Wells and septic outside town

In Sanilac County, once you leave the cities and villages, you’re almost always on a private well and a septic system — the farm country doesn’t have municipal water or sewer lines. Your drinking water comes from a well on the property, and your wastewater goes to a septic tank and drain field in the yard.

The Sanilac County Health Department handles the permits and inspections, and it tests private well water for bacteria. Michigan has no statewide septic code and no law requiring a septic inspection when a home changes hands, so checking an older system is up to you. Before buying a place on a well and septic, it’s smart to have the tank and drain field inspected, get the well water tested, and ask how old the system is. If you’re buying vacant land to build on, you’ll need a soil test (a “perc test”) to confirm the ground can handle a septic system.