Don't know about the well as I have city water. For the septic the maintenance cost for me is about $350/ 2 years for pumping the tank. I really haven't needed it the last 2 times, but figured it doesn't hurt. I also put the enzymes once a month to help break down solids. I avoid putting anything other than toilet waste into the system. Food scraps goes in the trash (compost is too smelly to use around here). Don't expect to be using the garbage disposal for foods and other stuff. You don't want the septic tank to get so full that solids overflow into the field and clog it, so doing several loads of laundry a day with lots of showers/baths, and dishwasher running may or may not be a possiblity. This all depends on the size of the tank and how often you pump it too.

Do a search on the web and there will be lots of information on how to figure out proper size etc. Make sure you do an inspection of the septic when buying the house. It is a separate inspection in our area.

I lived in a house with well and septic for 13 years.

We had to install a water filtration system (about $3k at the time) which had a water softening process that used salt. The salt only came in 40 pound bags, which had to be carried home, down to the basement and then into the machine. It used about one bag a month. Husband had to do it, and as his knees went, he hated the process.

We used a type of salt that was supposed to fight the problems of iron, but I felt it was still a problem.

The pump on the well went out at some point and needed to be replaced. The pump didn't work when the electricity went out so no power = no water, no showers, no toilet flushing. It was manageble, though, as we never had a power outage that lasted more than 24 hours.

We had no problems with the septic. We had ours pumped at the 8 year mark, but there were just two of us living in the house and we both were gone all day.

I would do it again if the loved the house, but city water is so much easier.

Do a google on septic system care and you should be able to learn a lot. Most importantly, make sure the home (if not new) you are buying has a good operational system, see if you can have it tested. Replacement can be expensive if a system is shot, something which sellers love to try and hide and will try and sell their properties because the septic is shot, because it is such an expensive and extensive, undertaking.

Pump outs depend mostly on the system load - like do you have kids and need to do more laundry and take more showers, etc.

And you can't rinse just anything down your drain as the system has bacteria which you can kill if you start rinsing paint and stuff into it.

And if your power goes, so does your well pump. If you have frequent power outages as we did when we first moved here, invest in a small house generator for emergencies.

And if you are on a well, have it tested. And install a water filtration system for the whole house or at least the kitchen sink an undercounter. Or a water softener if there is not one. Test the well first so you know what iron levels you will be dealing with.

Pluses - you won't have a water bill!

There's only one pro... no bills coming in the mail each month. That doesn't make it cheaper though. And I've heard of municipalities forcing people over anyhow.

You may not need any filtration or salt or anything. We use the water straight out of the well. It's important to try it, tho, before buying, and also to have it tested when you do the home inspection. Some people have a lot of sulfur (you can tell easily--it smells) and other stuff, but others don't. Then again, I lived in a town where the water (town water, not well water) was brown. We had to buy a distiller for drinking water (supposedly not dangerous, but it was gross). Another town nearby had a boil advisory on its water for 15 years. So having a well was something I looked for in a house. Not interested in these incompetent boobs making me pay money for water that's not fit to use.

Haven't had any problems w/ the septic. Pumped it out when we had it inspected (might as well, while it's open). Cost ~$250. Will probably have to do so again in a few years. Sewer in the aforementioned town was $90/quarter, or $360/year. So the septic is a bargain.

We lived with well and septic previously. Between the cost of septic pumping, softener, and replacing our 17-year-old well pump, there were no savings whatsoever, taking into account the cost of municipal services in our current home over the same period of time. Plus we had no backup for when the power went out. We're on city utilities now and don't want to go back.

Well:
The well has a pump and there is a pressure tank in your house that pumps it within the house. Depending on the water quality (minerals, radon, etc.) it may need to be treated. We had excessive minerals (evidenced by lots of white spots on faucets) and installed a filtration system that has two tanks - one has salt and the other has these little beads. It was around $2k, but that was cost (friend of the family). Some people don't need filtration at all and have Poland Spring quality water without it (my fatehr does). The water discharge from the water filtration should not go into the septic system. The pump and pressure tank are obviously mechanicals that need to be replaced over time. One good thing about a well is that you don't pay for town water, which in some places can be expensive. Make sure the well produces enough water for your needs.

