by Andrew Getty
The housing market may be getting off to a good start for the year. How could the code office predict that?
Over the last few weeks, we have received a higher than average number of phone calls from prospective buyers asking questions about different properties; questions about the conditions of the house, property and septic system.
Depending on the age of the property, how recently work has been done will depend on what kind of records the office has.
Did you know state law requires that records be kept (regarding permits, etc.) until seven years after the building is gone?…OUCH!…
So, there is a good chance we have something on file. The newer the house, the better the records will be.
The more prudent buyer will ask questions about the septic system. Unlike the structure, it is not as easy to inspect.
By its very nature everything is buried. How old is it? Where is it? What is it?
These should be the basic questions. Any records the current owner has for maintenance is also important.
Usually, the only maintenance would be an inspection and pumping of the septic tank.
How often have we heard, “they just had the tank pumped and everything is fine.”
Really? What kind of tank was it? Concrete, steel, plastic, fiberglass? What size was it? Are the baffles in place properly? How much sludge or grease was in it?
If the tank is a metal tank, and it has been there for fifteen years or more, it may be near the end of its useful lifespan.
Metal tanks rust out, the baffles disintegrate in time. When that happens solids and particulates not yet broken down by the normal bacterial action can pass into the absorption area… which will drastically impact that area.
The septic tank is the first and primary part of any septic system.
The tank is a sealed unit. Everything from the house must go directly into the septic tank.
The only outlet is a four inch pipe that goes to whatever the absorption area is.
The septic tank is also the least expensive part of the overall system.
Too many think everything is perfect because the tank appears okay.
Again, although the tank is a critical component of the entire system, it provides that primary pre-treatment of the sewage, it is also the easiest to inspect and the cheapest to replace of all the components.
The absorption area is where the money can really be spent.
As the vast majority of single family dwellings are purchased and owned by non-residents, the understanding of just what a septic system is, and how it functions, is sometimes lacking.
Most buyers have never owned a home on an on-site septic system.
They are on a public sewer system… you know, down the drain and good bye.
The Town of Webb, just like all of the Adirondacks, has a broad range of soil conditions.
This includes wetlands, water bodies, slopes, hills, natural storm water drainage, bed rock, sands, clays, organics, rock out-cropping, trees, plant life and last but not least, accessibility.
All of these things can impact size, type, location and the cost of an absorption area… You know… that part of the system that is very difficult to inspect.
So just because a place had a new tank put in or pumped, really only tells a small part of the story.
A properly designed, sized and installed septic system can last a very long time: 20, 30, 40 years.
But just like a car, a roof or a boat, septic systems do fail. They fail from over and improper use, lack of proper design, lack of basic maintenance and being poorly installed.
In some cases, a total replacement is like buying a car… or two. So be prepared, be smart.