Buying a House with a Septic System
When buying a house it’s likely you’ll think about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the kitchen size, the floor plan, and the location. One thing that might not come to mind, however, is the septic system. Here’s everything you need to know about buying a house with a septic system.
About septic tanks
Owning a home with a septic tank comes with its fair share of responsibilities, as you alone are tasked with keeping up with repairs, maintenance, and general management. This is because septic tanks are independent measures of gathering household wastewater from your plumbing. All the water and waste that comes from the toilet, sinks, washing machines, and anywhere else in the home is going to be stored here.
If a home has a septic tank, this means that it’s most likely not hooked up to a local sewer system. Rather, it’s stored in a tank of cement, fiberglass, or other materials suitable for holding. The solid waste is kept in the tank, while water is dispersed through a connected drain field. There are access points to the tank, allowing you to inspect it when you need to, and another for access to the drain tank when repairs or services need to be provided.
Know your responsibilities
There are a few rules and responsibilities to keep in mind. Not only are you responsible for maintaining and repairing your 
septic system (which can be done with the help of a team of qualified plumbers or specialists), but you may also need to find out if there are any regulations that apply to your ownership of a home with a septic system.
Your state might require inspections to be made of the system before any deed transferrals happen, for instance. You should also get to know about how your tank works, such as how often it needs to be drained or serviced.
Know the signs that you need help
In most cases, with the right proactive maintenance, owning a home with a septic system shouldn’t feel any different to owning a home connected to the local sewers. However, if there are has been too much water use in too short a time, if the system isn’t serviced, or if it isn’t emptied regularly enough, problems can arise.
If you smell a rotten odor coming up from your drains, see standing water above the septic tank, hear odd sounds in your plumbing, or see that your drains are not emptying efficiently, then there may be problems with your septic system. If that’s the case, you should call plumbers who specialize in fixing them.
