Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability-1980

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CITY COUNCIL
Ben B. Halterman, Mayor
Margaret Fonvielle, Mayor Pro
Rupert Bryan
Joseph T. Dunn
Luther Jordan
Tony Pate
William Schwartz
Robert G. Cobb, City Manager
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Ellen C. Williams, Chairman
Tem Howard Armistead
Karen E. Gottovi
Jan S. Morgan
Claude O'Shields, Jr.
George Felix Cooper, County Manager
WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER PLANNING COMMISSION
Hamilton E. Hicks, Jr., Chairman Charles Hollis
James C. Barker Katherine Hoyt
Larry Flowers J. D. Orrell
Ernest Fullwood Dan Retchin
Louise Gorham Richard Sniffen
William B. Farris, Director of Planning
LONG RANGE PLANNING STAFF
Glenn R. Harbeck, Senior Planner
Michael L. Hargett, Staff Planner
CAMA-FUNDED PROJECT INTERNS
Amy L. Haas
Helen M. Hazelton
GRAPHICS
Lynn Golston and Jeff Jeffords
SECRETARIAL
Dorothy M. Chavious
Appreciation is extended to Jacob Crandall, USDA Soil Conservation
Service, and Frank Olive, New Hanover County Health Department, for their
able assistance in developing the Classification of Soils.
Prepared by:
WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER PLANNING DEPARTMENT
The preparation of this document was financed, in part, through a Coastal
Area Management Act grant provided by the North Carolina -Coastal Management
Program, through Funds provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as
amended, which is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
I.
FOREWORD: RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
TO THE WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER LAND USE PLAN UPDATE . . . . .
. 1
II.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY FOR SEPTIC
TANK SUITABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •
• 2
A. The Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 2
B. Purpose of the Classification System . . . . . . . . .
. 2
C. Soil Classes and Definitions . . . . . . . .
2
D. Assignment of Soil Units to Classes . . . . . . . . .
3
E. Rationale for Four Soil Classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 4
-F. Limitations of the Classification System . . . . . . .
. 5
G. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .
. 5
IfI.
INVENTORY AND LOCATION OF CLASS'I AND II SOILS . . . . . .
7
IV.
SEPTIC TANKS, LAND DRAINAGE, AND WATER QUALITY . . . . . . .
. 13
V.
APPENDIX A:'SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY MAP SAMPLES
16%

I. FOREWORD: RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM TO
THE WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER LAND USE PLAN UPDATE
As part of all land use plan updates prepared under the North Carolina
Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), state guidelines for local planning re-
quire that: "An analysis. . .be made of the general suitability of the un-
developed lands within the planning area for development." (15 NCAC 7B.
0202(c))
In New Hanover, the suitability of soils for septic tanks is a prime
factor in determining the capability of land for development. The Classi-
fication of Soils for Septic Tank Suitability was devised to assistin the
evaluation of undeveloped lands, as required by CAMA. Using soil map
originals provided by the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service, all lands in
unincorporated New Hanover County were mapped and classified for septic
tank suitability at a scale of l" = 400'. Map samples provided as an
appendix to this report are representative of the mapping analysis'performed.
In addition to providing a land inventory and evaluation tool for the
design of the Future Land Use Plan, the classification system also serves
two other important functions
(1) It is a public information tool which can aid the developer or
prospective homeowner in determining the probability that a
given land tract will be conducive to sewage disposal using
septic tanks.
(2) It is a potential public policy instrument which can be used
in the evaluation of proposed land developments by appropriate
government reviewing agencies.
Thus the Classification of Soils For Septic Tank Suitability can be
useful in both the development and implementation of the Future Land Use
Plan.

II. CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY
FOR SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY
A. The Problem
In New Hanover County, the suitability and capability of soils for septic
tank sewage disposal is a subject of widely varying viewpoints. Differences
of opinion have existed not only between developers and reviewing agencies,
but also within the private and public sectors themselves. Within the
public sector, for example, various classification schemes have been developed
by a number of federal, state, and local agencies, each with its own suita-
bility rating code. These oftentimes conflicting codes serve as a hindrance
to both private and public sector interests. A clear need exists, therefore,
for a classification of soils for septic tanks upon which all parties may
agree. Ideally, the classification should be responsive to the public health,
safety, and general welfare objectives of reviewing agencies, as well as the
practical aspects of development within New Hanover County.
B. Purpose of the Classification System
The purpose of the classification scheme is 'to assist developers and
public agencies in determining the probability that any given site will or
will not be conducive to system tank disposal methods, at the earliest possible
date in the development process. The system is not designed to.supercede on -
site soil examinations for permit issuance.
C. Soil Classes and Definitions
As a result of discussions held during the Fall of 1979 and Spring of
1980 by representatives from the New Hanover County Health Department, United
States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service (USDA-SCS), and
the Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department, the following soil suitability
classification system for septic tanks was developed:
Class I Soils Suitable/slight limitation.
Class II Soils Moderate limitation; requires moderate modification
and maintenance.
Class III Soils Severe limitation; requires extensive modification
and intensive maintenance.
Class IV Soils- Unsuitable; generally not economically feasible or
environmentally.desirable to develop.
Definitions in Order of Word or Phrase Used Above -- The following defi-
nitions should elp clarify the full meaning and purpose of each of the
four proposed classes above:
",su.cta.bte" - The soil unit is capable of both accepting and filtering
septic effluent.
- 2 -

"�stight timitati.on" - The soil unit is capable of accepting septic
effluent, but the system installed must account for insufficient fil-
tering capabilities of the soil; also any other readily overcome soil
limitations.
"mode&ate tZmitati.on" - The soil unit can be made capable of both accept-
ing and filtering septic effluent, provided that certain modifications
are made to either the installed system and/or the natural soil system.
Use of such soils for septic tank disposal is deemed suitable, with
proper modifications.
"moderate mod.ib.icati,on and maintenance" - Alterations to the septic
and/or natural soil system, which have limited additional installation
costs (relative to Class I) and require little or normal maintenance over
the life of the septic system.
",severe tim-ctati.on" - The soil unit, through engineering, can be made
capable of accepting and filtering septic effluent, but use of such soils
for septic tank disposal has a high probability of failure and is not
recommended.
"extena.ive modi6 icati.on and .intensive maintenance" - Alterations to the
septic and/or soil system, which require relatively elaborate installa-
tion methods and costs and/or require frequent maintenance procedures.
"unsu,ctabte" - The soil unit, except under the most heavily modified con-
ditions, is deemed unsuitable for septic tank use.
"geneAaUy not econom,ic.a. y 6e" ibte on envi&onmentaUy desi&a.bte to deve.2op" -
The.nature of the modifications necessary to render these soils useful for
septic tank use are such that installation and/or maintenance costs would
be prohibitive, and damage to the environment excessive.
D. Assignment of Soil Units to Classes
Class I - Suitable/slight limitation.
Ke
Kenansville fine sand
371B
Kr
Kureb sand
79B, 179E
La
Lakeland sand
78B
Nh
Newhan fine sand
7
No
Norfolk fine sandy loam
352B
Rm
Rimini sand
724B
Wa
Wakulla sand
76B
- 3 -

Class
II - Moderate limitation; requires
moderate modification and
maintenance.
Be
Ls
On
Ra
Se
St
Wo
Wr
Baymeade fine sand
Lynchburg fine sand
Onslow loamy fine sand
Rains fine sandy loam
Seagate fine sand
Stallings fine sand
Woodington fine sandy loam
Wrightsboro fine sandy loam
760B, 176B
417
415
847
423, 142
446
814
411
Class III - Severe limitations; requires
extensive modification and
intensive maintenance.
Ba
Cr
Le
Ly
Mu
Pn
To
Bayboro loam
Craven fine sandy loam
Leon soil
Lynn Haven fine sand
Murville fine sand
Pantego loam
Torhunta loamy fine sand
860
558E
882, 158
890
831
883
Class IV - Unsuitable.
Do
Jo
Pm
Tm
Dorovan soils
Johnston soils
Pamlico Muck
Tidal Marsh
94
812
90
892
E. Rationale 'for_Four;Soil Classes
A major objective of the classification system. is to provide the best
information that can be derived from the general soil survey of New Hanover
County, as such information relates to development practices in the County.
Experience has shown that sufficient differences exist among the County's
twenty-six (26).soil units, to warrant four (4) separate and distinct septic
tank suitability classes. The need for four classes can be substantiated from
both the private and public perspectives.
- 4 -

