Well and septic in Leelanau County

Most of Leelanau County is rural or lakefront. Outside the villages and a few sewered areas, homes here run on private wells and septic systems — the county has well over ten thousand of them. If you’re buying in one of the townships, take note. Leelanau now has one of the stricter septic rules in the region.

Michigan has no single statewide code for residential septic systems, so the rules are set locally. Leelanau County is served by the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. Under a countywide ordinance adopted in 2022, a home’s well and septic system must be inspected and approved before the property can be sold or transferred to a new owner. That’s called a “time of transfer” evaluation. (It’s modeled on a rule Benzie County has had since the 1990s.) Plan ahead. The evaluation can take a few weeks, so it’s smart to start early rather than risk holding up a closing. A few places are on municipal sewer instead — the villages of Suttons Bay and Northport, the Leland area, and parts of Elmwood Township. The septic part may not apply there.

On a rural or lakefront property, look at the age and type of the septic system. Note where the drainfield sits, how deep the well is, and how the water tests. Ask whether there’s room for a replacement drainfield — many of the county’s older systems are reaching the end of their life. A passing soil test (a “perc test”) is part of building on a vacant lot.