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Contact the septic system installer of your choice for positioning the septic system on your lot and for digging the four test holes. (See Installer's List).
See How to Apply for a Septic Permit, #5, (a) - (g), for questions you must be aware of.
NOTE! THE LATERAL FIELD MUST BE LAID OUT ALONG THE CONTOURS -- NOT UP AND DOWN SLOPES!
AVOID AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING AND/OR AREAS ALONG NATURAL DRAINAGE WAYS.
AVOID SLOPES STEEPER THAN 15%. If the ground slopes more than 18 inches in 10 feet, it is too steep.
AVOID SINKHOLES, CAVES, PONDS, LAKES, AND PRIVATE WATER WELLS BY AT LEAST 50 FEET. If you live in an area with a high water table or fragipan, these distances may double.
AVOID STREAMS, DITCHES, AND OTHER DRAINAGE WAYS BY AT LEAST 25 FEET. If you live in an area with a high water table or fragipan, these distances may double.
AVOID ERODED AREAS WHICH HAVE LESS THAN 48 INCHES OF GOOD SOIL. This will be apparent when the test holes are dug.
AVOID POORLY DRAINED AREAS. Soil with gray or yellow mottling is indicative of poor drainage and/or a high water table.
GENERAL INFORMATION -- The size of a septic system is based on the number of bedrooms in the home:
For a 1 or 2 bedroom home, 330 lineal feet of lateral line in a 3-foot wide trench are needed, for a total of 990 square feet of absorption area.
For a 3 bedroom home, 500 lineal feet of lateral line in a 3-foot wide trench are needed, for a total of 1500 square feet of absorption area.
For a 4 bedroom home, 600 lineal feet of lateral line in a 3-foot wide trench are needed, for a total of 1800 square feet of absorption area. Any system of more than 500 lineal feet must be flood dosed, requiring two 1250 gallon tanks, a pump, electricity, site and sound alarms, etc.
Call for information for 5 or more bedrooms.