Septic:
A septic system usually consists of a tank and a leach field. When the leach field is at the same level or higher than the tank you will have a two-chambered tank with a pump (this is what we have). In that case there is also an alarm in the house to let you know if the pump doesn't work (the only time our alarm has gone off is when we tested it). The tank needs to be pumped. How often depends on the number of people in the house, how large the tank is, and whether you put things down the toilet you shouldn't (anything other than waste and TP) or you use a garbage disposal. The tank should be pumped before you move in (assuming it's not new construction) and then two years later to gauge how often you need to pump it. Most people need to pump every 2-5 years. In our area it costs about $150-200. If you are buying an existing house have the tank and leach field inspected by a licensed/certified inspector. If there is ANY smell in the yard it means the leach field is failing. Septic systems in good working condition do not smell. People will disagree about the use of garbage disposals, but generally speaking you should not use one with a septic system. The grinds float and can contaminate the leach field, putting it on the road to failure. What you can plant on top of and near the leach field is limited (nothing with deep roots). Don't plant certain trees (the ones that reach for water) need the system. And never drive over the leach field.

Before you buy make sure the septic system and well are distanced appropriately. Also make sure the neighbor's septic system is far enough from the well. In our area the minimum is 100' separation (measured from the edge of the field). A septic inspector can do the measuring for you. The town might have it all on file as well.

I think our area is that the well and septic field has to be 75 feet away from each other and any other neighboring properties wells and septic fields. I think different places are different. They will let you keep it like it is if it exists already.

But if you ever need to replace you will likely have to relocate the entire system, we did when ours went bad. Also we are in property that touches a flood plain and we had to put in a lift station to get it to be 3 feet above flood plain. Hassle and many thousands of dollars.

Thanks for the wealth of info, my next step is to search thru google and find out more....
With 2 kids, laundry is done everyday (sometimes 2 loads), showers at least twice a day in the summer...And I use garbage disposal for the tiny stuff(I'm used to throwing large things in the garbage). At least all this info..will help me make a decision.
GRAYWINGS-- I saw that big vat of salt in the basement today of one of the homes I visited, The RE said we could have the guys who did the installation come out with the salt and install in the vat? My DH had bad knees before we got married....thanks for helpful info.

OF COURSE the house is very nice....so things just got harder... private yard, 3900sq ft home(huge for a 20plus year old home), 4BR, study and bonus room, plus finished basement. We shall see what happens....

I got into the habit of doing one or two loads a day, rather than waiting til Saturday morning and doing all your laundry! You don't water to overload your field. And if you have a huge party with many many guests (outdoor wedding or such) - you may want to rent a porta-potty.

Misa, I see that you currently reside in NJ. If the house that you are considering is also in NJ as well, please be aware of the following:

1) By law, the well must be cited with a GPS, and the water must be thoroughly analyzed for a host of contaminants by a licensed lab. Otherwise, the title can't be transferred to a new owner. The law does not state which party must test the well...but it does state that it MUST be done. Consequently, many sellers have the well tested...and work out the cost between the seller and the buyerÂs attorney. Below is a link to the Private Well Testing Act, which should give you all of the info you will need regarding the well testing.

2) Find out if the septic system is the originalÂit probably is if the house is 20 years old. It is imperative that the system be FULLY inspectedÂ.which can cost anywhere from about $1500 to $2000.00. Please be aware that in NJ it is illegal for a licensed home inspector to test a septic system, unless he also holds a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or a Registered Environmental Heath Specialist (R.E.H.S.) licenseÂso, donÂt let an HI fast talk you into believing he can inspect the system if he does not hold one of the above licenses. If he subcontracts, make sure you know exactly what firm will be performing the test. The better bet is for you to directly hire a well known and well established company that does only septic testingÂas they do this every day, and possess the proper experience and training necessary to perform the job properly.

