Foster County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Foster County, ND at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 55.9% of the county's soil. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 55.9% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 634.08 square miles, home to 3,323 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Foster 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.

Foster County: conventional vs. engineered cost

55.9% of Foster 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 Foster County, ND compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Foster County, ND ranks 2,808 most-constrained nationally, and 39 of 53 within North Dakota.

Further reading

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