Buying a House in Dutchess County  NY- Water and Wastewater concerns - Part 5

If you are buying a house in Dutchess County, it is worth noting where your water comes from and how the waste water is disposed of.

Some of my past clients were adamant at first that they did not want a property with a well or septic sytem; however with a better understanding of these systems they overcame their initial concerns.

In Dutchess County you will find municipal water and sewer mostly in the villages and cities.  Some towns have one but not the other.  Large  subdivisions will build their own private water and sewer systems; and individual homeowner in some areas will have a well and a septic system.

When you start looking for a home the type of water and waste water system will be clearly indicated on the property listing sheet.

If you purchase your home in an area where there is municipal water and sewer you will receive a bill for this service.  A water meter will be installed to provide the water usage reading for billing purposes.  If there is a dramatic change in meter reading that could be an indication that you have a water leak.

A large portion of Dutchess County rely on individual well and septic so I will spend a few minutes addressing these.

The Basics of a well

• A well is a means of getting ground water for drinking, this can be achieved by drilling a hole until you hit a water source.
• To get the water to the house you will need a well pump.
• When installing a well you will need Board of Health approval to ensure the proper placement of the well  so as to avoid contamination if a septic system well also be installed.
• When configuring the location of the well,  consideration has to be given also to the location of well and septic on the adjoining properties.
• You should test your well yearly to make sure there is no contamination, this should be viewed as maintenance.   Keep in mind the municipalities also constantly check the municipal supply to make sure it is safe for drinking.
• If the test reveal some contamination you will want to disinfect the water.
• In some town in Dutchess there is mandatory well testing when a house is being sold.
• If you are getting a mortgage a well test will be required.

Septic System

• The septic sytem requires planning and Board of Health input before it can be installed and final inspection before a certificate of occupancy will be issued for the house.
• Like the well,  the septic system will require maintenance, depending on usage should be pumped out every 3-4 years.
• If you were thinking of buying land to build a house, you might find a cheaper lot but it might not perk well and could require trucking in fill or doing a raised septic which could be very costly.

The main thing to keep in mind is that both  wells and septic systems work very well if properly installed and maintained and is used by many throughout  the US.

In Dutchess County if you venture outside of the villages and cities it is  likely you will be using a well and a septic system. 

***UPDATE

Cliff Treyens - Public Awareness Director for the National Groundwater Association read my Blog and wanted to share another useful resource  http://www.wellowner.org/

Other Posts on Dutchess County

Buying a house in Dutchess County NY - Tell me about the taxes  part 4

 Buying a house in Dutchess County NY - Do you need Privacy?  Part 3

Buying a house in Dutchess County NY - Where will you work?  Part 2

Buying a house in Dutchess County - What you should know -Part 1

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JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com  and www.jfivehomes.com  

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