From the private sector perspective, it is known that virtually any ad-
verse soil conditions can be overcome through engineering technology. Such
engineering designs are not without costs, however, and the developer is
generally interested in what these front-end installation costs may be. Ad-
ditionally, the prospective home buyer is concerned with the long-term per-
formance of the septic system and its associated operation, maintenance and
replacement costs. The four -class system attempts to distinguish among those
soil units which will have:
Minimal installation and maintenance costs (Class I),
Moderate installation and maintenance costs (Class II),
Excessive installation and maintenance costs (Class III), and
Generally prohibitive costs (Class IV).
From the public sector perspective, reviewing agencies are primarily
interested in considerations of public health and safety, and water quality.
The four -class system attempts to rate soil units according to a scale of
increasing probabilities for public health and safety problems and water
quality contamination. Y The classification system recognizes that, as
soil suitability factors decline and maintenance costs increase, the likeli-
hood of inadequate upkeep and subsequent system failures also increases.
Again, it is felt that sufficient differences exist among the soil units to
warrant four classes.
F. Limitations of the Classification System
The system is limited by the recognized generality of the New Hanover
County Soil Survey. While SCS representatives have repeatedly expressed their
overall confidence in the level of accuracy of the survey, there is little
doubt that great care must be taken not to overextend its capabilities, or
ignore its limitations. As stated earlier, there is no substitute for on -
site evaluations, and the classification system is not intended to supercede
that necessary function.
G. Conclusions
The classification system is an effort to place all appropriate public
reviewing/permitting agencies on the same footing regarding the general suit-
ability of soils in New Hanover County for septic tanks. While the actual
issuance of permits will undoubtedly remain dependent upon on -site soil in-
spections, the differing viewpoints among the many agencies need not continue.
1/
One important diversion from this relationship is the inclusion of several
"poor -filtration: soils in Class I That is, some Class I soils have excellent
percolation properties but do little to cleanse the septic effluent as it passes
through the soil. With proper recognition of the problem, however, and appro-
priate separation between the septic field and important surface and subsurface
waters, this problem can be overcome. For the classification scheme to become
useful and accepted by all parties, it must be cognizant of existing development
practices, without sacrificing public health and environmental quality objectives.
With the aforementioned precautions, it is felt that the system fulfills both
needs. _ _

At its regular meeting on May 27, 1980, the Wilmington -New Hanover.Planning
Commission, Subdivision Review Committee commented favorably on the system
and directed the Planning Staff to pursue official recognition of the system
by other appropriate public agencies. During the Summer of 1980, a complete
set of soil map overlays, based upon the classification system, were produced
for the unincorporated County (see Appendix A for sample). Since that time,
the New Hanover County Planning Department has used the system on an informal
basis to aid in the review of development proposals. The Director of the New
Hanover.County Health Department has voiced his support for the system on
several occasions. The New Hanover County Health Board also recently incor-
porated the classification system into a recent amendment to the County`s regu-
lations regarding on -site sewage disposal.

