New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 9A - STANDARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL SUBSURFACE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS › Appendix D

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
SOIL SUITABILITY CLASSIFICATION OF NEW JERSEY SOILS
Explanation of the Soil Suitability Classification
				System
The suitability of soil for onsite disposal of sanitary
				wastewater by means of individual subsurface sewage disposal systems is
				classified based upon the type and depth of soil limiting zones as outlined
				below. Definitions and criteria for recognition of soil limiting zones are
				provided in Subchapters 2 and 5 of this chapter.
Type of Limiting
						Zone
Depth,
Suitabilit
ft.
y Class
..........................................................
Fractured Rock or Excessively
[GREATER
						THAN]5
I
Coarse Substrata
0-5
IISc
..........................................................
Massive Rock or Hydraulically
[GREATER
						THAN]9
I
Restrictive Substrata
4-9
IISr
0-4
IIISr
..........................................................
Hydraulically Restrictive Horizon,
[GREATER
						THAN]9
I
Permeable Substratum
4-9
IIHr
0-4
IIIHr
..........................................................
Excessively Coarse Horizon
[GREATER
						THAN]5
I
0-5
IIHc
..........................................................
Zone of Saturation, Regional
[GREATER
						THAN]5
I
2-5
IIWr
0-2
IIIWr
..........................................................
Zone of Saturation, Perched
[GREATER
						THAN]5
I
2-5
IIWp
0-2
IIIWp
.........................................................
The soil suitability classification consists of a Roman numeral
				from I to III which is indicative of the severity of the limitation and a
				letter symbol which indicates the type of limiting zone. (In general the
				limitation is considered more severe when the limiting zone occurs at a
				shallower depth in or below the soil profile). Where more than one type of
				limiting zone is present, the primary classification of the soil is based upon
				whichever limiting zone(s) presents the most severe limitation (highest
				numerical symbol). Secondary limitations are given based upon limitations which
				are less severe (lower numerical symbols). The primary classification is stated
				first, followed by secondary classifications in parentheses. For example, the
				classification for a soil with a seasonally high water table (top of a regional
				zone of saturation) at a depth of 1.5 feet and a massive rock substratum at a
				depth of 7 feet would be IIIWr(IISr).
Where two or more limiting zones are present with the same
				degree of limitation, a compound symbol is used in primary or secondary
				classifications, consisting of a Roman numeral showing the degree of limitation
				together with a letter symbol for each type of limited zone. For example, the
				classification for a soil with a seasonally high water table at a depth 2.5
				feet and a fractured rock substratum at a depth of 3 feet would be
				IIWrSc.
Soil Suitability Classes of New Jersey Soil Series
The type of standard septic system installation, if any, which
				can be approved on a specific site depends upon the soil suitability class
				which must be determined based upon detailed onsite soil evaluation. Such
				evaluation is costly and would normally not be performed prior to the purchase
				of land or the granting of preliminary or conceptual approvals for large tracts
				of land which are to be subdivided for residential or commercial development.
				In these or other situations where more general information regarding soil
				suitability is required, preliminary determinations may be made based upon
				information contained in the county soil surveys which are published by the
				U.S.D.A.--Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with the N.J. Agricultural
				Experiment Station and Cook College of Rutgers, The State University. These
				soil surveys contain descriptions of the various soil series which occur in New
				Jersey together with maps showing the geographic distribution of the soils. At
				present, published soil surveys or preliminary field maps are available for
				every county in the state with the exception of Essex and Hudson.
A soil series is a group of similar soil types having major
				horizons which are similar in thickness, arrangement and other important
				characteristics. The soil suitability classes provided for each New Jersey soil
				series listed below are based primarily upon the soil profile descriptions
				given in the soil survey reports.
Soil series may be divided into one or more soil phases which
				differ in the texture of the surface horizon, stoniness or some other property.
				Although soil phase differences may affect design and construction
				requirements, they are generally not a factor in determination of the soil
				suitability class given for a particular soil series. In some cases a soil
				series may have one or more variants which may differ significantly with
				respect to the types or depths of soil limiting zones. In such cases each
				variant is treated as a separate soil type with respect to the
				classification.
Each soil series is characterized by a range of soil profile
				characteristics so that two or more soil suitability classes may be possible
				for a given soil series. The soil suitability classes given below are those
				which are considered most typical for a given soil series. Other soil
				suitability classes are possible depending upon conditions which may vary from
				location to location.
