Experience with Septic Tanks and Water Wells?

Question

Hi BP,

I was wondering if anyone had insight on septic tanks and water wells. A property that was recently listed has great numbers, but it is on septic tanks and water wells. What can go wrong with these, what are the fees associated with it, and what should I watch out for during inspection?
Thanks BP!

Colleen F. · Answer

I have had more then one property with septic and well and you can find some previous discussions on the topic here.

For Septic- age, type, when was it last emptied, does your state have a required inspection on sale and what is that inspection. In Arizona I made the mistake of assuming the inspection included something, all it did was say you had a septic. In MA we had to have an inspection and you had to pass it to transfer the property.  In RI I had an inspection but the state didn't care.  For a septic you can have a simple system with no mechanicals or a more complex system with a pump to the leach field and alarms for the system not functioning.  In general the older non-pump systems are less problematic and you just empty every 2 years or so.  Some people would go longer but it really is safest to empty no less often then 3 years in a rental.

Wells - have had a couple of these.  They can be anything from a box in the basement with a salamander in it  to a 300 foot submersible pump.  A submersible pump is the best kind.   Ask the well depth and when the pump was last replaced and why.   It is also good if they know the flow rate per minute.  The water quality can be an issue even for a deep well.  We had ours tested and there is even a VOC test required now but we have had several deep wells from 160-300 feet and the water quality was good.  A good well is only an issue when they run dry or you lose power.  We have a MF on well and septic and it is one less bill.  However it is always a concern that tenants understand that high volume uses like running hoses for the garden and the baby pool every day are not allowed.  For the MF we recently installed a meter to track and decrease use.  You hear rumblings now and then about states wanted to track private wells but so far I have only heard of that on property transfer.

Steve Babiak · Answer

There is at least one more thing: groundwater contamination. Certain chemicals can make the water unpotable.

Randy E. · Answer

My primary residence has a septic tank and well water.  When it was built in the 60s, that was the only option because it was located outside of city limits back then.  Now, the property is well within city limits, most of the neighborhood (especially the newer houses built in the 80s) is on city water/sewer, and I could switch to city water/sewer but I don't see the need to pay to do that until I have to.  It costs about $3000-$4000 to switch each.

Septic tanks, as I understand it, are basically built with an expiration date.  I've been told that all will eventually fail.  The older it is, the close it is to at least a partial failure.  When it fails to a certain degree, you have to rebuild the field and maybe the tank.  In my case, doing that costs approximately as much as getting connected to city water/sewer.  My field is in the early stages of failure now, so I'll probably switch over to city services this summer or next spring.  I'm not sure if I'm going to switch both sewage and water, or just sewer which is what the septic tank/field handles.

Regarding well water, as I understand it, only two bad things can happen.  The well could run dry (rare in my area) or the pump could fail.  My neighbor's pump failed a couple of years ago.  They've been in the house since the early 70s and he said this is the first time he had to replace it.  He bought the pump, dug a hole in the front yard where the well pump is located, and installed it himself.  He told me the cost to have a professional do it was about $300-$400.  I would have paid the price, but he's a big time DIYer.

Account Closed · Answer

I had properties with septic and well water, and I bought one lot and had them put in myself.

If I had tenants on the property, I'd rather have city sewer/water that they paid for.  Way less maintenance.

If it was property I was living on, I'd rather have my own septic/well.

With the well, it has to be tested occasionally, and the water may have to be treated.  You'll have the cost of running the pump on the electric bill, which can be spendy.  But, overall, I think having your own well is cheaper than paying for city water.

Same with the septic.  You may have to pay to have it pumped out once in a while, but if the lot was approved for septic, you shouldn't have septic or septic field problems, and it's cheaper overall than paying for sewer.

If you will have tenants on the property, though, there are more issues that can occur with a septic system - if they treat it badly.

Randy E. · Answer

Correct.  I should have specified I was speaking of the field part of the septic system.

Randy E. · Answer

True.

Steve Babiak · Answer

Duplicate sorry.

Dell Schlabach · Answer

We deal with quite a few septic and wells on rehabs, we always get a septic inspection. In our area they not only inspect the tanks, they run water to test the leach lines. They typically run water in the bathtub, add some, dye to the water, run about 150gallons of water for a three bedroom house, and watch to see see if any dye shows up where it shouldn't.

As previously mentioned, the leach lines tend to fail much more often and sooner then the tanks.

Typical septic replacements for us, 8,500 for an off lot airation system, up to 16,000 if they have to install mounnd or drip system.

WellsWells, majority of problems are pressure tanks, well pumps, typically under 500. Dug one new well 4,500.

Joe Cummings · Answer

Depending on the well, it's depth, age and a million other factors, contamination.

If it's an old hand dug well, beware, cause you'll be drinking groundwater. Even if it's a newer drilled well, and the casing is cracked, groundwater will be leaking in.

Don't assume that just because it's in a rural area, that the water is clean. Back in the day I knew guys who would go down into the Pine Barrens of Jersey with tankers full of waste solvents, find a lonely road, and dump their load. 5,000 to 8,000 gallons a shot

Matthew Paul · Answer

Concrete tanks will last longer than you .  drain fields can fail and well pumps can fail and wells can go dry .  Costs are area specific.  All my investments are septic and well . I have replaced pumps , they run about $ 400.00 and I did them myself .  Septics , pump regulary and do some drainfield work about every 20 years .  There are millions of them out there .

Experience with Septic Tanks and Water Wells?

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