** UPDATE, 2 + years later **
It's just about the end of October, some 26 months after I presented this thread for consideration. I just spent the morning at the LNP project with a certified soil analyst, performing a perc test.
We walked out onto the building pad and he quizzes me where the septic field is going to be located. I quickly describe my grand plan for structures and then point out to the area of the building pad that ends at the edge of the pond. We talk a little and he asks me if this is undisturbed soil. I tell him it's fill from the pond construction. He decisively responds "you can't put a septic field into fill". To this I respond "that's not what the county health department told me 2 years ago"....and summarize my thorough inquisition with the county health department, and how I double checked by asking another source within the department. He says the state would likely take issue with their decision, but admits that counties can make judgement decisions that fly in the face of the state. I'm sure my sudden uneasiness was apparent. He agrees to take a quick core sample from the approx center of the target zone. As he prepares, he's asking me questions about how it was prepared. I tell him it was the silty loam processed with some clay within the pond basin. He asks how it was deposited. I tell him "with a rubber tired scraper" and asked him if that was an issue. He shakes his head and warns that it is very possible that it is packed too hard to be perc correctly. At this point, he has this core sampling probe set up and starts to push it into the ground. It is a 3/4" dia tube that is sharpened at the business end. The first 4" of the tube is totally intact. After and above that, 1/2 of the tube perimeter is cut away so you can see the soil plug as it pushes up along the tube body. The probe has 2 foot stands, like a pogo stick, that he jumps on to push it straight down into the soil. He goes in about 24" and pulls it out and looks it over and flicks it with his finger. He shows me the different layers of soils from laying it in as fill. He's not sounding very positive. About 12" down, theres a 1" length of blue clay, then back to processed clay/silt. It's not super consistent. He assures me that the best processed soils that are filled are easily identified. These soils are classic. He pushes the probe back into the same hole and pulls up the handle, extending a wratchet mechanism to allow continuing deeper into the same hole. He's really jumping on it now, then it slides in kinda easy for 6 more inches, then he's gotta jump on it again. He pulls it out, shaking his head. He tells me that it isn't gonna matter whether the state would approve of putting septic field in fill or not....this area won't work anyway. I start to do a controlled adult whine. It doesn't work; he won't budge. He assures me that putting a septic field in this soil would be a catastrophy, probably failing within a year and spilling into the pond. The soils would refuse correct absorbtion and the effluent would move laterally. Fuggedaboutit.
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CRAP! (how apropos, eh?)
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Now, sensing I need a little calming assurance and assistance, he starts to look around for options. I already know "plan B", but refused to consider it necessary....until now. Yep, we're gonna have to pump it somewhere else. Yep, out to my field to the east.
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Well, I'm feelin' kinda sick as I take him thru the woods and out to the field. My whine has now shifted to unanticipated costs and the work to clear the timber to make this work. He stops and explains that this is not a huge change in the program, but will include a little more equipment and related cost. He says that instead of putting the septic tank out in front of the house, on the pond side, we will put the tank behind the house, on the field side. A second, smaller tank with a pump is right next to (and after) the main tank. The effluent fluid that would normally leave the main tank and head for the field will take a slight detour. They go into the pump tank. A 2" or 3" pipe (he was unsure on the size) runs from this pump tank and thru the woods to the off-site septic field. In our case, this is uphill...that's why a pump would be required. He thinks the collateral damage to the woods is minimal since it's just a pipe trenched in to carry the fluids to my field.
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Now....the blessing and silver lining. All is not lost...
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OK, this still sucks, but it's not sounding like a catastrophe. he continues to try to calm me, reassuring that this is no biggie. OK...OK...now I gotta go thru this one more time in the new field.
We get out there and he stands and looks. He quizzes me on the property lines and (for the first time) starts to sound positive. He likes the topography, finding nothing wrong with the field. Then he walks to the closest, likely area to put in a septic field....an area just past the tree line and heading east into the field. As good a place as I could hope, considering my recent loss of "Plan A". OK, it's probe time.
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Now, I gotta tell ya, I'm nervous now. You see, I have drilled post holes in a field at the the other end of this property and the soil findings were unbelieveably hard clay. The augur goes thru the top 10" of silty loam and would hit rock hard clay. This is all I can think of as he sets the probe onto the soil and climbs up on the foot pedals (that second cup of coffee this morning has become a mistake as I wait for him to hit a brick wall at 10" deep)...
It never happens. In fact, it's slipping into the soil consistently and without alot of jumping on the foot pegs. He pulls out the first 24" long plug, turns the probe horizontal and flicks at the plug along the sample length. He shows me difference from the first sample; the loamy and consistent texture of the plug. He is pleased....I guess I am too. He pushes the probe back in for another 2 footer. He says that we are now down to 48" and pulls it out. He looks at the sample and notes that we have probably hit the impervious layer. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bottle of clear liquid. It's hydrochloric acid and he puts a few drops on the end of the plug (the deepest sample on the probe) and says that it should fizz. He says that the carbonate in the soils will react with the HCL; carbonate created by the water that hits this zone and can no longer permeate. No fizz. He is pleasantly surprised and says this is good, indicating that we still have percolation at 48" deep. He assures me that this is definitely where we want our septic field....I tell him to do the complete test.
He takes 3 samples, spaced apart about 60'. The center sample is done with an augur that pulls up a sample about 4" in diameter. He lays the augur sample on the ground for examination and to show me the good news. I stare at this larger plug, crumbled and stretched out on the ground and ask him to put it in layman's terms. I tell him that I am very familiar with the 1 - 10 scale, where 10 is the best. He quickly replies that we are a 7 and have no worries.
He completes the test by sketching a map using a nearby property marker, documenting a couple of GPS coordinates, and asks me where he should send the $225 invoice.