Lea County, NM: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Lea County, NM: USDA's soil survey calls 62.9% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 62.9% of Lea County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 4,391.552 square miles, home to 75,151 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Lea County, NM at once, not any single address. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Lea County: conventional vs. engineered cost

62.9% of Lea 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 Lea County, NM compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Lea County, NM ranks 2,662 most-constrained nationally, and 16 of 29 within New Mexico.

Further reading

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