S.D. Admin. R. 74:53:01:30
A soil percolation test shall be made in at least 3 test holes within 5 feet of where the proposed absorption system or shallow wastewater system is to be located. The holes shall be randomly located in soil representative of and similar in character to the rest of the area where the system will be placed. An additional test hole shall be made to a depth of 4 feet beneath the bottom of the proposed absorption system, unless groundwater or bedrock is encountered first, to determine the type and depth of absorption system.
The horizontal dimension or diameter of the percolation test hole shall be from 6 to 12 inches and the vertical sides shall extend to the maximum depth of the proposed absorption system or to a depth of at least 30 inches, whichever is greater.
Test holes shall be located in unfrozen soil and shall be filled at least 50 percent full with water for at least 8 hours but not more than 16 hours before making the soil percolation test. Immediately before making the test, each hole shall be refilled with water to at least 50 percent of its volume. When the water reaches the lower 25 percent of the test hole, the test shall begin. The percolation rate of a test hole shall be expressed in the number of minutes it takes the water level to drop 1 inch. The percolation rate for the area where the subsurface infiltration system is desired is the average percolation rate of all the test holes. The percolation tests shall be conducted for 2 hours unless the percolation rate is slower than 45 minutes per inch, in which case the percolation tests shall be run for at least 4 hours.
S.D. Admin. R. 74:53:01:30
General Authority: SDCL 34A-2-93.
Law Implemented: SDCL 34A-2-20.