Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, it’s usually at least one acre lots since well (drilled wells) distances to the septic fields have to be a minimum of 100 feet if the elevation is higher than the fields or 200 feet away if the well is on the downhill side of the septic fields.
Also, most County Health standards require a 100% expansion area beyond the approved area of the proposed system so that there is enough of an expansion area should the original design system fail. It would be almost impossible to comply with the newer regulations on a 1/4 acre lot even without a well on a lot that size. A 1/2 lot would also be very difficult depending on the percolation rate of the soil.
There is no comparison, a sewer system belongs to your municipality, a septic system belongs to the homeowner.
Regards
Gemstone1
The sewer system I'm on now costs over $120 every 2 months and goes up every year. My last house had a septic tank. We lived there for 2 years and never needed it emptied. The builder told us it would need to be emptied every 3-5 years. It's only a few hundred dollars to empty it. I spend more than that every year on my sewer bill. We're billed for ALL water. Never mind that we water a lot of our landscaping in the summer. We're charged for that on our sewer bill.
In this one particular town in NWA some builders are listing their new houses as a 2 bedroom instead of a 3 bedroom due to the septic system requirements that is being installed on the approximately 1/4 acre lot. The third bedroom is sold as an office. It has a closet and windows, so it could be a bedroom They are calculating the amount of people living in the house.
In this one particular town in NWA some builders are listing their new houses as a 2 bedroom instead of a 3 bedroom due to the septic system requirements that is being installed on the approximately 1/4 acre lot. The third bedroom is sold as an office. It has a closet and windows, so it could be a bedroom They are calculating the amount of people living in the house.
Very interesting so I am thinking this is a universal thing as far as locations being done throughout the USA?
The sewer system I'm on now costs over $120 every 2 months and goes up every year. My last house had a septic tank. We lived there for 2 years and never needed it emptied. The builder told us it would need to be emptied every 3-5 years. It's only a few hundred dollars to empty it. I spend more than that every year on my sewer bill. We're billed for ALL water. Never mind that we water a lot of our landscaping in the summer. We're charged for that on our sewer bill.
So your water is provided by a water company and you aren't on a well system. Simuliar to a sewer system provided by your local municipal government vs. septic system owned by homeowner.
Very interesting so I am thinking this is a universal thing as far as locations being done throughout the USA?
There are lots of new homes built with "bonus rooms" that don't count as bedrooms... but more are 3 bedrooms plus a bonus room than 2 bedrooms plus bonus. Lot size isn't why, necessarily.
This topic is in "rural and small town living". Septics are still going to be far more common than sewer hookups in most rural parts. Even in small lot subdivisions.
So your water is provided by a water company and you aren't on a well system. Simuliar to a sewer system provided by your local municipal government vs. septic system owned by homeowner.
The water is provided by the town just as the sewer system. I was talking about the monthly expense of sewer vs septic.
Cameras are cheap nowadays. You can also dig out the first distribution box. If it's full of crud, there is a problem. If it's clear, the whole system is clear.
We replaced the old rusting steel tank 15 years ago. We dug out the first distribution box at the time, and it was empty. The replacement tank is a 1000/500 gallon two chamber tank that will keep solids out of the drain lines. The system is 48 years old, and still working fine. You can see green grass over the drain lines during our summer drought, and they are working all the way to the end.
We're billed for ALL water. Never mind that we water a lot of our landscaping in the summer. We're charged for that on our sewer bill.
This is frustrating. I’m on city water but septic so I only supply charges but I know my water company offers a separate irrigation meter as an option which doesn’t incur a sewer charge. This would require changing plumbing though.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,736 posts, read 58,090,525 times
Reputation: 46215
Septic systems and local regulations vary, and there are several types.
I have used septic systems for over 60 yrs and have installed several of my own (as a licensed contractor, taking septic installer test) Had my kids take the test too when they built their own homes during Jr High. (handy skills to know as homeowners / buyers)
I just did a pump and inspect on a home I sold last week. (system was fine (of course), ~$500 later.)
btw: I 'stick' (measure) my systems every 2 yrs and in 32 yrs I have not required to have tank pumped, and tank is not yet 1/4th full, ideally it should never need pumped. Renters (12 of them) on septic systems are another story))
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
thanks for the info.
))
