Bourbon County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Bourbon County, KY's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 89.5% of the county. A standard gravity system routinely fails on ground like this; the same share of the county falls in USDA's worst absorption-field bucket outright. The county spans 289.75 square miles, home to 20,333 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Two lots a mile apart in Bourbon County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide rating. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Bourbon County: conventional vs. engineered cost

89.5% of Bourbon 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 Bourbon County, KY compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Bourbon County, KY ranks 1,324 most-constrained nationally, and 62 of 119 within Kentucky.

Before you act on this

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