Otero County, CO: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Otero County, CO's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 55.1% of the county. A standard gravity system routinely fails on ground like this; the same share of the county falls in USDA's worst absorption-field bucket outright. The county spans 1,261.946 square miles, home to 17,991 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Otero County, CO 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.

Otero County: conventional vs. engineered cost

55.1% of Otero 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.

Otero County's rank among Colorado counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Otero County, CO ranks 2,822 most-constrained nationally, and 52 of 63 within Colorado.

Related guides

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