Water table at home build site

My wife and I just bought 45 acres of land to build a home on. I'm really excited to browse around on here and get some input on planting trees, etc.

We selected the house plan and signed the paperwork. Builders are ready to get started. We had a perk test performed when we purchased the land a year ago and it passed. We are in SC and we have had record levels of rainfall over the past several months. In my 30 years of living here I've never seen so many fields flooded. I went out to the house site yesterday and dug a hole to determine water table depth. I hit water at 22" and it hasn't rained in three days.

Seems to me like with the water level that high, the septic tank would fill with water. That is another question/topic altogether, though.

There is a low spot on the land where water comes up and flows year round. So the water in the surrounding hills are flowing to the center of the property. We are planning to build on one of those declines.

I have access to a track hoe. I'm wondering if it makes sense to make a big loop around the back of the house site (furthest from the low point) and bury one of those french drains and have it flow out to the low point on the site. I'm thinking this would keep the water table lower which would potentially help with the soil being boggy during rainstorms, decrease house settling, and help with future pool installation.

My head is reeling. Any input is greatly appreciated. I can post up some topographical maps with more information, I just don't want my post to get flagged or not posted due to photos in my first post here.

Thanks in advance!

Ernest,

An obvious question is what does your builder say? This is likely better than the wisdom of the internet, presumably this person knows construction and has been on the property, right? They are responsible for warranteeing their work and have an interest in getting it right.

This is hard to answer without other info, are you installing below ground basement, on a hill, slab. Is this on clay, is it expansive or not... too many variables.

My general feeling in a savannah climate is try to keep water as much as possible as high as possible, but construction factors might be a big deal.

The builder was going off the perk test results. It calls for 30" drain field. I havent dug where they actually marked the drain field to verify but i'd bet money that the water level would be higher than the bottom of a 30" hole in the dhec specified drain field location. I can verify tomorrow.

I text him about the 22" depth to water and he said that he had concerns about the septic system and the foundation footings. But he isn't an expert on groundwater or high water tables. This is new to him. He was looking up codes this morning. I'll try to put together some more information about the site for you guys to mull over.