Dean Solomon District Natural Resources Agent and Eckhart Dersch Professor of Resource Development Michigan State University When you are buying or selling a home, you or a professional you hire may spend a considerable amount of time carefully inspecting for such things as cracks in the foundation, termite damage or a leaky roof. However, you may not completely evaluate the well and septic systems, even though they are tremendously vital portions of the house. This bulletin is designed to help prospective home buyers and sellers understand how to evaluate their water and septic systems as part of the transaction process. These tips are best used in conjunction with Extension bulletin E-1521, "Maintaining Your Septic System." Importance of a Properly Functioning System The well and septic systems are your home's "life support systems." The well provides an essential resource water-and the septic system performs the important function of getting rid of waste while preserving your health and safety. They are systems you can't do without. Imagine being unable to use your faucets, toilet or drains for even just a few days, as sometimes happens during major power outages. Properly functioning water and septic systems save money, especially compared with alternative systems such as bottled water, expensive treatment devices or extensive repair bills. Replacing a well may cost $1,000 or more; a new septic system may cost $2,000 to $4,000. Good systems are also necessary for disease prevention. Poorly operating systems can cause your family to be exposed to harmful disease organisms and chemicals through your well or on the soil surface. Apart from monetary and family health considerations, properly functioning systems are convenient. Water that tastes good and plenty of water pressure and volume for household chores are often taken for granted, but they are important to your enjoying your home.

Evaluating Systems As Part of the Selling or Purchasing Process-Why? Conducting a water and septic system evaluation prior to sale or purchase protects both the buyer and the seller. Most importantly, an evaluation helps to protect the value of the buyer's investment by ensuring that the system will provide a quality source of water and safely accommodate wastes. pumped. It also protects the buyer from potentially tremendous cost of system repair or replacement soon after the sale. Finding out after the sale that your septic system is unusable can greatly diminish the vbalue of your property or make it difficult if not impossible to sell it. For a seller (and realtor, too), a water and septic system evaluation will mininise the possibility of unknowingly selling a house with a defective or failing system, and could help avoid possible lawsuits that might arise as a result. A properly functioning system can also be a good selling point and enhance the value of the house. What is Involved in an Evaluation? A water and septic system evaluation should be conducted as soon as the property is placed on the market so that necessary repairs can be made to the system. The evaluation should definitely be done before the sale is completed. At a minimum, an evaluation should examine these things: The location, age, size and original design of both the water and septic systems. The soil conditions, drainage, seasonal water table and flooding possibilities on the site where the septic system is located. The history of both systems, if records are available. The condition of the plumbing fixtures and their layout to determine whether structural changes have been made to the plumbing that would increase flow to the septic system above capacity. System components that could affect the system-for example, water softeners draining to the septic tank or the presence of footing drains-should also be inspected.