Santa Cruz county home owners have some government help locally. As with many rural areas in Santa Cruz County,there is no sewer, and the toilet and greywater waste are disposed of in a septic system. These systems which are basically a 1000-2000 gallon holding tanks for solids, and trenches to leach the water back into the ground, have been around for many decades. For those city dwellers, this method has been used for hundreds of years, and even longer in more primitive fashion throughout civilization.

In the San Lorezo Valley you need to own at least 1 acre to be able to build a new home due to septic requirements. For those who own land with less than 1 acre without a home on it, this requirement makes their real estate much less valuable. The San Lorenzo Valley area of Santa Cruz County probably has the highest concentration of septic systems in the county. This is due in part because this area was settled fairly densely relatively speaking, early in the countys' history as a vacation spot.The San Lorenzo Valley is an idyllic spot to live and has many beautiful areas and communities. Call me at 831-818-7524 for more information on this area.

The San Lorenzo Valley is also home to Santa Cruz County's largest watershed for drinking water.Keeping septics systems from leaching into the San Lorenzo River is paramount for public health and safety. While the water systems treat the bad water, it is healthier and safer to stop the contamination at its' source, the privately owned septic system.While many homeowners may not realize their system is leaching in the rivers and streams and entering the groundwater, the county monitors the San Lorenzo River for contamination.This river is the major water source for the City of Santa Cruz, and when contaminated, leads to beach closures due to high bacterial count of fecal coliform and other bacteria.

Santa Cruz County has a new program  to upgrade or replace failing septic systems in the San Lorenzo Valley.

This program requires an application fee, and when approved, finances the repair or upgrade for up to 20 years at a reduced rate. The advantage to both parties is resolution of a problem, and to a seller looking to sell their home, this is often a problem area, and good news.

Real estate values are often influenced by the site's ability to function for human habitation. Installing newer or larger leach field systems often solve many problems and can also be a function of a homes' abilty to have an addition to it. To learn more of the beautiful San Lorenzo Valley real estate that is available and find out more of this area, follow the link.