Poop: A Beginners Guide to Septic Systems

According to Google, the average adult produces 320 pounds of poop each year.  That’s a lot of sh#@!  I know It isn’t polite to talk about poop, but with roughly half of New England’s households on septic systems, it is an important topic.

Ten years ago I moved from a home on town sewer to a property with a septic system.  The carefree days of flushing the toilet, paying a sewer bill and never giving it another thought were over.   I knew nothing about septic systems and had never heard of Title V.  Title V is the environmental code in Massachusetts that regulates septic systems.  The code requires inspection of a system when ownership of a property is transferred.  If repair or replacement are needed, it is the seller’s responsibility (in most cases).  A passing Title V report is based on the operation of the system on the day of the inspection and is not a guarantee of future function.   If a passing Title V isn’t a guarantee, how do you know what to look for?  Ask to see the Title V report and look for the following 3 things before you move forward with an offer.

1.       How big is it?

The size of the system is incredibly important. This information is at the top of page 7 of the report.  Here you will see ‘number of bedrooms design’ and ‘number of bedrooms actual.’  If the home you’re looking at is advertised as having 4 bedrooms, make sure the number of bedrooms the system was designed for is also 4 bedrooms.  If the report indicates the system is designed for 3 bedrooms, you’re buying a 3 bedroom home no matter how many rooms look like bedrooms or what the listing says.  The bedroom count determines how many occupants a system is designed for.  A 3-bedroom septic is rated for 6 people (2 per bedroom). It is a common misconception that the size of a septic system is determined by the number of bathrooms in the home.   This is not true! The bedroom count does not limit the number of bathrooms you can have. 

2.       How Old is it?

Septic systems last anywhere from 15-40+ years.  The life expectancy varies based on the soil, type of system, the number of occupants in the home and how well it was maintained.  The age of the system can be found on page 9 of the report. This is important because of the impact it can have on your wallet in the future.  If your plan is to live in a home for 2-5 years and then move up, but the property you’re looking at has a 30-year-old system, you’ll probably need to replace it when you move. If you bid way over asking now and have to pay for a new septic system in a couple years, you may find yourself with little or no equity in the property to move up.  Consider the age of the system carefully and factor replacement cost into your budget now.

3.       Where is it?

The location of the system is important for two reasons.  First, it will dictate what you can or can’t do in your yard.  Second, you need to know where the system is located for routine maintenance. This information is on page 16 along with a hand drawn sketch of the components of the system. You cannot build on top of a septic tank or leaching field so if you have dreams of a future garage or pool, make sure the septic system won’t interfere with your plans.

There is a lot to know about septic systems, but remembering size, age and location is a great start. If nothing else, you have a strange fact about poop to share with your friends and family.