Pawnee County, NE Septic Rating

Pawnee County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Pawnee County, NE at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 99.1% of the county's soil. This is the reading that pushes a project toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one, covering that same share of Pawnee County's land. The county spans 431 square miles, home to 2,521 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Nothing about Pawnee County, NE's SSURGO figure applies to a specific address - it's a county-wide average. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Pawnee County: conventional vs. engineered cost

99.1% of Pawnee 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.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Pawnee County, NE ranks 85 most-constrained nationally, and 4 of 93 within Nebraska.

Further reading

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