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00:00 - Intro
00:15 - What exactly is a Perc Test?
01:56 - How does the Perc Test work in most jurisdictions around the country?
03:01 - How to determine if a Perc Test is important to your specific situation
05:07 - What if the property fails the Perc Test?
05:51 - When to consider a modified septic system on the property?
06:16 - Should you hold your property even though it doesn’t have a septic system?
07:08 - Final thoughts
If you're dropping some serious cash on a parcel of vacant land, there is one issue that may seem insignificant at first glance, but it has the potential to make or break a land deal.
The “Perc Test”
A Perc Test (also known as “Perk Test,” more formally known as a Percolation Test) is a soil evaluation that tests the rate at which water drains through soil.
Perc tests are required in just about every civilized municipality in the world - because the results of this test provide crucial information required to design and install a septic system.
A perc test is conducted by drilling or digging a hole in the ground, pouring water into the hole, and then observing the rate at which the water is absorbed into the soil. In most cases, properties can easily pass a perc test when the soil has higher concentrations of sand (because sand tends to absorb water at a much faster rate than clay or silt) and when the property is situated in an area with a low water table.
Why is a Perc Test Necessary?
For all intents and purposes, a perc test (and subsequently, a septic system) is only necessary when a property does NOT have access to a municipal sewer system.
If a vacant lot is situated within reach of an existing sewer hook-up, this will usually eliminate the need for a septic system altogether. For this reason, the availability of an existing sewer system can be big "perk" (no pun intended) when evaluating a property's suitability for building a dwelling of any kind.
When there isn't an existing sewer system nearby, that's when you'll need to explore the feasibility of a septic system. Most county health departments will require a perc test to determine if a septic system is possible.
Most of the world's septic systems require a septic drain field or "leach field" to drain away any excess water. When solid waste settles in a septic tank, the excess wastewater is discharged into the septic drain field through a network of perforated pipes.
The contaminants expelled from this wastewater are then trapped and eliminated in the soil. This happens primarily through the process of percolation - and also through evaporation, transpiration, consumption by plant roots, and eventually, the remaining water re-enters the groundwater and/or surface water.
The typical drain field size is determined by the expected volume of wastewater to be discharged from the septic system (usually estimated based on the size of the proposed building).