The ratio of 1 in 30 is a magic number
for contractors who build homes
in Massachusetts. In New Hampshire
the number is 1 in 60. Vermont's
number is 1 in 60, or 1 in 120 for a
"mound" system. Maine doesn't have
a magic number. Confused? Welcome
to perc-rate lotto. Percolation rates,
the time it takes one inch of water to
drain from a hole dug near a proposed
septic system, must be determined
before building permits are issued in
most rural communities in the U.S. If
your rate does not meet the legal minimum,
then you can't build on the
site.
Some states and towns have more
rational regulations than others, but
every state has some