Brown County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Brown County, SD at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 49.8% of the county's soil. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 49.8% of the county. The county spans 1,713.03 square miles, home to 37,495 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Brown County's rating is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Brown County: conventional vs. engineered cost

49.8% of Brown 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 Brown County, SD compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Brown County, SD ranks 2,887 most-constrained nationally, and 62 of 66 within South Dakota.

Further reading

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