Soil survey maps delineate the boundaries of soil mapping units
				in which a specific soil series, soil phase, soil complex, association or other
				grouping is predominant. Within every soil mapping unit however, there may be
				areas of dissimilar soils which are too small and scattered or otherwise
				impractical to show at the scale of mapping used. For this reason, use of the
				soil survey is not a substitute for onsite soil evaluation when detailed
				information for a specific site is required.
Many soil series in the coastal plain region of southern New
				Jersey are underlain by stratified sedimentary formations which consist of
				layers of contrasting grain size. In some cases layers of highly permeable sand
				and gravel may alternate with hydraulically restrictive layers of silt and
				clay. Where hydraulically restrictive layers occur at depths less than nine
				feet they will be a determining factor for the soil suitability classification.
				The presence of such layers below a depth of five feet however, is generally
				not indicated in the soil survey reports and therefore may not be reflected in
				the soil suitability classes given here. As a result, coastal plain soils
				series which are classified as having no limitation (Roman numeral I) with
				respect to hydraulically restrictive horizons and substrata may in some
				locations have IIHr or IISr limitations. In other cases, soil series which are
				assigned classifications of IISr or IIISr may in some locations have permeable
				substrata at depths below the extent of soil survey data such that a
				classification of IIHr or IIIHr may be appropriate.
In the northern portion of the state many soil series are
				described as having bedrock substrata at shallow depths below the soil profile.
				Soil survey reports generally do not provide information relative to the
				permeability of these rock substrata. Rock substrata underlying soil profiles
				of the same soil series may often range from excessively permeable to
				relatively impermeable. Soil suitability classes are given to represent those
				conditions which are considered most typical for a soil series. In many cases,
				however, soil series which are given classes of I or IISc may in some locations
				have the more severe limitations associated with classes IISr or IIISr.
				Classifications of rock substrata given here must be regarded as preliminary in
				nature and may be subject to modification based upon detailed onsite evaluation
				and testing.
Soil Series (Variant) Name
Typical
						Classification(s)
Abbottstown
IIIHR,Wp(IIISc);IISr,Wp(IIISc)
Adelphia
IIWr
Adelphia Clayey Substratum
IIISr(IIWr)
Adelphia Glauconitic Variant
IIISr(IIWr)
Adelphia Truncated
IIIWr
Adrian
IIIWr
Albia
IIIHr,Wp; IIISr,Wp
Amwell
IIIHr,Wp; IIIHr,Wp(IISr)
Amwell Rock Substratum
IIIHr,Wp;
						IIIHr,Wp(IISr)
Annandale
IIIHr
Arendtsville
I; IISc
Atherton
IIIWr
Athol
I
Atsion
IIIWr
Atsion Tide Flooded
IIIWr
Aura
I; IIHr
Aura Moderately Firm
I; IIHr
Aura Ironstone Variant
I; IIHr
Barclay
IIWr; IIIWr
Bartley
IIIHr(IIWp)
Bath
IIIHr(IIWpSc)
Bath Stony
IIIHr(IIWpSc)
Bayboro
IIISrWr
Bayboro Ponded
IIISrWr
Bedington
IISc
Berks
IISc
Berryland
IIIWr
Berryland Flooded
IIIWr
Berryland Freq. Flooded
IIIWr
Berryland Heavy Subsoil Var.
IIIWr
Bertie
IIIWr
Bibb
IIIWr
Biddeford
IIISrWr
Birdsboro
I; IIWr; IISc; IIWrSc
Birdsboro Gravelly Solum Var.
I
Birdsboro Sandy Subsoil Var.
IISc
Boonton
IIIHrWp; IIISrWp
Bowmansville
IIIWr
Braceville
IIIHrWp
Bucks
IISc; IISr
Califon
IIIHrWp
Califon Friable Subsoil Var.
IIIWr
Carisle Muck
IIIWr
Chalfont
IIISrWp
Chenango
IISc
Chillum
I; ISc; IIISr
Chippewa
IIISrWr
Cokesbury
IIIHrWp
Colemantown
IIIHrWp
Collington
I
Colonie
I
Colts Neck
I, IIHr
Croton
IIISrWp; IIISrWr
Donlonton
IIIHrWr
Downer
I
Downer Clayey Substratum
I
Downer Gravelly Substratum
I; IISc
Downer Loamy Substratum
I
Downer Truncated
I
Doylestown
IIISrWr
Dragstown
IIIWr; IIWr
Duffield
I; IISr
Duffield Very Rocky
IISr
Dunellen
I
Dunellen Mod. Well Drained Var.
