Septic suitability in Phelps County, NE
Very limited
Phelps County, NE: USDA's soil survey calls 75.9% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 75.9% of Phelps County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 539.765 square miles, home to 9,042 people.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Phelps County, NE - never a reading for one specific parcel. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.
Phelps County: conventional vs. engineered cost
75.9% of Phelps 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, Phelps County, NE ranks 2,243 most-constrained nationally, and 53 of 93 within Nebraska.
Further reading
How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems