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Septic Services in Cherry Hill, NJ

Camden County County · Pop. 74,854

Cherry Hill is a major commercial and residential suburb of Philadelphia, located in Camden County in the heart of South Jersey's Atlantic Coastal Plain. While Cherry Hill itself is predominantly served by municipal sewer, its position at the northern edge of the Pinelands region — one of the largest remaining open-space areas in the mid-Atlantic — makes it the gateway to a vast area of south Jersey where private septic systems are the rule rather than the exception. The Pinelands National Reserve, which borders Camden County's southern municipalities, has the most restrictive septic regulations in New Jersey. The sandy Coastal Plain soils of south Camden County and the Pinelands present a unique combination of excellent percolation (making installation straightforward) and very limited treatment capacity (making groundwater contamination a significant risk). The Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer — the primary water supply for much of south Jersey — is a shallow, sandy aquifer exceptionally vulnerable to contamination from on-site systems.

Septic Providers in Cherry Hill (5)

Services in Cherry Hill

Drain Field Repair

$2,000 – $15,000

Grease Trap Pumping

$200 – $800

Septic Inspection

$300 – $600

Septic System Installation

$3,500 – $20,000

Septic Tank Pumping

$275 – $600

Septic Repair

$500 – $5,000

Well Drilling

$6,000 – $25,000

Well Pump Repair

$300 – $3,000

Well Water Testing

$50 – $500

Well Water Treatment

$500 – $8,000

Septic Service Costs in Cherry Hill

Service Average Cost
Septic Tank Pumping $350 - $550
Septic System Installation $7,000 - $22,000

Soil Conditions

Camden County sits entirely on the New Jersey Coastal Plain, adjacent to the northern edge of the Pinelands. Cherry Hill's soils are Downer sandy loam and Atsion sandy loam — both Spodosols (Coastal Plain sandy soils) characteristic of the inner and outer Coastal Plain. Downer sandy loam is a moderately well-drained profile with sandy loam topsoil over loamy sand subsoil, reasonable percolation, and 3-5 feet to seasonal water table. Atsion sandy loam in lower positions is somewhat poorly drained, with a spodic horizon (iron-enriched hardpan) at 10-20 inches that can seasonally perch water. Adjacent to the Pinelands border, Lakewood fine sand and Evesboro fine sand dominate — excessively drained, quartzitic sands with almost no nutrient retention.

The Pinelands and south Camden County sandy soils — particularly the Lakewood fine sand (USDA series 90NJ) and Evesboro fine sand (USDA series 45NJ) — are among the most distinctive and problematic septic soils in the northeastern United States. These excessively drained Spodosols have a sandy, quartzitic texture throughout with less than 1% clay content, negligible cation exchange capacity (1-2 meq/100g), and saturated hydraulic conductivity exceeding 6 inches per hour. Pathogens and nitrate from septic effluent travel through these soils to groundwater in hours with virtually no attenuation. This is the physical basis for the Pinelands Commission's density restrictions: in Lakewood and Evesboro soils, the only protection for the aquifer is the volume of soil the effluent must travel through, which requires large lot sizes. The inner Coastal Plain Downer sandy loam soils in Cherry Hill proper are somewhat better at treatment due to higher clay content in the subsoil.

Water Table: Downer series soils have seasonal high water tables at 3-5 feet. Atsion soils have water tables perched above the spodic horizon at 12-18 inches during winter and spring. Pinelands-adjacent soils (Lakewood, Evesboro) have deep water tables (5-15 feet) in upland positions but very rapid unsaturated flow — septic effluent reaches groundwater in hours. The Delaware River and Cooper River floodplains in Camden County have water tables at 0-3 feet seasonally.

Local Regulations

Camden County Department of Health administers NJ Sanitary Code Chapter IX for Camden County. The Pinelands Commission — a regional agency established by the New Jersey Pinelands Protection Act and the federal National Parks and Recreation Act — has jurisdiction over development and wastewater management in the Pinelands Area, which includes significant portions of southern Camden County. In the Pinelands, the Commission's Comprehensive Management Plan limits density of development based on lot size and system capacity, and all septic system permits in the Pinelands must be consistent with the CMP. The Pinelands Commission actively reviews systems in areas where nitrogen loading to the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer is a concern.

Camden County Department of Health issues septic permits under NJ Sanitary Code Chapter IX and Camden County regulations. Cherry Hill itself has extensive municipal sewer coverage — the township is largely developed with suburban infrastructure. However, the adjacent communities bordering the Pinelands — Voorhees, Evesham, Winslow, and the southern Camden County municipalities — have significant concentrations of on-site systems in the sandy Coastal Plain soils. Camden County's proximity to the Pinelands National Reserve means that many southern Camden County systems are subject to Pinelands Commission rules. NJ's real estate transfer inspection requirement applies throughout the county. Permit fees range from $200 to $450.

Frequently Asked Questions — Cherry Hill

What is the Pinelands Commission and how does it affect septic systems near Cherry Hill?
The Pinelands Commission is a regional land use authority established in 1979 to protect the New Jersey Pinelands — 1.1 million acres of coastal plain forest, wetlands, and aquifer recharge zone in southern New Jersey. The Commission's Comprehensive Management Plan regulates development density and wastewater management in the Pinelands. In the Pinelands management areas (which include parts of south Camden County), septic systems must be sized and sited according to the CMP's lot-size requirements, which are larger than conventional NJ standards. New development within the Pinelands requires Pinelands Commission approval in addition to the standard county health permit.
What is the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer and why is it important for septic regulations?
The Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer is a massive, shallow sandy aquifer underlying all of the New Jersey Pinelands and south Jersey Coastal Plain. It holds an estimated 17 trillion gallons of some of the purest water in the eastern United States — naturally low in minerals and historically pristine. The aquifer is the primary drinking water source for south Jersey. Because it is shallow and underlain by highly permeable Pinelands sands, it is extremely vulnerable to contamination from on-site sewage. Nitrate from on-site systems is the primary long-term contamination concern. This vulnerability is the primary reason for the Pinelands Commission's restrictive development density standards.
How does south Jersey's sandy soil affect my septic system installation?
Sandy Coastal Plain soils actually make septic system installation simpler and less expensive than the clay soils of north Jersey or New England: percolation tests pass easily, excavation is straightforward, and conventional trench systems work well. However, the rapid percolation creates a treatment concern — effluent moves through sandy soil quickly, with less contact time for biological treatment of pathogens and minimal chemical retention of nitrate. Standard sizing is used for most Camden County installations, but properties near the Pinelands border or with very coarse soils (Evesboro, Lakewood) may face enhanced setback requirements to protect the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer.
How much does a septic installation cost in Camden County, New Jersey?
Installation in Camden County typically runs $7,000 to $22,000. South Jersey's sandy soils make installation generally easier than north Jersey's Piedmont and Highlands clays, keeping costs at the lower end for standard systems. The proximity to Philadelphia construction markets keeps labor availability reasonable. Systems requiring mounding on Atsion or other poorly drained soils are at the higher end. Professional engineering design fees ($2,000-$4,000) are a significant component, as NJ requires licensed PE design for most new systems.
Does Cherry Hill's proximity to Philadelphia affect my septic permit process?
Not directly — Camden County Department of Health is the sole permitting authority for on-site systems in Cherry Hill and Camden County, regardless of proximity to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia metro area is served by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) for regional planning purposes, but each county (on the NJ side) maintains its own health department for septic permitting. The one cross-jurisdictional body that does have authority over water quality in the area is the Delaware River Basin Commission, which monitors the Delaware River and may impose additional requirements over time as nutrient standards tighten.

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