Septic systems in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Cape Elizabeth divides into sewered and unsewered ground. The town has worked with the Portland Water District on its sanitary sewer system since 1975, and land outside the Sewer Service Area has to rely on a subsurface wastewater disposal system. The last significant sewer extension was approved by voters in the 1980s, and neighborhoods whose septic failure rate was below 35 percent at the time were left off the line.
The 2019 Comprehensive Plan observes that most systems working in the 1980s are now candidates for replacement. It names the Hampton Road neighborhood north of Great Pond, the southern end of the Ocean House Road business district toward Richmond Terrace, and Shore Road north of Pond Cove as areas of undersized lots close to water resources.
The service area map is not fixed. In 2015 the town added land zoned Residence B and Business B to the Sewer Service Area, following a recommendation from its 2007 plan, so confirming whether a lot sits inside the current boundary is the first step before any septic design.
Small lots, shallow rock and slow-draining silt
The plan notes that lot size in those neighborhoods often severely constrains where a replacement system can go. Soil adds a second constraint. The Lyman soils of the rocky uplands reach bedrock within about 10 to 20 inches, and Scantic silt loam in the low ground is poorly drained with slow subsoil permeability. Both limit how much natural soil is available to treat effluent, which is why the site evaluator's test pits drive every decision that follows.
Maine has regulated septic systems since 1920, and the state's Subsurface Wastewater Unit oversees the rules that every design and install must meet.
Shoreland rules on a septic replacement
Systems follow the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules and the town's Private Sewage Disposal Ordinance. In the shoreland district, the zoning ordinance adds that clearing of woody vegetation for a new system and its fill extensions may not come closer than 75 feet to the normal high-water line or a wetland's upland edge, and a holding tank is not allowed for a first-time residential use.
Two single-family neighborhoods north of Great Pond run on individual systems, and work there also falls under the watershed's stripping limits and one-week stabilization rule. We handle the excavation, tank, distribution and leach field, coordinate with the site evaluator, and leave the yard graded, seeded and clean.
Septic Installs · Excavation
How we handle septic systems
We install new and replacement septic systems for homes and camps across the Cumberland area. From site work and excavation through tank, distribution and leach field install, we coordinate with your site evaluator and leave the yard graded, seeded and clean.
See the full septic systems service page or everything we do in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Septic Systems in nearby towns
- Septic Systems in South Portland
- Septic Systems in Scarborough
- Septic Systems in Portland
- Septic Systems in Westbrook
- Septic Systems in Falmouth
More services in Cape Elizabeth
- Hardscaping in Cape Elizabeth
- Retaining Walls in Cape Elizabeth
- Landscaping in Cape Elizabeth
- Landscape Design in Cape Elizabeth
- Planting & Garden Beds in Cape Elizabeth
- Hydroseeding, Sod & Turf in Cape Elizabeth
- Lawn Aeration & Overseeding in Cape Elizabeth
- Fall Cleanup & Leaf Removal in Cape Elizabeth
- Commercial Mowing & Cleanups in Cape Elizabeth
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Cape Elizabeth
- Tree & Shrub Services in Cape Elizabeth
- Tree Removal in Cape Elizabeth
Free Estimates
Septic Systems in Cape Elizabeth? Let's talk.
Tell us about your property and we will walk it with you — free estimates, straight answers, stonework guaranteed to hold its lines.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 5:00pm · Based in Cumberland, Maine