A building site without a workable septic system is a beautiful place to camp and nothing else. In Wasatch and Summit Counties, the health department decides whether your soil can handle wastewater, and they do it with science, not vibes.
The tests
Summit County requires a site soil evaluation and a percolation test, with water absorption between one inch per hour and one inch per minute for a conventional system.
Wasatch County requires a wastewater permit for systems up to 5,000 gallons per day, and since 2021 a septic permit comes before the building permit. Both counties enforce the standard setbacks: 100 feet from private wells and watercourses, and more from public water sources.
Design and size
Systems are designed by Utah state certified designers, and tank sizes follow state rules, typically 1,000 gallons for up to three bedrooms, plus 250 gallons per extra bedroom.
The soil and the slope decide the design: conventional, mound, or something more creative.
Why it matters to buyers
A perc test costs a few hundred dollars and can save you from buying a parcel that can never be developed. If the seller will not allow a perc test, that is your answer.
We test before we offer, or we make the offer contingent on it.
Septic feasibility is a condition of the land, not a detail of the floor plan. We run the tests and read the county's requirements before you fall in love with a view that cannot support a bathroom.
Dig deeper
Belladonna Bayless
Associate Broker · Land & Ranch
