Alger County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Alger County, MI: USDA's soil survey calls 92.2% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 92.2% of Alger County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 915.04 square miles, home to 8,695 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Alger County, MI at once, not any single address. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Alger County: conventional vs. engineered cost

92.2% of Alger County carrying a "Very limited" reading changes the realistic budget here. Conventional systems run $3,000-$8,000 where they pass; where they don't, engineered alternatives (mound or aerobic treatment, whichever the health department requires) run $10,000-$40,000 - budget toward the higher figure until a perc test says otherwise.

How Alger County, MI compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Alger County, MI ranks 1,021 most-constrained nationally, and 51 of 83 within Michigan.

Before you act on this

How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems