Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program

In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, which required the U.S. EPA to establish a system of regulations for underground injection activities. The regulations are designed to establish minimum requirements for controlling all injection activities, to provide enforcement authority, and to provide protection for underground sources of drinking water.

In 1982, the EPA gave Arkansas the authority to administer the UIC program, and DEQ became the primary enforcement authority to regulate Class I, Class III, Class IV, and Class V (other than spent brine from bromine production wells) UIC wells. At present, there are no Class III, Class IV, or Class VI UIC wells in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) regulates Class II UIC wells and Class V bromine-production-related spent brine UIC disposal wells.

Class IV wells are banned by CFR 144.13 and APC&EC Regulation 17, except for EPA- or state-authorized groundwater cleanup actions.

See EPA's Typical Injection Wells for details about the six classes of wells.

DEQ considers issuing a permit to facilities seeking coverage only after payment has been received.

When applicable, submit the completed application package, including all supporting information and materials, via email or mail:

Email

Submit application and all supporting information and materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF) to Water Permits Application.

Mail

Mail application and all supporting information and materials by U.S. Certified Mail (Return Receipt Requested), Federal Express, or hand-delivery to the address below. DEQ's office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Water
Permits Branch, No-Discharge Section
Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment
5301 Northshore Drive
North Little Rock, AR 72118-5317

UIC Subsurface Disposal Wells

Select the appropriate category below to find permit application forms and documents.

Required DEQ Form

Submit the following form with required documents to apply for a permit:

Required DEQ Forms

Forms and instructions for obtaining general permit coverage for this type of facility can be found under General No-Discharge Permits.

Authorizations

Most Class V wells are shallow disposal systems that depend on gravity to drain fluids directly into the ground. There are over 20 well subtypes that fall into the Class V category, and these wells are used by individuals and businesses to inject a variety of nonhazardous fluids underground. DEQ issues authorizations for some types of Class V UIC wells that are permitted by rule. These are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure protection of underground sources of drinking water.

Required DEQ Form

Submit the following to apply for an authorization:

Required Document for Groundwater Remediation ONLY

This inventory requirements document lists information necessary for DEQ’s Office of Water Quality to process requests for Class V UIC wells that are authorized by rule to ensure protection of underground sources of drinking water (USDW).

Subsurface Disposal Permits

The No-Discharge Permits Section, in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), issues permits to facilities that utilize subsurface wastewater dispersal (i.e. septic tank system and drip irrigation system). Regulatory jurisdiction of subsurface wastewater dispersal system depends on the type of volume of waste.

  • Subsurface dispersal of domestic wastewater only serving fewer than 20 persons a day requires approval from ADH (no permit required from DEQ).
  • Subsurface dispersal of domestic wastewater only serving 20 persons a day or more requires a permit from DEQ and approval from ADH.
  • Subsurface dispersal of non-domestic wastewater only requires a permit from DEQ.
  • Subsurface dispersal of combined domestic and non-domestic wastewater requires a permit from DEQ and approval from ADH.

Non-domestic (Industrial) wastewater is any wastewater that is commercial, industrial, or agricultural in origin, excluding food establishments. The most common types of facilities permitted for subsurface disposal of non-domestic wastewater are car and truck washes, dog kennels, and laundromats.

Any facility that uses a subsurface fluid distribution system to disperse any industrial waste must obtain a permit from DEQ. It does not matter on the design flow.

Required DEQ Forms

Submit the following to apply for a permit:

DEQ issues subsurface wastewater disposal permits for subsurface disposal of domestic wastewater ONLY with a system serving 20 people or more per day. These permits also require approval from the Arkansas Department of Health.

In accordance with Reg. 17.601 (9), the UIC requirements do not apply to single family residential septic systems wells, nor to non-residential septic system wells which are used solely for the disposal of sanitary waste and have the capacity to serve fewer than 20 persons a day. However a single family or system serving fewer than 20 persons must obtain a permit for the Arkansas Department of Health.

Required DEQ Forms

Submit the following to apply for a permit:

The AOGC permits Class V bromine-production-related spent brine UIC disposal wells.