Buying a home with a septic system in Spartanburg County

Plenty of homes outside the city sewer lines around Spartanburg run on septic. That's normal, and plenty of buyers are happy with them. The ones who get surprised are usually the ones who found out about the septic system after closing.

You can avoid that with a short list of questions. Most of them take one phone call.

Find out what you're buying

Before anything else, confirm the house has septic and that you know what kind. The EPA says you probably have a septic system if you're on well water, the water line has no meter, or the neighbors are on septic. Then ask the seller for the paperwork:

• The septic permit and any "as built" drawing of the system.
• Pumping invoices and any repair records.
• Tank size, and what material it's made of.
• Whether there's an alternative system with pumps or other mechanical parts, which need more upkeep. Clemson and the EPA both say systems with mechanical parts need a yearly inspection.

If the seller has nothing, SC DES says its offices may have a copy of the permit for a home built in the last 20 years. You'll need the tax map number, lot number, street address, and the original permit holder's name if you know it. For older homes, a septic contractor has to come out and identify the system.

Check the bedroom count against the permit

South Carolina sizes a septic system by bedrooms. SC DES uses 120 gallons per bedroom per day, which makes a typical three-bedroom home a 360-gallon-a-day system, and it warns that misstating the bedroom count sets a system up for failure.

So ask: does the permit match the house? A bedroom added later, or a basement or bonus room used as a bedroom, can mean the system serves more house than it was designed for. SC DES also says some local ordinances require an inspection when a home's size changes.

Look at the lot

SC DES has a checklist for people buying land that's just as useful for buyers of existing homes. Walk the property and ask:

• Is the land wet, or does it seem to hold water?
• Is it prone to flooding, or near a stream that floods?
• Are there steep slopes, gullies or exposed rock?
• Is there fill dirt anywhere near the field?

Notice where the drain field sits relative to the well. SC DES lists the separation distances a septic system needs, including 75 feet from a private well, 75 feet from surface water, 25 feet from a drainage ditch and 5 feet from a building or property line. If there's a well, read well and septic homes in Spartanburg County.

Know what the soil means

Piedmont clay shapes how big drain fields have to be here. The USDA's 1968 soil survey of Spartanburg County rates the Cecil and Pacolet soil areas that cover much of the county as having moderate to severe limitations for septic disposal fields. That doesn't mean a house can't have a good system. It does mean the system's size and condition matter. See the Upstate clay soil post.

Get the inspection, and get it early

The EPA recommends a septic professional inspect the system before you buy, and it lists what the inspector checks. Our post on what a septic inspection covers goes through it item by item.

Two practical points. SC DES doesn't inspect existing systems on request, so you'll hire a septic professional. And timing matters: if the inspection turns up something, you want time to negotiate before closing.

Ask what happens if it fails

A failed drain field is the expensive outcome. If a conventional system can't be permitted on the property, SC DES says the options include working with an engineer and a soil scientist on a specialized system, which can cost thousands of dollars more than a conventional one and may need larger separation distances. SC DES also says plainly that not all property is suitable for a septic system.

If the tank just needs pumping, ask the seller to do it before closing, or ask for a credit. If there are repairs, get a written estimate before you decide what to ask for.

Plan the first year

Once you own the house, some habits matter right away:

1. Put the system's location on a simple map and keep it with the permit. SC DES suggests sketching it from fixed points like corners of the house, and marking the well too.
2. Set a pump and inspect date on the calendar.
3. Learn what stays out of the drains. What not to flush is the short list.
4. Keep cars off the tank and the field.

The EPA gives 15 to 40 years as an average life for a septic system. Whoever owned the house before you used up part of that, and the records show how much. Ask for them before you make your offer.