Cattaraugus County, NY Septic Rating

Cattaraugus County, NY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

USDA puts Cattaraugus County, NY at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 97% of the county's soil. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - it's already USDA's strictest "very limited" bucket, not a partial constraint. The county spans 1,308 square miles, home to 75,475 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Cattaraugus County, NY - never a reading for one specific parcel. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Cattaraugus County: conventional vs. engineered cost

97% of Cattaraugus 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 Cattaraugus County, NY compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Cattaraugus County, NY ranks 376 most-constrained nationally, and 9 of 61 within New York.

Further reading

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