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WELL & SEPTIC INSPECTIONS*
*During a
routine home inspection, the H.I.S. inspector will check all plumbing
leading up to the well and septic, and may sometimes be able to lift the lid
to see if the septic needs to be pumped out, but our home inspector does not perform well or septic inspections.
Who Will Inspect?
Usually, the county health department, well
drillers, or some plumbers will inspect for you. If you choose a home
inspector who states they do perform well & septic inspections, please check
with your county health department - as of 2008 they must be registered to
perform them.. We have listed the county health department numbers below for your
convenience.
For a listing of businesses in your area, go to the
directory site below, and under "Business Services", search for the
type of business you need (ie: Water Analysis, Septic). You will get a list
of companies in your area to choose from. So much easier than looking in the
phone book, but if you want to, it's listed under "Pump" in the Yellow Pages.
SBC SmartPages
What can a prospective purchaser of a home do to gather as much
information as possible relative to the present condition of a system
and about possible future expenses associated with the septic system?
Here are a few suggestons**:
 Obtain Information from the present property owner
- Ask for any drawings regarding the actual location (an
"as-built drawing) of the existing septic system.
- Ask for the records regarding maintenance of the system; Has the
septic tank been pumped at a frequency of at least 3 to 5 years?;
What pumping contractor was used?**; If the system contains a pump.
how often has it been maintained?; If major repairs have been made,
when and to what extent?
- Ask about the past performance of the system. Have any of
the symptoms described earlier manifested during the life of
the system?
- **Please Note: Health department information
is not always current and up to date- always ask the property owner the
septic company name and/or receipt for last pump out.
Do a Site Inspection of the Property
- Once the locations of the septic tank and leaching fields are
known, walk over the entire area and observe whether there is any
evidence of a sewage overflow condition. Greener grass in the
leaching area may not necessarily indicate a system problem. If,
however the area is completely saturated and odorous you should be
very concerned. It most likely indicates an active failure.
- Try to get a sense of how natural conditions are effecting the
capacity of the property to disperse water. Is the sewage disposal
area located In a depression which would have a tendency to collect
run-off of rain water? Is the lot flat? Is there a water course of
wetland (swamp) near the leaching system? Is the system virtually at
the same elevation as nearby wetlands? Are there steep slopes
and/or ledge outcrops which reduce the available area for leaching
purposes? All of the above factors could indicate that the existing
system will experience difficulty or, that there may not be much
additional area suitable for sewage disposal on the lot if needed in
the future.
Go to Town Health Department to Review the Property's File
- Ask the town sanitarian to review the file with you. Is there
enough information in it for him/her to give you an opinion on how
the existing system and/or lot meets present health code
requirements?
- Ask for the records regarding maintenance of the system; Has the
septic tank been pumped at a frequency of at least 3 to 5 years?
What pumping contractor was used? If the system contains a pump, how
often has it been maintained?; If major repairs have been made, when
and to what extent?
- Your goal is to, confirm and supplement information received from
the property owner.
- Obtain guidelines concerning the proper maintenance of a
subsurface sewage disposal system.
- If you are contemplating an addition to the home or plan on
renovating an unfinished basement discuss the possibilities with the
sanitarian and determine the procedures you would have to follow to
accomplish your plans. In some cases it will not be possible to "enlarge"
an existing home.
- Ask about the general neighborhood, the frequency of repairs,
ability to install proper size repair systems, average life of
systems in the area, etc.
**This text was copied (and edited and supplemented) from a public
document provided by the CT State DOH.
Their contact information is: State of Connecticut Department of Health
Services 150 Washington St., Hartford CT 06106 203-566-1292 Voice
203-566-2275 Fax More information on septic systems can be obtained by
clicking on the button below:
CLICK HERE TO
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