Real Estate Randomness - Septic permits and Flow Comparisons

It's been a good long while since I have written a Real Estate Randomness post for your enjoyment, so I guess it's about time!  I need to get something posted to stay on track with my 30 posts in 30 days challenge, and I am about to meet up with my soldier son for his last dinner before he deploys in the morning with his National Guard unit for Baghdad.  Real Estate Randomness it is! 

I spent the afternoon researching the septic situation on three different remote waterfront parcels of land on Coeur d'Alene Lake.  My buyers plan eventually to build a 4 bedroom house.  They have narrowed their vast options to three favorites, and a decision is imminent.  One site has a trailer.  One has a tiny cabin.  One has a gigantic shop.  There are things they love about each one.  How to choose?

The current septic situations are different on all parcels.  One has a fabulous system in place permitted for a 4 bedroom house plus a guest quarters above the shop.  One has a tank system only, approved for 2 bedrooms.  There is probably room on the parcel for a drain field large enough to upgrade the existing system and to allow them building a big house.  The third has a shared system with a neighbor, and an easement for a drain field on an adjoining property, and approval for a two bedroom house.  To upgrade the system for a larger house would take an upgrade of the system and more easement negotiations with neighboring property owners. 

As you can see, this septic information is HUGE piece of the puzzle as they make their decision.  Where does one get this information?  At the Panhandle Health District website!  You can search for septic permits for a specific property.  Entering the subdivision was the best way I could find to get a successful response.  Less info is more.  You'll get pages and pages of all the paperwork and drawings on file for that property.  A wealth of septic information!

And in the category of EXTREME, OVER-THE-TOP RANDOMNESS, here is a bonus link to a comparison of Idaho's residential septic design regulations to those in other states!