To many of us, this may seem to be a moot question; either you have it or you don’t. But, such simplicity is not always the case. Some of us may be looking to purchase a home in an area that is somewhat divided, having rural areas with septic tanks and more densely populated areas with city sewer. Some neighborhoods may just be in the initial phases of planning and installing a sewer system which means that you will soon need to consider whether to do a septic to sewer conversion.
As someone who is actively looking to purchase a home, do you want to buy one with city sewer or septic? Is the type of waste management for your home and neighborhood an important consideration? If you are currently a homeowner with a septic system, living in an area that will soon be converted to a city sewer system that you will be paying for with increased taxes, will you sell? Are you prepared to speak on this issue at your next city council meeting or vote in the next city ballot? Believe it, these are major issues that some homeowners must consider.
The addition of a modern sewer system maintained by the city municipality is of great benefit to a community’s infrastructure. However, be informed that while such a system may be “hassle free” as to its maintenance (compared to a septic system), it is nonetheless paid for by the homeowner through taxation, usually escrowed over a set period of time.
Whereas a septic system can pose a potential threat to ground water quality (drinking water) if tank seepage occurs, a sewer system eliminates this concern as it is a contained system that not only controls and treats, but recycles wastewater. In addition to environmental protection, sewers are extremely beneficial in flood control, providing run-off and rainwater access into the system via storm drains.
