Donley County, TX: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

USDA puts Donley County, TX at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 52.4% of the county's soil. This is the reading that pushes a project toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one, and it covers 52.4% of Donley County's land. The county spans 927.037 square miles, home to 3,193 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Donley 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.

Donley County: conventional vs. engineered cost

52.4% of Donley 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.

Donley County's rank among Texas counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Donley County, TX ranks 2,844 most-constrained nationally, and 225 of 253 within Texas.

Before you act on this

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