Home with a Well and Septic system (Somerset, Franklin: sale, real estate)

[jaindesi]

Hello Everyone,

I am in the market for single family home. Looking Somerset County. Yesteday I saw a house in Branchburg bordering near Bridgewater. Majority of that area is farmland. So the house I saw had it's own Well system for water and Septic tank for disposal.

We really liked the house but not sure about the well and septic system.....


My question is, Is it a good idea to buy house with a well and Septic tank? What should I be looking for before i put a offer on this house? I have zero knowledge about both systems as I currently stay in urban area where i have public water and sewer.

[Wells5]

Tens of millions of homes and commercial buildings in the USA have private septic systems and wells. Insist that the current owner have the septic pumped out at his expense so that the tank and drain field can be properly inspected. Avoid systems which have "pressure dose sand mounds" instead of in ground drain fields. The pumps on such a system can and do fail. Have a home inspector or well drilling contractor test the well for pressure and have the water analyzed for contaminants. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" (Benjamin Franklin).


https://www.epa.gov/septic/septic-systems-overview

[ansky]

Make sure you get the water tested. Well water near farmland raises a red flag because you can have chemicals from farming leech into the water. So you want to make sure it is safe for consumption. The other thing I would have checked is to see how deep the well is. During times of drought people have actually had their wells dry up and had to have them dug deeper. You'll want to talk to a local well driller to make sure the depth is adequate for that particular area.

[swilliamsny]

Some good advice given here.


There are pros and cons to all systems. With public water, you can generally be assured that it's safe, but in most places you have to pay for it. Our neighbors in NJ also had a pipe break, and not only did their yard have to be dug up, but part of the street as well. They were responsible for all of the costs, and it ended up being just over $15,000. (That was enough to convince us to buy the insurance offered by the water company.)


We have a well and septic system in PA. Our only expense in 15 years with the septic has been having it pumped out every three years, which costs us about $300. The well pump gave out this year, and was $450 to replace. Maintenance on it is minor if the water quality is good and doesn't need treatment. It's mostly just replacing filters. My biggest complaint with the well is that we don't always have great pressure. It's usually fine, unless we're running the dishwasher, washer and a shower all at the same time. Even then, it's not like the water stops, there's just not quite as strong a flow.

[Kracer]

Originally Posted by jaindesi

Hello Everyone,

I am in the market for single family home. Looking Somerset County. Yesteday I saw a house in Branchburg bordering near Bridgewater. Majority of that area is farmland. So the house I saw had it's own Well system for water and Septic tank for disposal.

We really liked the house but not sure about the well and septic system.....


My question is, Is it a good idea to buy house with a well and Septic tank? What should I be looking for before i put a offer on this house? I have zero knowledge about both systems as I currently stay in urban area where i have public water and sewer.

Testing of working septics and wells are required for a sale by the state. If I recall correctly, there is a period of time post sale that may require the previous owner to pay for septic repairs.


Well and septic common.


Ask if that area is being considered for a sewer system. In some areas the town made a conversion. Costly to home owner.


Make sure you see test results.

[jaindesi]

Thank you all for your great responses. Seems like everyone agrees on getting the well and Septic tested. I can find out if the town is planning to add Sewer system in the area.

Another thing i wanted to mention aside from well and septic is about house down the road had the huge confederate flag hanging in front of the house. Not sure If it's a good thing or bad. What would you do if you were looking to move in the area and you see this?

[Swamp_Yankee]

First, a few misconceptions here:

Originally Posted by Kracer

Testing of working septics and wells are required for a sale by the state. If I recall correctly, there is a period of time post sale that may require the previous owner to pay for septic repairs.

Not entirely correct. The state does not require testing of septic systems-mortgage companies do. No bank is going to lend money for a home that could potentially be rendered uninhabitable by a failing or failed septic system. Since most real estate transactions involve a mortgage, the septic is tested. Where the state comes in is when the test reveals that the system is not a septic at all but rather a cesspool. If a cesspool is discovered, NJDEP regulations (N.J.A.C.7:9A-3.16 Other sanitary sewage disposal units) state that even if it is found to be functioning, it must be properly abandoned and replaced except under extremely rare and unique circumstances.

Originally Posted by ansky

Make sure you get the water tested. Well water near farmland raises a red flag because you can have chemicals from farming leech into the water. So you want to make sure it is safe for consumption. The other thing I would have checked is to see how deep the well is. During times of drought people have actually had their wells dry up and had to have them dug deeper. You'll want to talk to a local well driller to make sure the depth is adequate for that particular area.