III. INVENTORY AND LOCATION OF CLASS I AND CLASS II SOILS
The'Classification of Soils'For Septic Tank Suitability allows all
land areas in New Hanover County to be evaluated for their development
potential using on -site sewage disposal systems. This section presents
estimates of the amount and location of undeveloped land in unincorporated
New Hanover County that is ''suitable (Class I soils) or "acceptable"
(Class II Soils) for development using septic tanks. As is apparent from
the Classification scheme, these two Classes contain the soil types that
Offer the greatest potential for use by septic systems, from both an
economic and an environmental perspective.
For the purposes of the study, Unincorporated New Hanover County is
defined as that land area not located within the City of Wilmington or the
Town of Wrightsville Beach, and not located south of Snow Cut. The area
south of Snow's Cut is excluded because all privately owned lands in that
portion of the County lie within municipal borders, or fall within the
extraterritorial jurisdiction of incorporated beach communities. Hence,
they are outside the planning area of Wilmington -New Hanover Land Use Plan.
Major findings
1. Currently, there are roughly 29,000 acres or over 45 square miles
of undeveloped Class I and Class II lands in unincorporated New Hanover
County,
2. Approximately 9,000 acres, or 31% of these vacant Class I and II
soilsfallwithin a three -mile -wide urban belt around the City, an area
experiencing; the most intensive residential development pressures.
3. If only Class I soils are measured, roughly 16,000 acres or 25
square miles ofundevelopedlands considered "suitable" for development
using septic tanks may be identified.
4. jOnly about a fourth of all undeveloped Class.1 soils, roughly
.3,900 acres, lie within the rapidly urbanizing three -mile -wide belt around
the City of Wilmington.
Detailed findings.
Table l provides a detailed breakdown of the distribution of undeveloped
_Class I and II soils in the unincorporated County. Acreages of these vacant
"suitable" and "acceptable" soils are presented according to distance from
the 1980 Wilmington corporate limits and according to the individual Township
in which they lie. (See location map, Figure 1.) The table indicates that
in 1980, there are roughly 29,000 acres of undeveloped Class I and II soils
in the County. This figure represents the total acreage of these undeveloped
soils in the unincorporated County, whether they occur in large tracts or as
single vacant lots.
-7-

Of the County's four townships outside the City of Wilmington, the
Cape Fear Township holds nearly 12,000 acres or 40% of the unincorporated
County's suitable and acceptable soils. Most of the good soils for septic
tanks in this township occur from two to seven miles north of the
Wilmington City limits.

Miles From
Wilmington
City Limits
TABLE 1
UNDEVELOPED ACREAGES OF COMBINED CLASS I AND CLASS II SOILS
BY TOWNSHIP AND DISTANCE FROM WILMINGTON CITY LIMITS
UNINCORPORATED NEW HANOVER COUNTY -
Mile Inter -
Cape Fear Harnett Masonboro Federal Pt. val Totals % o
Township Township Township Township All Townships Tot
(Acres) (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) Acr
0-1
186
980
816
-
1,982
1-2
931
920
919
-
2,770
2-3
1,456
1,585
1,226
-
4,267
3-4
2,036
1,107
904
104
4,151
4-5
1,579
859
362
711
3,511
5-6
1,878
580
ill
763
3,332
6-7
1,962
1,272
36
779
4,049
7-8
978
1,414
-
586
2,978
8-9
487
328
-
602
1,417
9-10
325
85
-
114
524
10-11
22
-
-
-
22
TOTALS
11,840
9,130
4,374
3,659
29,003
TOWNSHIP
:f TOTAL
40%
31%
15%
13%
100%
Sources: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department
Cummula-
tive
1 Total
,acme. (Acres)
6
1,982
10
4,752
15
9,019
14
13,170
12
16,681
12
20,013
14 .
24,062
10
27,040
5
28,457
2
28,981
08
29;003
100 29,003
Cummula-
tive
Percent
6
16
31
45
58
69
83
93
98
99
100
100

