Buying or Selling a House with a Private Water Supply and Septic System

In rural areas, many homes do not have connections to municipal water and sewer lines. Homeowners rely upon privately owned wells or cisterns for drinking water. Individual septic systems and holding tanks treat, discharge or store their wastewater. Homeowners must ensure that their private water supply is safe to drink, and their well and/or cistern and septic system are functioning properly. A malfunction of the well, cistern or septic system can pose a serious health risk to your family and neighbours, and can be expensive to repair or replace.

ESSE Environmental Health has certified water and septic professionals that can complete a detailed inspection and assessment of both the water supply and septic system prior to you purchasing or selling a home.

Water Quality

The quality of the private water supply is of critical importance. Drinking contaminated water can lead to serious health problems, and even be fatal. Poor water quality can also cause unpleasant tastes and odours, or the need for costly treatment systems or repairs. Well or cistern water can be contaminated with bacteria and chemicals.

Water Sampling

An offer of purchase often includes a requirement that closing is conditional upon an acceptable water quality evaluation or “certificate of potability”. At a minimum, the samples should be analyzed for bacterial quality (total coliform & E. coli) in order to make an initial assessment of the safety of the water (potability).

Additional Sampling

For a more comprehensive evaluation of health and aesthetic indicators, water samples should also be analyzed for: sodium, hardness, sulphate, chloride, lead, iron, manganese and pH. Results must meet the Ontario Drinking Water Standards in order for the water to be considered potable. Additional analyses for metals, pesticides, or gasoline and solvents can also be conducted.

ESSE Environmental Health provides comprehensive water sampling and analysis, coupled with an inspection of the water source, well, cistern, and any water treatment equipment by a certified water quality professional.

It is beneficial to both the purchaser and the seller to identify any existing or potential problems, and make informed decisions about appropriate and cost effective solutions.

Provides Client with a certificate of potability and an inspection report.

• Bacterial Water Sample (Total Coliform/E. Coli)
• Analysis at Provincially Licensed and Accredited Laboratory (E3)
• Chain of Custody Form provided to client
• Laboratory Certificate of Analysis
• Well or cistern and water treatment equipment inspection*
• Information package on water quality, well maintenance, and water treatment equipment*
• Onsite Consultation*

* Included in Water Quality Evaluation Packages

Other services available:

• Independent consulting on selection of appropriate water treatment solutions
• Well Record Search
• Chemical Water Sampling (e.g. Nitrates, Minerals, Gasoline, Oils, Pesticides)

Septic Systems

The septic system accepts wastewater from the home (sinks, shower, toilets, dishwasher, washing machine), treats the wastewater and returns the treated effluent to the groundwater. A conventional septic system is comprised of two components: a septic tank and a leaching bed.Under certain site conditions, a conventional system will not provide sufficient treatment of the wastewater. Under these conditions, it is often possible to install an alternative treatment unit. In Ontario homeowners with alternative treatment units are required to have a maintenance contract with a service provider to inspect and maintain their systems.

Holding Tanks

Under exceptional circumstances, the home may have a holding tank as opposed to a septic system. A holding tank must have a service agreement to be pumped regularly, which can add an expense to the household, and pose significant problems for the homeowner if not maintained properly.

System Replacement or Repair

A septic system should last anywhere from 20-25 years, or even longer, if it is properly installed and maintained with regular pump-outs every three to five years. The cost of system replacement can vary between $12,000 to over $20,000. The cost of system repair can vary from $500 for line flushing to $1,000 for a new septic tank to over $6,000 to replace clogged leaching bed lines.

Evaluating the Septic System

You should have the septic system inspected by a certified septic system professional prior to purchasing or selling a home.

ESSE Environmental Health has certified septic system inspectors with experience in defect recognition, investigation of malfunctioning systems, and detailed knowledge of the Ontario Building Code relating to septic systems. Cost effective recommendations and solutions are always provided for any deficiencies identified.

Service Includes:

• Visual Inspection of property and system components for:



• malfunctions
• proper fixture connections
• set back distance to buildings, pools, driveways, wells etc


• Verification of proper system functioning through:



• Loading Test - verifies the system ability to adequately receive and treat household septic waste (eg. Laundry, bath, toilets)
• Tracer Dye Test - identifies or verifies existing system malfunction if dye surfaces with septic waste or is found anywhere (sump hole, well, cistern, ditch)


• Information and education regarding:



• septic systems characteristics (conventional & alternative systems)
• proper use, care and maintenance of the system to ensure continued operation
• water conservation
• future uses of the property to avoid impacting system (decks, trees, sheds, pools etc)
• consulting on completion of building permit, structural addition applications

We provide the client:

• Reporting letter certifying that the system is functioning properly
• Field Report with system diagram
• Information Package
• Onsite Consultation to provide information, education & review report

Note: ESSE Environmental Health does not pump the septic tank and strongly recommends that the septic tank not be pumped until after our 'functioning' evaluation has been completed.

Mould (Mold) Inspection and Clearance Sampling

Homes or building that have or are suspected of having a past history of flooding, water damage, high relative humidity or may have potentially unhealthy levels of indoor mould growth.

A comprehensive inspection of the building for existing or past moisture damage, points of water entry, and the existence and extent of mould growth will allow an assessment to be made of the potential health risk for occupants of the home.

A detailed site remediation plan will be developed, including finding suitable contractors for sites requiring professional remediation. (ESSE Environmental Health does not provide remediation or cleaning services)

Recommendations for low or no cost ways to improve and maintain the indoor air quality in the building are also provided in the report.

Mould sampling services are available to determine the existence, extent or types of moulds in the building. This is valuable information when occupying a building with an identified or suspected history of moisture damage, but with no visual evidence of mould.

Mould clearance sampling can be completed after any remediation work has been done to provide confidence that the clean-up work was effective.

Mould Inspection/Investigation:

• An inspection of the house and property will assess the existence or extent and location of mould growth, and identify moisture sources
• Identification of potential for future moisture and mould issues and advise on preventative measures
• Remediation consulting to ensure moisture sources are eliminated or managed and any mould is removed in a sanitary manner
• Information packages and a detailes site specific inspection with recommendations and findings is provided
• Sample analysis at accredited Microbiology Laboratory
• Certification letter for health clearance authorized by Nationally Certified Public Health Inspector with expertise in mould issues
• We ensure proper sampling protocol and technique, and provide the laboratory analysis report and result interpretation of health significance /'clearance'
• Standard report time is 3-5 days
• Rush Service is available (24 hours)
• Fully Insured for mould inspections, sampling, result interpretation and 'clearance' reporting