Septic companies in Des Moines, IA

What the ground in Des Moines is like

The USDA soil survey rates mapped ground in Des Moines for septic drain-field suitability across roughly 88 square miles. About 74% of the rated ground is classed "Very limited", the survey records severe restrictions for a conventional drain field across most of that ground.

In Des Moines, the leading limit is slow water movement: effluent does not drain through the soil fast enough, so a conventional field can back up or pond when the ground cannot keep pace. The survey flags that limit on about 98% of the rated ground here.

The limiting features the survey records most often here:

• Slow water movement97.9%
• Depth to saturated zone86.2%
• Flooding21.2%
• Slope18.2%

This is survey data for mapped areas, not a substitute for a site evaluation on your own lot. Conditions on a single parcel can differ from the map.

USDA NRCS SSURGO, ENG Septic Tank Absorption Fields · 73.6% Very limited · Slow water movement · 176 map units · 88.16 sq mi · read 2026-08-30