Septic soil in Deuel County, NE, by the numbers

Somewhat limited

Soil across 46.8% of Deuel County, NE rates "Somewhat limited" in USDA's septic-absorption-field interpretation. That's a middle reading: not the outright failure "very limited" soil produces, but not a clean pass either. Design changes often bridge the gap. Deuel County covers 439.825 square miles and counts 1,892 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Two lots a mile apart in Deuel County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide rating. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Deuel County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Deuel 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, Deuel County, NE is the 2,929-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Nebraska alone it ranks 88 of 93.

Further reading

How this rating is built, and its real limits · How a percolation test actually works