Do your homework before purchasing property
The Environmental Health Department recently encountered a situation in which a person involved in purchasing property believed he could construct additional buildings on the property since existing septic systems were already in place. After committing significant resources toward the purchase, the potential buyer learned that high ground water prevented him from developing the property as he had intended.
After learning that the property had, in fact, failed ground water monitoring, he pulled out of the agreement, but only after spending thousands of dollars.
Such situations are all too common, but they can be avoided if the buyer and his or her Realtor do their homework.
Here are a few suggestions of what to consider when purchasing property:
Does the property have a legal septic permit?
Prior to 1972, septic permits did not exist in Ravalli County. Any septic system installed prior to 1972 is grandfathered in, so if it fails, the property owner is guaranteed a replacement. The new system, however, must be permitted through current Ravalli County Subsurface Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Regulations. Any system that was installed with a valid permit in or after 1972 may also be replaced according to current regulations. But any post-1972 system that doesn’t have a permit is considered illegal and may have to be abandoned if it cannot be brought into compliance with current standards.
It’s important to note that even if a legal septic permit exists for a property, expansion of that septic system may not be allowed. For instance, increasing usage by adding one or more bedrooms to a dwelling may exceed the limits of a permitted septic system.
A property must have a legal septic permit before starting construction or moving or hooking up a trailer on a property. The fine for beginning construction or moving or hooking up a trailer on a property without a permit is $1,000.
To determine if a property has a legal septic permit and what type of septic system the permit allows, call the Environmental Health Department at 375-6565.
If a property is bare ground, has ground water monitoring been done or has the land been approved for a septic system?
If a site evaluation reveals evidence of seasonally high groundwater, observed groundwater, wetland vegetation or irrigation, the sanitarian will likely require groundwater monitoring during the seasonally high groundwater period (typically March to October). Such monitoring helps determine the level of the groundwater in a specific area. If groundwater is too high (less than 4 feet from the surface), there’s a danger of effluent leaching into the water table.
Even if a property has been pre-approved for a septic system (either by a county sanitarian or through state subdivision review), if conditions change, a septic permit can be denied. For instance, the installation of an irrigation ditch on a property may raise ground water and make the site unsuitable for a septic system.
Again, a call to the Environmental Health Department will help determine whether a parcel has had a site evaluation, has undergone ground water monitoring or is already approved for a septic system.
Does the property have access from a county road?
This information can usually be obtained from the County Road Department –363-2733.
Is the property in or near the floodplain?
Not only are structures excluded from the floodplain, but septic tanks, pipes and drain fields are also prohibited.
Floodplain information can be obtained from the County Planning Department – 375-6530.
Can additional buildings be constructed on the property?
Again, the County Planning Department can help answer this question.
Is the property part of a Voluntary Zoning District or do covenants exist on it?
The Clerk and Recorder’s Office – 375-6555 – has this information.
This list is by no means complete, but it will serve as a good starting point for evaluating a property.
It’s important for a potential buyer to consider what he or she wants to do with a property in the future. For instance, a property may be appropriate for its current use, but a number of factors may make it unsuitable for future building or development.
A good Realtor will usually research these issues for a client, but ultimately, it is the buyer’s responsibility to have this information when purchasing property.
In order to help citizens understand more clearly many of the environmental health issues in Ravalli County and the role of the Environmental Health Department in addressing these issues, our department will run a series of weekly newspaper articles titled “Environmental Health Talk.”
In this ongoing series we hope to help raise the community’s awareness of issues such as air and water quality and give readers useful tips on topics like recycling, collecting and disposing of hazardous materials and maintaining septic systems, just to name a few. To this end, we welcome pubic comment. If there’s an environmental health issue you’d like us to address, write call or email the department: RCEH, c/o “EnviroHealth Talk,” 215 South 4th St, Suite D, Hamilton MT 59840. Phone: 375-6571. Email: rdaniel@ravallicounty.mt.gov
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