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Yes, and occasionally, you might have to get a guy with a backhoe to come out and do some work. That's $1000. That's assuming that you don't need a new line, wh

Yes, and occasionally, you might have to get a guy with a backhoe to come out and do some work. That's $1000. That's assuming that you don't need a new line, which would take a perc test and a new permit. All the while the guy with the backhoe is looking at your system and wondering how it ever worked or got signed off in the first place. It's several hundred to get it pumped every couple of years, I think I'm remembering in the range of $600 and just shy of 3 years between pumpings. Then the well needs power, and someone needs to do the generator in a power outage, or you get to chip in for a spiffy one with an autostart, and the only time the well head ever acts up is on national holidays when if you can get someone out, it's 3x overtime. You know, I kind of like city water now.

freehunter 9y ago
You say that like city water never needs maintenance. My neighbor had roots growing into his pipes from a tree on city property, but since the pipes were on private property he had to have them replaced on his own dime, and also fix the flooding in the house from the backed-up sewer line. I'm not arguing that septic tanks are better, and I apologize that many people reading my comment seem to think I am. What I'm arguing is that septic tanks are not uncommon. On the contrary, basically everyone outside of city limits is using one.
- Broken_Hippo 9y ago
  Most cities I lived in serviced the lines up to the point they entered the house, though. Not as much to worry about.
  - vonmoltke 9y ago
    All the cities I have lived in would only serice lines up to and including the meter. Everything downstream of the meter was the property owner's responsibility.
LyndsySimon 9y ago
> Yes, and occasionally, you might have to get a guy with a backhoe to come out and do some work. That's $1000. I can rent a mini excavator for a weekend for <$200. > That's assuming that you don't need a new line, which would take a perc test and a new permit. What permit? > It's several hundred to get it pumped every couple of years, I think I'm remembering in the range of $600 and just shy of 3 years between pumpings. I had my tank pumped last month, it was $160. > Then the well needs power, and someone needs to do the generator in a power outage, or you get to chip in for a spiffy one with an autostart, and the only time the well head ever acts up is on national holidays when if you can get someone out, it's 3x overtime. When I was on well water, our pump could (and did) run off a car battery and an inverter when necessary. > You know, I kind of like city water now. I just bought a home that's on city water, but has a septic tank. I'm prevented by ordinance from replacing the tank, but I'll do everything in my power to keep it as long as possible. It's far easier and cheaper than paying for city sewer even without including the costs of hooking up to it.
- wiredfool 9y ago
  Everything I said happened in the 9 years I was on well/septic. We didn't have to get the new line, it if the backhoe repair didn't do it, we would have had to do it. Permits are from the county health department. Apparently poor septic systems wind up polluting ground water with fecal coliform.

freehunter 9y ago

You say that like city water never needs maintenance. My neighbor had roots growing into his pipes from a tree on city property, but since the pipes were on private property he had to have them replaced on his own dime, and also fix the flooding in the house from the backed-up sewer line. I'm not arguing that septic tanks are better, and I apologize that many people reading my comment seem to think I am. What I'm arguing is that septic tanks are not uncommon. On the contrary, basically everyone outside of city limits is using one.

Broken_Hippo 9y ago
Most cities I lived in serviced the lines up to the point they entered the house, though. Not as much to worry about.
- vonmoltke 9y ago
  All the cities I have lived in would only serice lines up to and including the meter. Everything downstream of the meter was the property owner's responsibility.

LyndsySimon 9y ago

> Yes, and occasionally, you might have to get a guy with a backhoe to come out and do some work. That's $1000. I can rent a mini excavator for a weekend for <$200. > That's assuming that you don't need a new line, which would take a perc test and a new permit. What permit? > It's several hundred to get it pumped every couple of years, I think I'm remembering in the range of $600 and just shy of 3 years between pumpings. I had my tank pumped last month, it was $160. > Then the well needs power, and someone needs to do the generator in a power outage, or you get to chip in for a spiffy one with an autostart, and the only time the well head ever acts up is on national holidays when if you can get someone out, it's 3x overtime. When I was on well water, our pump could (and did) run off a car battery and an inverter when necessary. > You know, I kind of like city water now. I just bought a home that's on city water, but has a septic tank. I'm prevented by ordinance from replacing the tank, but I'll do everything in my power to keep it as long as possible. It's far easier and cheaper than paying for city sewer even without including the costs of hooking up to it.

wiredfool 9y ago
Everything I said happened in the 9 years I was on well/septic. We didn't have to get the new line, it if the backhoe repair didn't do it, we would have had to do it. Permits are from the county health department. Apparently poor septic systems wind up polluting ground water with fecal coliform.