Look into an Aqua Klear system if you run into problems. Just needs 120 VAC to an air pump and a hole in the ground to put the tank. Processes the septic well enough that you can use it for irrigation.
Down here one of those or similar is required if you are in CZM (Coastal Zone Management, basically within 1 mile of the shore) We put one in so we could use all our waste water, (toilets, shower, sink, washing machine etc) for irrigation even though we are more than 1 mile form the shore. Given how dry it has been we are glad we went that route. Pretty inexpensive, of course we decided to go with this system from the beginning so no refitting.
i have no idea what a perc test is, is it something to make sure your coffee maker is up to snuff????
after having our Aqua Klear I can not figure why anyone would use an old fashioned septic system.
. A perc test is when 2-3 holes are drilled in your drainfield area, then filled with water, then they record how many inches the water has dropped over a certain length of time. You want a certain amount of gallons over a certain amount of time so the bacteria have the right amount of crap to eat. A drainfield in heavy clay or one in hourglass sand percolate at very different rates so it must be engineered accordingly. In lots of states, when the ground water rises, it makes a stain on the soil to indicate the high water mark, then the state will require the bottom of the drain field trench be so many inches above the high water mark. Sometimes as much as 2 or 3 feet above, that is why a mound system is necessary. At first glance, a septic system seem very basic, but a lot of engineering has to go into it to make it work for a long time.
