After our initial permit application was not approved, we enlisted Kirk Hall of Riverbend soil consulting to do a site plan for the septic system. Kirk did the previous soil work, so was familiar with the lots. He’s come back with a colorful picture that should result in a permit.

The top right shows the primary drain field and the “repair” drain field. To receive a permit, there needs to be space for both a primary field and a secondary field in case something goes wrong with the first one. In the picture, the house is labeled in green, and the drain fields are the blue parallel lines to the right.

If you’re curious, for a 4 bedroom permit, Gilmer County requires a 1000 gallon septic tank, 440′ of drain line, and a 1320 square foot drain field. Then you need to show the ability to do that twice while still not breaking any rules. This includes setbacks from currently undeveloped property lines, culverts, rivers, wells, and streams.

This permit is the most difficult to get, so once it’s in hand, we should really get rolling!