Soils Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems

<div style='text-align:Left;'><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Subsurface sewage disposal systems (SSDS) consist of a house sewer, a septic </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>tank followed by a leaching system, any necessary pumps and siphons, and a </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>groundwater control system upon which the operation of the leaching system </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>depends. This interpretation focuses mainly on the septic tank leaching field </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>and groundwater control system </span>Soil Potential Ratings Soil potential ratings </p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'>indicate the relative quality of a soil for a particular use compared to other</p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'>soils in a given area, in this case the State of Connecticut.</p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>The rating criteria were developed by a committee of State and local </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>sanitarians, engineers, and installers. The soils data was provided by </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the performance </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>and site conditions for a typical system were defined. This information </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>provided a standard against which various combinations of properties of </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>soils within Connecticut could be compared.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>The engineering and installation practices used to overcome various soil </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>limitations were listed, and their costs estimated. This information was </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>used to identify limitations and costs associated with installing an SSDS </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>on each soil in Connecticut. Soils with no or minor limitations for the </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>installation of an SSDS were rated the highest. Conversely, soils requiring </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>extensive site modification and design were rated the lowest. The ease of </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>system installation, and therefore cost, formed the basis of the rating scheme.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>Rating Classes</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>The rating class definitions refer to installation of an SSDS that meets </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>State and local health code regulations. Soils with high potential have </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>characteristics that meet the performance standard. A typical system can </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>be installed at a cost of &quot;x&quot;, which represents the going rate for installing </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>an SSDS. The actual value of x varies depending upon many factors unrelated </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>to soil properties. </span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>The cost of installing a leaching field is expressed as a multiple of x and </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>called the cost factor. For example, a cost factor of 3x to and 3.5x means </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>that the estimated cost of installing a leaching field in the particular </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>soil ranges from 3 to 3.5 times more than that of installing a field in a </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>soil with high potential. The cost factors provide relative estimates of </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>the costs of installing an SSDS.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>The soil potential ratings and associated cost factors, assuming a typical </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>system, are defined below.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>High Potential - These soils have the best combination of characteristics </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>or have limitations that can be easily overcome using standard installation practices. </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>The cost factor is 1x to 2.0x.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Medium Potential - These soils have significant limitations, such as low </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>percolation rate, that generally can be overcome using commonly applied designs. </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>The cost factor ranges from 2.0x to 2.5x.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Low Potential - These soils have one or more limitations, such as low percolation </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>rate and depth to seasonal high water table, that require extensive design and </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>site preparation to overcome. The cost factor ranges from 2.5x to 3.5x.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Very Low Potential - These soils have major soil limitations, such as depth to </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>bedrock, that require extensive design and site preparation to overcome. A permit </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>for an SSDS may not be issued unless the naturally occurring soils meet the minimal </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>requirements outlined in the State health code. It is unlikely that these soils </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>can be improved sufficiently to meet State health code regulations. The cost factor </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>ranges from 4.25x to 6.0x.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Extremely Low Potential - These soils have multiple major limitations, such as </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>flooding and depth to seasonal high water table, which are extremely difficult </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>to overcome. A permit for an SSDS may not be issued unless the naturally occurring </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>soils meet the minimal requirements outlined in the State health code. It is </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>unlikely that these soils can be improved sufficiently to meet State health code </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>regulations. </span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Not Rated - Areas labeled Not Rated have soil characteristics that show extreme </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>variability from one location to another. The work needed to overcome adverse soil </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>properties cannot be estimated. These areas commonly are urban land complexes or </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>miscellaneous areas. An on-site investigation is required to determine soil </span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>conditions at the site.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>sensed and other information.</span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>This data set consists of georeferenced digital map data and</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>the scale mapped. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span><span>National Soil Information System relational database, which gives</span></span></p><p style='margin:0 0 0 0;'><span>the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties.<br /></span></p></div>