3) Do not skip a septic test. In NJ, the cost of replacing a failed system can be very, very high, depending upon many factors. The average cost is about $30,000.00Âoften more. So the initial cost of testing can be worth its weight in gold.

4) Last but not least, please realize that systems younger than 20 years old have been known to fail due to poor design, poor maintenance, inappropriate use, incorrect installation, or a combination of these factors. Skipping an in depth septic inspection could be the most expensive mistake one makes.
Also, the use of garbage disposals with septic systems is NOT advisable, if one wants to insure long lasting performance of the system.

Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: New Jersey Private Well Testing Act

Just wanted to let you know about a weirdo variation on septic you may run into. They're very common in my area, and we have one. It's called a STEP system, which is short for Septic Tank Effluent Pump. This is useful when there is a sewer system but the house is too far from the road or you can't get the correct slope or depth of the sewer pipe because of the shape or composition of the land, and the lot is wrong (too small, bad soil, whatever) for a leach field. Basically the way it works is that you have your septic tank but instead of the leach field there's a pump and a skinny pipe out to the road (and because there's a pump the pipe can go uphill, even). The pump pumps the liquids out of the tank (most of the biosolids liquiefy eventually) and the solids that don't dissolve and get pumped out accumulate in the bottom of the tank and need to be pumped out every several years. When we moved in we had the 1500gal tank pumped - inspection and pumping was about $400 - it was something like 75-80% full after being used by 5 people for 3 years. I'll be shocked if the tank is more than a third full after 3 years with 2 users. There's an alarm on the pump in case it *ahem* craps out.

My mom's well runs dry every couple of years if there's a long dry spell, so the advice to make sure the well has enough enough water means also checking around to make sure that that's not just in good years with lots of rain. Hauling water really sucks.

logic, they must do things a whole lot different in Jersey. In Florida a drain field replacement will run around $4-6k for a 3500 SQFT house. If the tank is bad, which is rare, add another 1-2k. Inspecting septic system costs around $150 and is not very scientific. The key is to make sure your drain field is leeching properly. You can tell that pretty easily simply by turning on the water in the house a watching the water leach out of the tank. You can also tell if the drain field is starting to go if you see the grass a lot greener in the drain field then the rest of the yard. How does one get away with charging $1500-$2000 to inspect a drain field? What do they do that requires such an insane amount of money?

OP, as for the well, have it tested for contaminants every 2 - 3 years, especially if there is a lot of growth in your area. It costs a few hundred bucks but its worth it. And lastly, have the home checked for radon which is more prevalent in homes with well water.

I have a large home that is on both well and septic. I have never had a big issue with either. If I had to take one over the other I would take septic. Our well water is a PIA and we blow through a ton of salt. Even with an automatic softener system we go through about 100lbs of salt a month. And if you forget to add the salt, the system does not shut your water off when it runs out. Hard water = destruction to almost everything it touches. We are getting city water next month and I can't wait. No more yellow underwear!

I would GLADLY have the "expense" of city water. I've lived in my home since it was built 10 years ago. I had the well pump replaced for $1200 already, and last year, a wire broke down in the well, costing another $600 to repair. This doesn't take into account the cost of the tank and well drilling, which ran for thousands when the house was built(and passed on to me, by the builder)

My water bills on Long Island , my previous residence, came out to $200/yr. I had some of the best water in the nation, as compared to the hard water I get out of my well, for "free". With city water, during power outages, I had plenty of water

When wells and septic are good, they're very, very good...but when they're bad, they're horrible.

If your well taps into an abundant supply of terrific water, you're golden. If the water supply is iffy during dry spells, or if the water needs heavy filtration and treatment to be usable, it's not fun.

Same with septic. In some sandy soils, septic systems last for 30 or more years with little attention. In heavy clay soils, you can pump the tank annually and still have a failed leach field in 7-10 years.

