Arkansas wants 18 to 36 inches of soil between the bottom of the drain field trench and bedrock, depending on the soil (ADH Rule 7.2.2). The rule allows capping fill on top of the natural soil on slopes up to 12% (Rule 8.7).
- Soil that takes water slowly. The drain field is sized from how fast the soil takes water, so slow soil means a bigger field.
- Steep ground. Capping fill and surface-discharge areas are capped at 12% slope unless the county grants a variance (Rules 8.7.4, 8.7.8 and 9.7.6).
- Near the lake or a creek. The drain field has to be at least 100 feet from the high-water mark of any stream or lake (Rule 6.2.4).
Each one changes what gets built and what it costs. A soil test by a Designated Representative and a permit from your county health unit decide what's allowed on your lot.
Common questions
Can I put a septic system on a lot under 3 acres in Arkansas?
Yes. The 3-acre line in Arkansas's rule is for systems that discharge treated water onto the ground surface (ADH Rule 9.7.1). Other system types can go on smaller lots if the soil test and setbacks work out.
How deep does the soil have to be for a drain field in Arkansas?
The rule measures from the bottom of the trench, not the ground surface. It wants 18 to 36 inches of soil between the trench bottom and bedrock, depending on how fast water moves through the soil and signs of a seasonal water table (ADH Rule 7.2.2).
Does a flood zone stop a septic permit?
The rule doesn't ban septic in a flood zone. The drain field still has to be 100 feet from the high-water mark of any stream or lake (Rule 6.2.4), and a FEMA flood zone determination is part of a subdivision plan (Rule 5.1.4.11).
Does this tell me if my house is on sewer?
No. Nobody publishes a sewer map for the county. It tells you if the address is inside Hot Springs city limits, which makes sewer more likely. To be sure, check your water bill for a sewer charge or call Hot Springs Utilities at 501-321-6654. More on sewer or septic.
What's a parcel ID for?
It's the county's number for your lot. Give it to your county health unit (in Garland County, 501-624-3394) when you ask for an old septic permit, along with the subdivision and lot number.
Sources
- Address location: Arkansas GIS Office address locator, with the U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder as a backup. County and city limits: U.S. Census Bureau.
- Soil and septic drain field rating: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO, rating "ENG - Septic Tank Absorption Fields"). You can see the same soils on the Web Soil Survey.
- Parcel ID, acreage and subdivision: Arkansas GIS Office statewide parcels (approximate, not a legal boundary)
- Flood zone: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. The effective FEMA map governs insurance.
- Setbacks, soil depth, capping fill, slope and lot size rules: Arkansas Department of Health, Rules Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (2024)
This is a map lookup, not a permit. USDA soil maps aren't made for siting a single system. A soil test by a Designated Representative and your county health unit decide what can be built.
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.