El Paso County's OWTS regulations follow the state's modern pattern: visual and tactile evaluation of two or more soil profile test pits is the baseline, with percolation testing as an optional supplement. Testers must be a professional engineer or an EPCPH-designated 'competent technician,' and pits must stay open — barricaded — until the county evaluates them, if required.

The baseline	Visual and tactile evaluation of two or more soil profile test pit excavations; percolation testing may be added for extra information on the soil's long-term acceptance rate.
Who performs	A professional engineer or a 'competent technician' designated by EPCPH — someone who can conduct and accurately interpret pit excavations, profile holes, percolation tests, and site evaluations, and who meets the competencies in section 8.5.I of the regulation.
Open-pit rule	Excavations and percolation holes must remain open until after evaluation if EPCPH requires it, and must be suitably barricaded for safety.
Fees	The El Paso County Board of Health sets fees for inspections, percolation tests, and soil evaluations — check the current EPCPH fee schedule.

Details to confirm with the county

We couldn't confirm the following from El Paso County's official pages. Check these with the county before you rely on them:

• Current fee amounts (published in the EPCPH fee schedule, not the regulation).
• Typical turnaround from evaluation to permit-ready report in practice — ask local designers.

Verified July 2026 · Source: El Paso County Board of Health — OWTS Chapter 8 Regulations (soil evaluation sections)