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 Mobile ViewSEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR AEROBIC SEPTIC SYSTEMS ALTERNATING BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS BACKUP PREVENTION, SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE BACKWATER VALVES, SEWER LINE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BOOKS, RECOMMENDED SEPTIC BOOKSTORE, SEPTIC SYSTEMS CESSPOOLS CESSPOOL SAFETY WARNINGS CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY CHEMICALS & TREATMENTS for SEPTICS CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CISTERNS CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR D BOX TROUBLESHOOTING DEFINITIONS OF SEPTIC SYSTEM TERMS DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES DISTRIBUTION-BOX INSPECTION, SEPTIC DRAINFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS DRIVING or PARKING OVER SEPTIC COMPONENTS? DRYWELL DESIGN & USES EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODED SEPTIC SYSTEMS, REPAIR GARBAGE DISPOSAL vs SEPTICS GRAVELLESS SEPTIC SYSTEMS GRAVITY/SIPHON DOSING SYSTEMS GREYWATER SYSTEMS HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT HOW SEPTIC SYSTEMS WORK LAGOON SEPTIC SYSTEMS LEACHFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS MEDIA FILTER SEPTIC SYSTEMS MOUND SEPTIC SYSTEMS NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST ODORLESS CHEMICALS / GASES: CHECK FOR? ODORS, PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS, SEPTIC or SEWER ODORS, SULPHUR SMELL SOURCES OUTHOUSES & LATRINES PLANTS & TREES OVER SEPTIC SYSTEMS PRESSURE DOSING SEPTIC SYSTEMS RAISED BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS SAND BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS SEEPAGE PITS SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEPTIC AUTHORITIES, DESIGN REGS SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION SEPTIC BACKUP REPAIR SEPTIC BOOK, FREE ONLINE SEPTIC BOOKSTORE SEPTIC BIOMATS SEPTIC CARE INSTRUCTIONS SEPTIC CLEARANCE DISTANCES SEPTIC CODES & REFERENCES SEPTIC CONSULTANTS SEPTIC D-BOX INSPECTION SEPTIC DRAINFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS SEPTIC DRAINFIELD INSPECTION & TEST SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION SEPTIC DRAINFIELD RESTORERS? SEPTIC DRAINFIELD SIZE SEPTIC DRAINFIELD SHAPE SEPTIC DRAWINGS SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT SEPTIC FAILURE SIGNS SEPTIC FIELD INSPECTION SEPTIC FILTERS SEPTIC FLOOD RESPONSE SEPTIC HOLDING TANKS SEPTIC INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION LEVELS SEPTIC LIFE EXPECTANCY SEPTIC LIFE MAXIMIZING STEPS SEPTIC METHANE GAS SEPTIC ODORS Septic or Sewer Connection? What to Ask About Sewers or Septics Clues Indicating a Sewer System is Present Clues Indicating a Building is Connected to Sewer Guide for buildings Connected to a Public Sewer Guide for buildings Pre-Dating Sewer Installation Guide for buildings Connected to a Private Septic SEPTIC PUMPS SEPTIC PUMPING REPAIR SEPTIC REFERENCES SEPTIC / CESSPOOL SAFETY SEPTIC SUPPLIES & PARTS SEPTIC SYSTEM DEFINITIONS SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS SEPTIC SYSTEM, HOME BUYERS GUIDE SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION CLASS SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION LEVELS SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS SEPTIC SYSTEM PUMPS SEPTIC SYSTEM SAFETY WARNINGS SEPTIC SYSTEM TYPES, MASTER LIST SEPTIC TANKS SEPTIC TANK BAFFLES SEPTIC TANK COVERS SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE SEPTIC TANK LEAKS SEPTIC TANK LEVELS of SEWAGE SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE SEPTIC TANK PUMPING REASONS SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE SEPTIC TANK SAFETY SEPTIC TANK SIZE SEPTIC TANK TEES SEPTIC TESTS: DYE & LOADING TESTS SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS SEPTIC VIDEOS SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in buildings SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES SEWAGE GRINDER PUMPS SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS SEWAGE NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE SEWAGE PUMPS SEWAGE PUMP CLOG DAMAGE SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD WEATHER SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS SOAKAWAY BED FAILURE DIAGNOSIS SUMP PUMPS TOILETS, INSPECT, INSTALL, REPAIR TOILET ALTERNATIVES TOILET FLUSHOMETER VALVES TOILET INSTALLATION PROCEDURE TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY TOILET PLUGS, SEWER BACKUP TOILET REPAIR GUIDE TOILET TYPES Toilet Types, Flush Methods TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES VIDEO GUIDES: Septic Videos WASHING MACHINES & SEPTIC SYSTEMS WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE WATER PURIFIERS WATER QUALITY TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WETLAND SEPTIC SYSTEMS WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
This article discusses what a property buyer can do to determine whether a home or other building she is buying is connected to a public sewer line or to a private septic system. A reader asked, " >How do I know if the house I am purchasing has a septic tank?" Often the answer to this question is well known, documented, and everyone is confident of the facts. But in older communities, especially if the age of a building is greater than the age of the community sewer system, even if a sewer is installed right in the street in front of a building, that building may never have been connected to the sewer line. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. How to Determine If a Building Is Connected to a Private Septic Tank or a Public Community Sewer System
Our friend Steve Vermilye, an inspector and contractor in New Paltz, New York, discovered that an office building that everyone thought had been connected to the New Paltz sewer system for decades was in fact connected to an old cesspool in the back yard of the property. That condition was discovered during new construction, happily before someone fell into the cesspool. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical reviewers are welcome and are listed at "References." This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems. Septic tanks or other private onsite waste disposal systems are used to handle sewage and wastewater in neighborhoods that are not served by a municipal or community sewer system. Sewer systems include large sewer main drains that are routed through neighborhoods they serve, often in the street but sometimes through an easement across multiple properties. These drains carry sewage and wastewater to a community or municipal sewage treatment plant, sometimes by way of one or more pumping stations if the terrain is hilly. What Questions to Ask About Public Sewers or Private Septic Systems When Buying a Home, Building, or PropertyThe realtor or seller of a home or other property should be able to tell a buyer answers to the following questions, but if s/he cannot, we have lots of advice on how to find these important answers anyway:
There are five possible outcomes to these questions about sinks, toilets, sewers, and septic tanks:
What Does It Mean If No Public Sewer Line is Available at a Property?
If there is no sewer system present the home cannot be attached to one and a local septic system is or should be present. But don't worry, it's possible to treat building sewage and wastewater onsite safely and with good sanitation. Millions of private homes in the U.S. and in many other countries are served by private onsite septic and wastewater treatment systems. See some basic comments about buying a home with a septic tank at
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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. Septic or Sewer Connection?
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