Septic System Installation in Arkansas

Arkansas Regulations for Septic System Installation

Arkansas regulates onsite wastewater systems through the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Environmental Health Division, under Arkansas Code Annotated §14-236 and the Arkansas Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Onsite Wastewater Systems (Regulation 22). County health units under ADH authority issue permits, conduct soil evaluations, and perform construction inspections. Arkansas requires a soil morphology evaluation and site assessment before permit approval; percolation testing is used as a secondary confirmation in some situations. The state mandates 75-foot setbacks from water supply wells, 50-foot setbacks from streams, 15-foot setbacks from property lines, and 25-foot setbacks from drainage ditches. Arkansas has a tiered system recognition approach for conventional gravity, pressure distribution, mound, and aerobic treatment unit systems. The state's Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions have strict provisions for steep slope sites and shallow rocky soils. ADH also regulates septic tank manufacturers and requires all tanks to meet IAPMO standards.

Licensing Requirements

Arkansas requires septic system installers to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health. Installers must complete approved training, pass the ADH licensing examination, carry liability insurance, and renew annually with continuing education. Septic pumpers must be registered with ADH, maintain vehicle permits, and document all septage disposal at state-approved sites. Soil evaluators conducting site evaluations for permits may be licensed professional soil scientists or certified ADH sanitarians. Engineers designing advanced systems must hold Arkansas PE licensure. The Arkansas On-Site Wastewater Association (AOWA) supports industry training and lobbying efforts.

Environmental Considerations

Arkansas's roughly 350,000 onsite systems serve communities across a diverse landscape ranging from the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains in the north and west to the Delta lowlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in the east. The Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions have thin, rocky soils over limestone and sandstone bedrock with limited drainfield siting options, particularly on steep slopes. The Buffalo National River watershed in Newton County has been the site of significant controversy over a large concentrated animal feeding operation's impact on groundwater quality, highlighting the vulnerability of Ozark karst aquifers to surface contamination including septic leachate. The Arkansas Delta's heavy clay soils have very low permeability, making conventional drainfields difficult to design and often requiring mound systems.