Guide Me Home to North Jersey

If you are thinking of buying or building a home in Morris, Somerset, or Hunterdon Counties, you may find that you will not have access to public water. This means that your property will require a well for drinking water. Before you close on the house (whether buying or building) the well must be tested. The primary purpose is to verify that the water is potable. Testing also tracks any changes in the status of the seven largest aquifers in New Jersey.

The following is a brief explanation of the well testing process that is in no way meant to be all you need to know!

When you buy a home, the contract will include the requirement that the well water be tested for contaminants by a state-certified water testing laboratory. This is usually at the seller’s expense. The test must be done on untreated water. This means the test must be done before the water goes through any water softener, filter, etc. The parameters covered are for contaminants such as iron, manganese, pH, nitrate, lead, etc. In addition, there is a second part of the test that focuses on bacteria, specifically total coliform bacteria. The first test is usually valid for a year and the second test for 6 months. Check with both the county and the state as you must follow all laws for both.

Once the results come back, both buyer and seller review the report. Testing and results don’t take long, but in the event remedial work or treatment needs to be done, the test should be done as soon as you go under contract. According to the law, a test in which one or more drinking standards are not met doesn’t mean the sale can’t go through. In some cases local health departments may require remediation of the water. Check with your county or township!

For more information, click on this link NJDEP Private Well Testing Act.

Posted by:  Mary Jane Benedetto

If you are looking to buy a home in areas within Somerset, Morris or Hunterdon County you may find that the home you love uses a septic system instead of a sewer line. If you are selling in these areas, your buyer has the right to conduct an inspection of the system and the results can have an impact on the sale.

A septic system is located on your property and you are responsible for it. The rules concerning allowable size, design, and construction are governed by the Standards for Individual Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems, N.J.A.C. 7:9A (aka Chapter 199). The Department of Health is responsible for enforcement of this in each township.

The typical septic system is made up of 4 main components: the pipe from the home, a septic tank, a distribution box and the drainage field. Its design and positioning will depend on your property’s characteristics.

The tank can range between 1000 and 2000 gallons, and is typically made up of 1 or 2 chambers with1 or 2 manhole covers. Townships and municipalities will have specific regulations regarding the size and layouts. The overall size is mandated by the number of bedrooms in the house.

The initial reduction of waste happens in the tank. The solids settle and should be anaerobically digested creating sludge, and the liquid ferments flowing out of baffles into the distribution box. This box evenly distributes the flow of the liquid throughout the drainage field.

The next component is the leach or drainage field. The liquid flowing to the field passes through pipes that are perforated and then is eliminated by physical, chemical and biological processes into the soil.  At that point, the water is purified.

An extensive explanation of the entire process can be found at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/pdf/septicmn.pdf or http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/owm_home.htm#works.

Whether you are buying or selling, it’s best to know about the components and their importance to the overall function of the system. Next time, we will talk about the maintenance of your system and why it’s important.

Posted by:Mary Jane Benedetto