TABLE OF CONTENTS Site evaluation is a very important step in the installation of a septic system. Most people know that a perk test is needed before a suitable location can be established, but there is more to the process than just the test. When a site is under consideration for a septic system, the following items must be evaluated:
Soil conditions
Properties
Permeability
Depth to zones of soil saturation
Depth to bedrock
Slope
Landscape position
Setback requirements
Flooding potential
Soil test data must be taken from undisturbed elevations. A vertical-elevation reference point must be established. Reports on site evaluation must be prepared using approved forms and filed within 30 days of the site testing.
When a site is being evaluated for a replacement system, a percolation test is generally not required. Care must be taken when replacing a system, however. It is not acceptable to disturb the existing site in such a way as to compromise the performance of the location for its intended use. A replacement system cannot be used for the following purposes:
Building construction
Parking lots
Parking areas
Below-ground swimming pools
Other uses that may adversely affect the replacement area
If a potential site for a soil absorption system has a slope of more than 20 percent, the system cannot be installed in the location. Conventional soil absorption systems must be located a minimum of 20 feet from the crown of a site...
