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The Septic Inspection When You Buy in Rankin County

In Mississippi, moving the water account into your name after you buy a house can count as a connection, and a connection on a property with an existing system calls for an inspection. Here is how that inspection works under the current MSDH rules.

What triggers it

MSDH Rule 1.2.2 counts a change in the water-utility-responsible party on a property with an existing dwelling, after the ownership has changed, as a connection. Our water meter page covers that rule. Rule 1.6.6 then requires a connection-event inspection whenever such a connection happens on a property served by an existing system, unless the property is exempt under Miss. Code Ann. § 41-67-6(7). Ask MSDH whether that exemption covers your property before assuming it does.

Systems installed before 1 July 2014 are grandfathered under Rule 1.6.1 until a substantiated complaint or an owner request. Rule 1.6.2 lists a new water service connection among the events that bring an existing system up for evaluation.

Who can do the inspection

Rule 1.6.6 allows two kinds of inspector. MSDH Division environmentalists can inspect single-family homes and commercial properties. Certified Installers recognized by the Board can inspect single-family homes only.

An installer doing this work has limits under Rule 1.6.9. They must inspect in person, and they cannot send an unlicensed stand-in. They cannot prescribe repairs beyond routine maintenance or design a system. They must document what they see and file a Connection-Event Inspection Form with signed attestations, plus an application and fee for a Certificate of Acknowledgement from the Division. Only the Division can issue an Approval, Acceptance, Repair Authorization or Final Approval.

The three possible results

Under Rule 1.6.8 an installer classifies the system one of three ways:

• Operational: working as intended, with no treated or partly treated effluent leaving the property and nothing surfacing.
• Non-operational: not in daily use on the day. The owner is told to contact the Division for repair or replacement options in case it fails once in use.
• Failed: effluent leaving the property or seeping to the surface. The owner is told to contact the Division for options.

When MSDH inspects itself, an operational system gets an Acceptance and a non-operational one gets a Permit/Recommendation (Rule 1.6.2). A failed one gets a letter stating the violation and the repair options (Rule 1.6.3). If the repair means replacing both treatment and disposal within 45 days of each other, Rule 1.6.5 treats it as a new system.

Aerobic and other advanced treatment units

Rule 1.6.10 sets extra conditions for an advanced treatment system. The inspector has to be a Certified Installer who is also an authorized representative of the unit's manufacturer, and proof of a continuous maintenance agreement has to go to the Division. The installer may do general maintenance to bring the unit into compliance, such as replacing spray heads, the aerator or pump, or chlorine tablets.

If the house you are buying has one, ask the seller for the current maintenance agreement and the name of the brand before closing. Finding an authorized representative for an orphaned brand can take time.

A short checklist for Rankin County buyers

• Ask the seller for the Final Approval or Acceptance letter and the date the system was installed. Before or after 1 July 2014 matters under Rule 1.6.1.
• Ask what type of system it is. A conventional tank and field, an advanced treatment unit with spray or drip, and a mound are inspected differently.
• For an aerobic unit, get the brand and the current maintenance agreement.
• If the house has been empty, as with many estate sales, expect the occupancy question.
• If you are using an FHA loan, note that MSDH lists the Federal Housing Administration among entities known to require a Final Approval.
• Book the inspection early, so a failed result arrives before closing rather than after.

Asking MSDH directly

MSDH's own request form for inspecting an existing system, Form 776 (revised 2017), asks for a $125 fee, the legal description, a plot plan and, for an advanced treatment system, an inspection report and a continuing maintenance agreement. The form says a system can only be accepted if the house is, and has been, occupied for the required time and no malfunction is found. If a malfunction is found, the owner gets a Permit/Recommendation and a notice to correct it within 30 days. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount with MSDH.

MSDH handles on-site wastewater through its call center, 1-855-220-0192, and wastewater@msdh.ms.gov, and says county offices do not take cash or checks for environmental fees. Our inspection page covers what to look at on the ground.

Questions people ask

Does buying a house in Rankin County always mean a septic inspection?

A change of water account after a change of ownership is a connection under MSDH Rule 1.2.2, and Rule 1.6.6 requires an inspection for a connection on a property with an existing system, unless it is exempt under § 41-67-6(7).

Can a certified installer do the inspection instead of MSDH?

For a single-family home, yes, if the installer is recognized by the Board. For an aerobic unit, the installer must also be an authorized representative of its manufacturer.

What if the house has been empty?

An installer classes a system not in daily use as non-operational. MSDH's Form 776 says an unoccupied house, or one not occupied long enough, gets a Permit/Recommendation rather than an acceptance.