IIIWr
Edneyville
I; IISc
Elkton
IIISrWr
Ellington Loamy Subsoil Var.
IISrWpWr;
						IIISrWpWr
Evesboro
I
Evesboro Clayey Substratum
IIISr; IIIHr
Evesboro Sandy Loam Subsoil Var.
I
Fallsington
IIIWr
Fallsington Clayey Substratum
IIIHr
Fallsington Var.
IIIHrWrWp
Fort Mott
I
Fredon
IIIWr
Freehold
I
Freehold Clayey Substratum
IIISr
Fripp
I
Galestown
I
Galestown Clayey Substratum
IISr
Haledon
IIIHrWp
Haledon Wet Var.
IIIHrWpWr
Halsey
IIIWr; IIIWr(IISc)
Hammonton
IIWr
Hammonton Clayey
						Substratum
IIISr(IIWrWp);IIIHr(IIWrWp)
Hazen
I; IISc
Hazleton
IISc
Hero
IIScWr; IIWr
Hibernia
IIIHrWp
Holmdel
IIIWr; IIWr
Holmdel Clayey Substratum
IIISrWr
Holyoke Rocky
IISc; IIISr
Hoosic
I; IISc
Howell
IIWr; IIIWr
Keansburg
IIIWr
Keyport
IIISr(IIWp)
Klej
IIWr; IIIWr
Klej Clayey Substratum
IIISrWr; IIISr(IIWr)
Klej Loamy Substratum
IIISrWr; IIISr(IIWr)
Klinesville Shaly
IISc; IISr
Kresson
IIIHrWp(IIWr)
Lakehurst
IIWr; IIIWr
Lakehurst Clayey
						Substratum
IIISrWrWp;IIISr(IIWrWp)
Lakehurst Loamy Substratum
IIWr; IIIWr
Lakehurst Thick Surface
IIWr; IIIWr
Lakeland
I
Lakeland Firm Substratum
I
Lakeland Water Table
IIWr
Lakewood
I
Lakewood Loamy Substratum
I
Lakewood Thick Surface
I
Lamington
IIIHrWpWr
Lansdale
IISc
Lansdowne
IIIHrWp(IISc);IIIHrWp(IISr)
Lansdowne Var.
IIIHrWp(IISc); IIISrWp
Lawrenceville
IIISrWp; IIIHrWp
Legore
I; IISr
Lehigh
IIISrWp; IIIHrWp(IISc)
Lenoir
IIISrWr
Leon
IIIWr
Livingston
IIISrWr
Lyons
IIIWr; IIISrWr;IIISrWr(IISc)
Manahawkin
IIIWr;
Marlton
IIIHr(IIWp); IIIHr
Matapeake
IIISr(IIWp); IISrWp; I
Matapeake Thin Solum
I
Matawan
IIWr; IIIHrWp(IIWr)
Mattapex
IIISr(IIWr); IIWr
Mattapex Clayey Substratum
IIISrWr
Mattapex Glauconitic Substratum
IIWr
Meckesville
IIIHr(IIWp)
Middlebury
IIIWr
Minoa
IIIWr
Mount Lucas
IIIWp(IISr)
Mullica
IIIWr
Mullica Loamy Substratum
IIIWr
Nassau
IIISr; IISc
Neshaminy
IISr
Neshaminy Fragipan Var.
IIISrWp; IIIHrWp
Netcong
I
Nixon
I
Nixon Var.
IIWr; IIIWr
Nixonton
IIIWr
Norton
IIIHr
Norwich
IIIHrWr
Oquaga
IISc; IIISr(IISc)
Othello
IIIWr
Otisville
IISc
Palmyra
IISc
Parker
IISc
Parker Rocky
IISc
Parsippany
IIHrWr; IIISrWr
Parsippany Sandy Loam Substratum
IIIHrWr
Parsippany Var.
IIISrWr
Pasquotank
IIIWr
Pattenburg
IISc
Pattenburg Moderately Wet
IIScWr;
						IIIWr(IISc)
Pemberton
IIWr; IIIWr
Pemberton Thick Surface
IIWr;IIIWr
Penn
IISc; IIISr
Penn Shaly
IISc; IIISr
Phalanx
IISc
Plummer
IIIWr
Plummer Very Wet
IIIWr
Pocomoke
IIIWr
Pompton
IIIWr; IIIWr(IISc)
Pope
I; IISc
Portsmouth
IIIWr
Preakness
IIIWr
Preakness Dark Surface Var.
