SOIL GROUP III - Fine Loamy Texture Soils. The fine loamy group includes silt, silt loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, and silty clay loam textural classes and shall be considered ______________________________ with respect to texture.

Study for the North Carolina Septic Inspector Exam. Use detailed flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get exam-ready today!

The main idea here is that soil texture directly affects how well effluent can infiltrate and move through the soil in a septic system. Fine loamy textures—silt, silt loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, and silty clay loam—contain enough clay and silt to reduce pore space and permeability. This slows infiltration, increases the risk of surface ponding, and can lead to clogging of the soil as fines are carried with the effluent. Because of these drainage and treatment limitations, these textures are considered unsuitable with respect to texture for conventional effluent dispersal in a leach field. In other words, their texture does not provide the necessary drainage or treatment conditions for standard septic design, so alternative approaches or special designs would be needed if a site involves these soils.