Most properties served by wells in NJ (and in general) are in rural areas, so most properties served by wells are also near farmland, so this is generally not a huge concern. Water testing is also not optional-it is a state requirement, so any issues with contaminants, hardness, or pH will be revealed at that time. Wells "drying up" in NJ is not all that common unless they were extremely shallow (75' or less) to begin with. Those types of wells are not all that common any longer due to the fact that they are prone to drying up because they are drawing from "surface water" rather than deep bedrock aquifers. New wells drilled today must hit bedrock unless there are extenuating circumstances. Shallow wells are also very prone to coliform contamination. However, this will all be evaluated by your water testing company, and should any problems arise, they can direct you to a professional who can assist with installing a softener, pH balancer, reverse osmosis filter, or other treatment systems as needed.

Essentially wells and septics are really no different than any other system that would be inspected during a home purchase (structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC/mechanical, etc...)-you'll want an experienced professional to do the evaluation and provide you with an expert opinion with regard to the age, condition, and life expectancy of the system, and of anything in need of replacement or repair at the time of sale. You then use this information to go into the negotiation process with the seller.

Originally Posted by jaindesi

I can find out if the town is planning to add Sewer system in the area.

It certainly doesn't hurt to ask, but be advised that even if the town may want to expand, it can be a decades long process. Sewer construction is expensive, complicated, and laden with endless amounts of NJDEP bureaucracy. It is also subject to the whims of the governing body (plans could quickly be scrapped due to some other pressing need) and/or state regulators.

Originally Posted by jaindesi

Another thing i wanted to mention aside from well and septic is about house down the road had the huge confederate flag hanging in front of the house. Not sure If it's a good thing or bad. What would you do if you were looking to move in the area and you see this?

I don't think that anyone here can advise you on this except to say that many people who choose to live in rural areas and rely on wells and septic systems with more property generally tend to do so because they are more inclined toward individualism. Some would argue that the flag of the confederacy is an expression of that along with an expression of a rural and self reliant identity. Others would argue that it is an expression of racism and hate in something of a coded message. One cannot know simply by looking at the flag on display without talking to the person and finding out what is in their heart and mind. For myself, I wouldn't give it a second thought. I would not choose to display that flag on my own property, for my own reasons, but its not for me to tell others what flag to display or in what manner.

I fly these flags on my barn, one of which is commonly (and erroneously) referred to as the "Tea Party Flag" which is a byproduct of its being co-opted by the Tea Party movement about 10 years ago. However, the Gadsden Flag has a long and proud history that predates the formation of our republic and incorporates the Timber Rattlesnake (still found in our area today) as a symbol of both American power and restraint. I also display what is commonly referred to as the "Betsy Ross Flag" which represented the 13 original colonies of which New Jersey was one:

Originally Posted by Wells5

Avoid systems which have "pressure dose sand mounds" instead of in ground drain fields. The pumps on such a system can and do fail.

One additional note-it can be quite hard to avoid these today as NJDEP pretty much requires at least 8' of select fill under a drainfield these days. If the property is flat, that's going to result in a mound and that's going to require a pump. I've seen these types of systems required in the best of soil conditions. We lucked out because though our system required the customary 8' (1200 tons) of select fill, our property slopes down gently from the house so even though the drainfield was raised about 8' above existing grade we still had enough gradient to allow for gravity flow of wastewater from the house. Our situation was not typical however.

[Wells5]

Important question for the OP: Does this property have a natural gas hookup? Most rural properties are not connected to a gas line and must heat with more expensive fuels like fuel oil, propane or electricity.

[DefiantNJ]

Originally Posted by jaindesi

Thank you all for your great responses. Seems like everyone agrees on getting the well and Septic tested. I can find out if the town is planning to add Sewer system in the area.

Another thing i wanted to mention aside from well and septic is about house down the road had the huge confederate flag hanging in front of the house. Not sure If it's a good thing or bad. What would you do if you were looking to move in the area and you see this?

I would honestly run and not look back from an area where I have to have my own well, Septic and a Confederate flag...

[wherewhatwho]

Originally Posted by DefiantNJ

I would honestly run and not look back from an area where I have to have my own well, Septic and a Confederate flag...

^