Northeast of the City, Harnett Township has about 9,000 acres of vacant
Class I and II soils, while in densely populated Masonboro Township to the
east and south of the City, only about 4,400 acres of these soils remain
undeveloped. That portion of the Federal Point Township lying within the
planning area (i.e., lands north of Snow's Cut) has about 3,700 acres of
vacant Class I and II soils or 13% of the County total. The majority of
these available soils in the Federal Point Township lie west of Route 421.
While it is useful to know the total amount of land area that has
potential for acceptable development using septic tanks, it is even more
important to determine whether these vacant Class I and II soils are located
where the demand for residential land is greatest. To accomplish this, a
review of recent subdivision activity was conducted. The investigation re-
vealed that from 1975 to 1979 approximately 60% of all subdivision lots
platted in New Hanover County were located in a relatively compact three-
mile -wide band around the City of Wilmington. This "urban belt" accounts
for roughly 25% (35,000 acres) of all land in the planning area (132,000
acres). Thus, during the latter half of the 1970's, nearly two-thirds of
the identifiable residential land development occurred on only about one-
fourth of the land in the planning area. Further research revealed that in
1980 roughly 12,500 or 66% of the unincorporated County's 19,000 existing
dwelling units were located in this same urban belt. Recent studies of
subarea population growth indicate that further residential development will
also occur in this area.
Table 1 reveals that there are about 9,000 acres of vacant Class I and
II soils within the identified urbanizing belt. It also shows that the
available acreage in the belt is evenly distributed among the Cape Fear,
Harnett and Masonboro Townships.
If Class I soils are measured alone, roughly 16,000 acres or 25 square
miles of vacant, "suitable" lands can be identified in the unincorporated
County. However, within the three -mile -wide urbanizing belt, only 3,900
acres of these Class I soils remain undeveloped. Table 2 summarizes many
of these facts in relation to several other land area statistics.
Finally, Table 3 provides information regarding the general distribution
of soil units between the incorporated and unincorporated areas of New Hanover
County without regard to its developed or undeveloped status.
1/
Wilmington-New.Hanover Comprehensive Planning Program, Land Use Plan Up-
date, Population and Economic Growth and Future Land Use Needs, 1980 to
1990, 19$0.
- 10 -

MY NWsE��as �w
SHIP
0
I:1
• NOT IN UNINCORPORATED
FIGURE 1
LOCATION MAP
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
PRUAREC ?Y 'nE V
'NiL: INGTCN-NEW HLNOVER
PL:.NNING DEPARTMEN7
197
PLANNING AREA
TOWNSHIP LINES

TABLE 2
COMPARISON OF LAND AREA STATISTICS, 1980
UNINCORPORATED NEW HANOVER COUNTY
Acres
Totals Undeveloped Land Only
3-Mile Wide
Unincorporated Unincorporated Urbanizing Belt.
County County Around City
All Lands 99,118 73,030 -
(excluding water)
Class I Soils 20,158 16,000 3,900
Class II Soils 18,874 13,003 5,119
Class I and II Soils 39,032 29,003 9,019
Residentially Developed, 10,631 - -
1980
Source: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department

TABLE 3
DISTRIBUTION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY 1
ACRES
OF CLASS I
ACRES
OF CLASS II
INCORPORATED
UNINCORPORATED
INCORPORATED
UNINCORPORATED
SOIL UNIT
COUNTY -WIDE
AREAS L_
N.H. COUNTY
SOIL UNIT
COUNTY -WIDE
AREAS
N.H. COUNTY
Ke
3,875
238
3,637
Be
6,405
1,745
4.660
Kr
8,337
11039
7,298
Ls
810
29
781
La
2,595
154
2,441
On
2,171
136
2,035
Nh
3,961
1,328
2,633
Ra
682
10
672
No
841
187
654
Se
7,172
1,359
5,813
Rm
1,936
513
1,423
St
1,896
38
1,858
Wa
2,029
370
1,659
Wo
682
15
667
Ku
889
476
413
Wr
1.950
150
11800
TOTALS
T4-.M
4�
20, 58
Bh
2,176
1,768
408
Sh
495
315
180
TOTALS
TrITT9
I
8T 1_M
N
ACRES
OF. CLASS III
ACRES
OF CLASS IV
INCORPORATED
UNINCORPORATED
INCORPORATED
UNINCORPORATED
SOIL UNIT
COUNTY -WIDE
AREAS 2/
N.H. COUNTY
SOIL UNIT
COUNTY -WIDE
AREAS 2/.
N.H. COUNTY
Ba
330
0
330
DO
8,766
431
8,335
Cr
8,804
245
8,559
JO
4,426
628
3,798
Le
7,953
1,836
6,117
Pm
958
7
951
Ly
4,767
887
3,880
TM
8,304
1,316
6,988
Mu
14,351
960
13,391
Mp
1,323
0
1,323
Pn
2,182
63
2,119
Bp
110
110
0
To
2,460
206
2,254
Ur
3,936
2,671
=11 265
Lo
1,084
850
234
27,823
'763
,
TOTALS
T ,33f
7,30R7
36,884
-� Figures in this chart include all soils, whether developed or undeveloped.
2� For planning purposes Incorporated Areas are considered to be the City of Wilmington, the 'Town of Wrightsville Beach,
and all lands south of Snows Cut.
Source: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department, 1980