IIIWr
Quakertown
IISc; I
Quakertown Channery
IISc
Raritan
IIIHrWp; IIIHrWp(IISc)
;IIIHrWp(IISr)
Raynham
IIIWr
Readington
IIIHrWp(IISc);IIWpSrSc; IIWrSc
Reaville
IIISrWp(IIHc)
Reaville Deep Var.
IIISrWp(IIHc)
Reaville Wet Var.
IIISrWp(IIHc)
Ridgebury
IIIHrWp
Riverhead
I; IISc
Riverhead Neutral Var.
I; IISc
Rockaway
IIIHrWp
Rowland
IIIWr
Royce
IISc
Sassafras
I
Sassafras Clayey Substratum
IIISr; IISr; IIIHr;
						IIHr
Sassafras Water Table
IIWr
Shrewsbury
IIIWr
Shrewsbury Clayey Substratum
IIIWrSr
Shrewsbury Ironstone Var.
IIIWrHr
Shrewsbury Truncated
IIIWr
Sloan
IIIWr
Steinsburg
IISc
St. Johns
IIIWr
St. Johns Clayey Substratum
IIIWrSr
Swartswood
IIIHrWp
Tinton
I
Tinton Thick Surface
I;
Tioga
I; IIWr; IIWrSc; IISc
Turbotville
IIIHrWp
Unadilla
I
Valois
I
Venango
IIIHrWp; IIISrWp
Wallkill
IIIWr
Washington
I; IISc
Wassaic
IISc; IIISr
Wassaic Rocky
IISc; IIISr
Watchung
IIIHrWpWr
Wayland
IIIWr; IIIWrSr
Weeksville
IIIWr
Westphalia
I
Whippany
IIISrWp;
Whippany Sandy Loam Substratum
IIIHrWp
Whitman
IIIHrWp
Woodmansie
I
Woodmansie Firm Substratum
I
Woodmansie Loamy Substratum
I
Woodstown
IIIWr; IIWr
Woodstown Clayey Substratum
IIIWrSr;
						IIIWr(IISr);IIWrSr;
Woodstown Loamy Substratum
IIIWr; IIWr
Wooster
IISc; I
Wurtsboro
IIIHrWp; IIIHrWp(IISc)
Following is a listing of miscellaneous mapping unit
				designations which do not consist of any one specific soil series or soil
				series variant. In general these mapping units cannot be assigned a soil
				suitability class due to extreme variability or a lack of data. The type of
				limitations which are generally associated with these mapping units are
				indicated below:
Mapping Unit Designation
Type(s) of
						Limitations
Alluvial Land (Various Modifying Terms)
Flooding,
						Wetland
Clayey Land-Keyport Materials
Hydraulically
						Restrictive Substrata
Clayey Land-Marlton Materials
Hydraulically
						Restrictive Substrata
Clay Pits
Disturbed Ground, Hydraulically
Restrictive Substrata
Coastal Beach
Dunes, Excessively Coarse
						Substrata
Cut and Fill Land
Disturbed Ground
Dune Land
Dunes, Excessively Coarse
						Substrata
Fill Land (Various Modifying Terms)
Disturbed
						Ground
Fluvaquents
Flooding
Fresh Water Marsh
Wetland
Gravel Pits
Disturbed Ground, Excessively
Coarse Substrata
Humaquepts
Wetland
Made Land (Various Modifying Terms)
Disturbed
						Ground
Marsh (Various Modifying Terms)
Wetland
Mine Dump
Disturbed Ground
Muck (Various Modifying Terms)
Wetland
Peat (Various Modifying Terms)
Wetland
Pits (Various Modifying Terms)
Disturbed
						Ground
Psamments
Dunes, Excessively Coarse
						Substrata
Quarries
Disturbed Ground
Rock Land-Edneyville Material
Rock Outcrops,
						Excessively
Coarse Substrata
Rock Outcrop
Rock Outcrops
Rough Broken Land
Excessively Stony
Sand Pits
Disturbed Ground, Excessively
Coarse Substrata
Sandy Land
Excessively Coarse Substrata
Steep Stony Land Parker Material
Slope,
						Excessively Stony
Sulphaquents
Wetland
Sulphihemists
Wetland
Swamp
Wetland
Tidal Marsh
Wetland
Urban Land
Disturbed Ground