So the answer is...it all depends!

We had a well and septic for 13 years and never had a problem. 13 years and it still didn't require pumping out but only two of us and at work all day. We NEVER used bleach or any detergents containing any type of bleach. Occasionally when I though about it I would drop a package of that septic bacteria stuff down the drain.
Our neighbor used to have theirs pumped out at least twice a year, she used bleach, whether that was the reason I don't know.

Our well water was heavy in iron so we had an iron-filter installed, worked great.

Another mistake our neighbor made was assuming that their well water was hard, without even having it tested. They assumed this because it left white spots on glasses etc. I had my water tested at a real laboratory, not affiliated with any "water store or company" and the analysis was that our water was extremely soft because of the high levels of dissolved salts in it. That was what was leaving the white residue on the glasses. I told my neighbors, showed them the analysis but they wouldn't listen and they went out and bought of all the silliness a water softener to add more salt to their already salt laden water. Fools

30 Grand for a septic system? Wow, another reason they don't print enough money for me to move back there! I grew up with a well and septic. My parents had it pumped every 3 or 4 years. It's no big deal at all.

My first home in NJ also had a septic system. Again, pump it out on a regular basis and it'll function very well for many, many, years.

We had our home in PA built and the septic system cost $5,000 to install. For the entire time we lived in that house (almost 20 years) it functioned flawlessly. When we moved to the country our septic cost $2500 to install. It's working, again, flawlwssly.

$30 grand? What is it made of? Gold?

Once again...wells and septic are site-specific. Your property can "perc" better than your next door neighbor's, and therefore you won't have problems but your neighbors will.

Same with wells. Your neighbors' experience and your own can differ tremendously.

Folks here with no problems tend to attribute that to the good care they take of their systems (no garbage disposal, no bleach, etc.) But it's hard to know, because so much depends on your particular site, soil conditions, and initial quality of the leach field construction.

One thing to add regarding the well. It is important to have the well water tested regularly after you move in as well. In our area, the department of public health does free testing for bacterial and nitrate contaminants. You need to test when the seasons change, since high or low water tables may affect the contamination levels.

Logic gives the advice "Do not skip a septic test. "... I don't know if a septic test is required before you take possession and who would pay for it in your state.

But knowing nothing about septic systems when we bought this house, we got taken, the field was bad. And the warning signs of water leaching onto the ground, odors, etc. were not evident because the owner was conveniently out of town for 6 weeks during all the showings of her house.

We moved in and it was pretty evident that the field was failing and had likely never been installed correctly in the first place. The field location was marked on the plat of survey. By that time the previous owner had moved out of the country so no recourse. So for a year or so, we pumped it out a lot, it had looked like it had never been pumped out and limped it. But we had to replace much of the system (10 years ago or so) and it cost $6000 then in IL.

So get it inspected before you move in, if it looked like it has never been pumped, like the opening to the tank is buried below 3 feet of dirt, like ours was, beware.

kitchenshock: "logic, they must do things a whole lot different in Jersey."

There are many things that contribute to the high cost. First and foremost, NJ is very heavily regulated by NJDEP...and such regs affect the cost of inspection and installation of septic systems. NJ is also the most litigious state, so, most business savvy contractors factor the high liability in to their process...and their price.

A full septic inspection here entails excavation, loading (requiring a P.E.license)...and very often the use of a video device.

In addition, as NJ is the wealthiest state, it is also the most costly in which to operate a businessÂÂhence, just about any and all contractors charge a small fortune...especially if the house is in the designated "wealth belt"...you are then "zip coded" on price.

NJ is also the most densely populated state....and the nitrogen dilution of the groundwater has become and issue...as well as protected species, wetlands, etc. Consequently, once a system fails, due to inherent constraints, the property may only support the use of some sort of alternate system...which can raise the cost even higher.

NJ is a VERY pricey state indeed....with the famous insanely high property taxes only the tip of the financial iceberg.