IV. SEPTIC TANKS, LAND DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY
This section discusses the relationship between development using septic
tanks, land drainage, and water quality. One of the factors used in formu-
lating the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank'Suit-
ability is t e degree to which each naturally occurring soil unit must be
modified to properly accept and treat septic wastes. Inmost parts of unin-
corporated New Hanover County, a high ground water table is a primary
impediment to the use of on -site sewage disposal systems. The importance of
the depth to the water table in determining soil suitability for septic tanks
is reflected in Table 4.
Note that the depth to the water table for all Class I soils is in excess
of six feet, while Class IV soils, at the poor end of the suitability spectrum,
typically have water tables at or above the soil surface during some part of
the year. Similarly, the depth to the groundwater table for Class II soils
is generally greater than for Class III soils. Exceptions to this rule may
occur due to the presence of a hardpan layer, poor percolation, or other
factors relating to the proper functioning of septic systems.
The most common land management response to a high groundwater table
has been to artificially increase the depth to the water -saturated zone of the
soil by installing ditches or underground drainage tiles. The drainage systems
are also often used to manage excess surface water runoff caused by develop-
ment. Through artificial drainage, many of the County's land areas which
would normally be considered unsuitable for development, have been rendered
capable of accepting development.
Such development practices have not been without serious costs to the
environment, however. Declines in the quality of the County's estuarine
waters, for example, have been closely tied to the development of nearby"
land areas. One need only look at the locations of closed shellfishing areas
to see the relationship.
The continued productivity of the County's coastal ecosystems is dependent
upon maintaining the natural quality and salinity of estuarine waters. Y Each
time an artificial land drainage system is installed, there is a tendency
toward increasing the flow of fresh water into the estuary, thereby altering
the natural salinity regime. Following a rainstorm, drainagesystems also. in-
crease the speed and volume of fresh water entering the estuary, causing
exaggerated peaks and valleys in the saline balance. Surface runnoff, carried
directly into the estuary via artificial drainage ditches, loses the opportunity
to be cleansed by intervening vegetation and soil. Drainage systems have been
shown to contribute significant amounts of bacteria, nutrients, pesticides,
and sediments to the estuarine receiving waters. 2/
Wilmington -New Hanover Comprehensive Planning Program, Technical Report #2
Analysis of Existing Land Use, April, 1976,p. 12.
Ralph C. Heath, Hydrology of the Albemarle -Pamlico Region of North Carolina;
A Preliminary Report on the Immpact of A ricultural Developments, U.S.. Geological
Survey Wafer resource DeportMay97�,
- 13 -

TABLE 4
DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER TABLE
BY SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY
SOIL CLASSES
Soil
Unit
Depth to Groundwater
Table
Class I
Ke
Greater than 6.0
Kr,
Ku
Greater than 6.0
La
Greater than 6.0
Nh
Greater than 6.0
No
Greater than 6.0
Rm
Greater than 6.0
Wa
Greater than 6.0
Class II
Be,
Bh
4 - 5
Ls
0.5 - 1.5
On
1.5 - 3.0
Ra
0 - 5
S e ,
S h
1.5 - 2.5
St
1.5 - 2.5
Wo
0.5 - 1.0
Wr
2 - 3
Class III
Ba
0 - .5
Cr
2-3
Le,
Lo
0 - 1
Ly
0 - 1
Mu
0 - 1
Pn
0 - 1.5
To
.5 above surface to 1.5
Class I.V
DO
Less than 0.5
JO
1.0 above surface to 1.5.
Pm
1.0 above surface to 1.0
TM
Tidal Marsh
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service, Soil Survey of New Hanover County, North Carolina,
April, 1977 pp. 65-66
- 14 -

In view of these considerations, every effort should be made to give
priority to the development of lands having soils which require the least
degree of artificial drainage (Class I and II soils). Conversely, lands
comprised primarily of Class III and Class IV soils should be discouraged
from development using conventional septic systems.
- 15 -