How big does my leach field need to be for a 3 bedroom home and no garbage disposal.I will have a 1000 gal tank

In most areas the size of the field will be specified by the county or city building department. They do not seem to care about kids or garbage disposal because all that changes as a house is bought and sold. They count the bedrooms, do a perk test and tell you the size of the field. Most places will not let you do your own work and will require a licensed contrator. Ask you building inspector.

Yes the perc and probe test is important, how fast water soaks away into your soil and the depth to limiting zone if for instance you have shallow soil with rock underneath or a subsoil that doesn't drain you will need a much larger one than you would with well drained soil

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Originally Posted by jtravis

How big does my leach field need to be for a 3 bedroom home and no garbage disposal.I will have a 1000 gal tank

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Usually, the drainfield can fit within the front yard or the backyard of a typical 1-acre homesite. The precise area requirements will depend upon the kinds of soils at the homesite, the size of the house (the number of bedrooms), and the topography of the lot. A site with clayey, slowly permeable soils needs a larger drainfield to absorb the sewage effluent than does a site with sandy, permeable soils. Adequate land area must be available to isolate the entire septic system from any nearby wells, springs, streams, lakes, or other bodies of water. There also must be enough area to install a replacement system in case it is ever needed. This replacement area must meet the same soil and site requirements as the original system. Regards, Tom

I am sure building requirements differ from county to county. The space for a replacement field would be nice to have but the current codes in Illinois do not make this a requirement. One of my places is in a lake association where I serve on the Architecture Control Committee and Board of Directors. Some of our 2700 lots are less than 1/2 acre and it's a snug fit to get fields on every lot.

It is very important that you do so called "Percolation Test" before you size up your leach field. Results of the test will tell you absorbtive properties of soil on your property and will determine, how elaborate ( or simple ) your leach field should be.