Bristol County, RI's soil, for a septic absorption field

Very limited

In Bristol County, RI, 71.7% of the surveyed land carries a "Very limited" rating for a standard septic drain field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 71.7% of the county. Bristol County covers 24.132 square miles and counts 50,145 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Nothing about Bristol County, RI's SSURGO figure applies to a specific address - it's a county-wide average. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Bristol County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Bristol County's rating, plan for the engineered-system range rather than the conventional one. The engineered-system range, $10,000-$40,000 (mound or aerobic treatment), is the more realistic number to plan around, against $3,000-$8,000 for a conventional system on the rare lot that passes.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Bristol County, RI is the 2,414-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Rhode Island alone it ranks 5 of 5.

Related guides

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