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  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • At-Home Test Kits
    • COVID-19 Booster Information
    • COVID-19 Testing
    • Weekly Updates for COVID-19 Positivity Rates Within the Torrington Area Health District (TAHD) Jurisdiction
    • Self-Isolation and ​Self-Quarantine
  • Programs & Services
    • Environmental Health >
      • Healthy Homes
      • Lead Information
      • Asbestos >
        • Overview
        • Asbestos Abatement
        • Vermiculite Concerns
      • Beauty Salon and Barber Shop Licensing
      • Bed Bug Information
      • Building Conversions, Additions and Accessory Structures
      • Day Care Centers
      • General Septic System Information >
        • Steps to Constructing a Building with No Public Sewers or Public Water
        • On-site Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems
        • Repair and Replacement
      • Lake and Pond Swimming Areas
      • Noise Regulations
      • Private Water Wells
      • Public Swimming Pools
      • Radon Awareness
      • Soil Testing
      • Tattoo Salons
      • Water Testing Laboratories
    • Community Health >
      • Suicide Prevention
      • Opioid Epidemic
      • Bats & Rabies
      • Bed Bugs
      • Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
      • Communicable and Chronic Disease Program
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Fit Together NWCT
      • Immunization >
        • Immunization Program
        • Connecticut Vaccine Program (CVP)
        • Connecticut Immunization Information System (CT WiZ)
      • Community Health Needs Assessment
      • Lyme Disease & Ticks >
        • About Lyme Disease
        • Tick Removal & Testing
      • TAHD Medical Reserve Corp
      • Travel Health
    • Food Protection Inspection Program >
      • Overview of Food Protection Section
      • Guidelines for Food Service at Temporary Events
      • Itinerant Vendor / Mobile Vendor Food Service Requirements
      • FDA Food Code Information >
        • Testing Organizations
      • Qualified Food Operator
      • Foodborne Illness Investigation
      • Preoperational Guidelines & Application for Food Service Establishments
      • Keeping Food Safe During Extended Power Outage
      • Procedures to Safely Reopen After Storm
      • Food Service Establishment Inspections
    • Local Regulations
  • Forms & Applications
    • General Forms & Applications
    • Food Service Forms & Applications
    • Fee Schedule
  • Contact
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Board Members >
      • Board of Health Meeting Minutes
    • TAHD Staff
    • Satellite Office Locations
    • District Municipalities
    • Needs Assessment >
      • Litchfield County Community Health
      • Executive Summary
      • Litchfield County Transformation Grant
    • Public Health Introduction Video
    • Employment Opportunities
  • News & Events
    • Newsletter
    • Weather Related Closures

Soil Testing

Installation details for a septic system such as size, location, depth and configuration are determined by soil testing. Percolation tests and deep observation pits are required by the Health Code for both new and repaired septic installations. Site testing for existing homes is generally conducted by a TAHD sanitarian and by a Professional Engineer for new home construction. A brief explanation of the percolation test and observation pit is noted below:

Percolation Test

The percolation test consists of a hole 6-12 inches in diameter dug in the area of the proposed septic system. The depth of this hole varies depending on the soils encountered but it is generally not greater than 24 inches. The hole is initially filled with water (presoak) in an attempt to saturate the soil, allowed to drain away and then refilled with approximately 12 inches of water. The rate at which the water drops in the hole is measured at intervals over a period of time ranging from 30-60 minutes. The uniform slowest rate of drop of the water level over a measured time interval is converted to minutes per inch and used as a basis of design in determining the septic system size. For example, if the water dropped uniformly 1\4 inch every five minutes the rate would be 20 minutes per inch. The Health Code provides a simple table that determines the size of the system based on the measured perk rate and the number of bedrooms in the home. The greater the number of bedrooms and the slower the percolation rate, the larger the system required. Commercial systems are sized using the perk rate and projected estimates of water usage in gallons per day.

Deep Observation Pit (s)

Observation pits are dug in the proposed septic area in order to be able to see the various soil layers. These holes are dug with a backhoe machine generally to a depth of 7ft and observations are made of the soil layers, color and texture and recorded by the sanitarian or engineer. Particular attention is given to the depth to ledge rock or ground water since both are specifically addressed in the Health Code. The bottom of the leaching system must be maintained a minimum of 18 inches above ground water or impervious soil and 4 feet above ledge rock. The deep test pit information is used to determine the depth of the system in the original ground. In this part of Connecticut the soils encountered are such that a majority of septic systems will require fill to comply with the separating distances to ground water or ledge. Fill used in the installation of a septic system is sandy in consistency and must meet minimum specifications set forth in the Health Code. This type of material is in limited supply and as a result the cost of a septic system is influenced greatly by the amount of fill required.

The percolation test results, observation pit data and the slope of the property in the septic system area are used to determine the Minimum Lateral System Spread (MLSS). In simple terms, MLSS is the length of leaching system spread along the contours of the land that is necessary to allow the liquid waste to seep naturally into the ground without surfacing. For example, a single 100ft long leaching trench is more efficient than two 50 foot long trenches set one below the other. MLSS was incorporated into the Health Code in 1995, and all new septic systems must comply with this requirement.

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Torrington Area Health District
350 Main Street, Suite A
Torrington, CT 06790-5000
(860) 489-0436  Fax  (860) 496-8243 
Hours
​-Monday, Tuesday, Thursday- 8:00am to 4:00pm.
-Wednesday-
8:00am to 6:00pm.
​-Friday-
8:00am to 1:00pm.
 
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TAHD provides local public health services for the towns of Bantam, Bethlehem, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Salisbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Watertown & Winsted.
© 2023 Torrington Area Health District. All Rights Reserved.
The Torrington Area Health District is an equal opportunity provider, and employer.  If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html , or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form.  You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form.  Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@USDA.gov.