Water and Wastewater Plan Review Process

The Rules & Regulations Pertaining to Public Water Systems and the Rules & Regulations Pertaining to General Sanitation  required that plans be submitted to the Department of Health for review and approval, prior to the initiation of construction, for any new public water system or any new sewage disposal system, or modification or enlargement of any existing system.

Water

• New water supply source, transmission, treatment, storage, pumping, and distribution, or the alteration or modification thereto. This includes all distribution lines for proposed subdivisions and commercial developments.
• Fire main extensions and sprinkler connections.

Sanitary Sewer

• Collection, pumping, and treatment facilities for municipal or central sanitary sewer systems, such as for subdivisions and mobile home parks. Approval of individual sewage disposal facilities for residences is handled by your county health unit.

What to submit

• A cover letter or other means of indicating the type facility to be served, where it is to be constructed, what water or sewer utility it will connect to, the existing conditions of that utility, and who will conduct construction inspection.
• A review fee and a cost estimate on that part of the project which the Department of Health reviews. The review fee is 1% of the estimated cost not less than $50 and not more than $500. If the project involves review by multiple divisions of the agency, the fee must account for each division’s review up to a maximum of $500. Click here to view and print fee estimation guide.
• Two sets of engineering drawings stamped by a professional engineer registered in the state of Arkansas.
• Two sets of material and construction specifications for the project stamped by a professional engineer registered in the state of Arkansas, or reference to a city or utility standard set of specifications in which the project will be constructed and for which the Department of Health has issued an approval.
• Hydraulic calculations or basis of design. For a small project connecting to a municipal system, such information is normally not necessary, however, it may be required on any project if deemed necessary to complete the review.

Where to submit?

Engineering Section (MS 37)
Arkansas Dept. of Health
4815 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
Phone: 501-661-2623,
Fax: 501-661-2032.

Or submit plans online here.

Review Criteria

• Agency regulations and criteria, applicable federal regulations, Recommended Standards for Water Works, Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities, (Upper Mississippi River – Great Lakes Board of State Sanitary Engineers, also known as the Ten States Standards), AWWA Standards, ASTM Standards
• Plan Review Guidance and Forms
• Cost Estimate Sheet

Who Reviews?

• Reviews are normally completed by a District Engineer and his Supervisor, who cover a geographical area of the state (insert map). Depending on workload, some plans may be directed to other districts for review. Larger or more complex projects may also involve the Chief Engineer.

Response Time

• A comment letter or an approval letter will normally take from one to four weeks, depending on the Division’s overall workload, the complexity of the project, and the completeness of the submittal.

Common Submittal Deficiencies

• Common submittal omissions which delay the approval or require a comment letter include: documentation of existing conditions, the basis of the engineering design, insufficient design calculations, missing or incomplete specifications, lack of a professional engineer’s stamp, missing or improper review fee, inadequate separation of water and sewer lines, and the lack of defined easements for main extensions on private property.