Many people
moving to this area have come from locations that have a
public water source. They are surprised by the variety of
ways
houses are supplied with water. I often have to explain the
different types of water supply systems to prospective home buyers.
When looking at listings for houses you may see the
water source on a
listing. In our Greater Hudson Valley MLS,
www.GHVMLS.com
you can see the following sources under water description-
COMNTY - Community water
source. These are quite common in small
developments with their own wells. In newer developments
these
systems are owned by the homeowners association or by a private company
that will maintain the wells and charge you for the water. In
our
area many of the 3 season communities of old had these sources and they
have now shut down the wells and the homeowners have had to drill their
own wells. These systems may or may not contain fluoride
additive.
DRILL - Drilled Well. This
is a private well that is fully
contained on the property and maintained by the homeowner.
This
type of well is drilled usually deep into the ground to access a safe
water source. The water is pumped up from below the ground
using
an electric pump. It is important with this type of system
that
the water be tested prior to purchase to insure that it is safe to
drink and has sufficient water pressure. Your home inspector
can
assist you with this. If a well has problems with quality it
can
often be treated and retested. It is a good practice to test
your
well water every couple of years after the purchase of the home.
Low water pressure can be more difficult to remedy as it can
be
an issue with clogged piping, a bad well pump, or worse, low water
table not producing enough water for the well to pump up.
This type of system does not have fluoride additive as many
municipal sources do.
DUG- Dug Well. Another
private well owned and maintained by the homeowner that has been dug
rather than drilled. It is a more shallow system and may be
more easily contaminated by ground water run off, be more likely to
have lower water pressure, and have more chance of running dry in
drought conditions. Again a home inspector will help you in
testing the water quality and explain more fully the system's needs.
Many people have dug well systems that function well and
provide good quality and quantity of water to the home. This
type of system does not have fluoride additive as many municipal
sources do.
MUNICIPAL-
Municipal Water Source.
This is the type of system many newcomers to the
country are used to. This water is supplied through a water
system piped into the house by a local government. The
homeowner will pay a water bill or it will be included in the taxes
paid to the municipality. The source for the water may be
large wells drilled and maintained by the municipality or a reservoir
either local or piped in from a remote location. This system
is tested and maintained by the municipality and will be treated by
them for any impurities. These systems often have fluoride
added to them.
NONE- Just like it reads.
This home has no water supplied to it. Normally
this will be on listings for land that has no house or on cabins or
weekend places that have not been upgraded or are unable to locate a
well on the property, Be cautious of listings for
houses that have no water source, sometimes you are able to drill a new
well and sometimes you are not. This type of purchase may be more
difficult to finance as there is no water available for the
house.
SHARED- Shared
Well. This is a private well system that is shared by one
or more neighboring houses. This system must be tested and
maintained by the owners of the separate properties. This
type of property may be difficult to finance unless there is an
agreement by the owner(s) to share expenses and that the well
is designated as co owned in the property deed. A bank will
not want to take a chance on financing a property that will not have
water in the future due to the well owner taking away the other
property owner's ability to access water. This type of system does
not have fluoride additive as many municipal sources do.
SPRING- Water
Drawn From a Spring. This is another private
water source where water is drawn from a natural spring and piped into
the house. This type of system is more likely to be
contaminated by pollutants than other private systems. It
should be thoroughly tested and maintained by the homeowner.
Financing on a house with a spring fed system may be
difficult.
SEE REMARKS- ASK YOUR BUYER'S
AGENT - This is used when the listing agent is not
certain of the water source or in new construction when the house has
not been built yet. Further explanation is needed before you
look at this house.
It is important
for you to understand the type of water system you are thinking about
buying. Your buyer's agent, home inspector, and other
resources can help you to learn about the different systems and choose
a home that will provide you with adequate, safe water for your needs.
There
are options here in the Greater Hudson Valley of NY to
meet everyone's needs. We have urban, suburban, village and
rural locations that can provide you with the perfect blend of country
for you. Working with an experienced buyer's agent can
help you to choose what is best for you. If you are looking
for a home in Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan County NY I would love to be
your Buyer's Agent. If you are looking elsewhere I would love
to find someone in your chosen location to help you. Give me
a call or send an email today.
I'm Paddy Pizappi - Work
the Me and You'll be Happy!
845-800-7086
;)
;)
;)
Good morning Paddy. Good post as usual. We do have houses where there are no wells or the water is so bad that people use cisterns. They work great during periods of wet weather but get to be challenging during dry periods.