What to know about well and septic in Schoolcraft County

Once you leave the city of Manistique, most of Schoolcraft County runs on private wells and septic systems rather than municipal water and sewer. If you’re buying a home out in the townships, that’s something to look into before you sign.

Michigan is the only state in the country with no statewide septic code. Instead, the rules are left to local health departments — here, the LMAS District Health Department, which covers Luce, Mackinac, Alger, and Schoolcraft counties from an office right in Manistique. LMAS issues permits for installing or replacing a septic system, but it does not require a septic inspection when a property changes hands. Some Michigan communities do require a point-of-sale inspection; Schoolcraft County is not one of them.

What that means for a buyer is simple: no one is going to check the septic system for you. It’s well worth paying for your own inspection of the well and septic before closing, especially on an older or seasonal property, so you know what you’re getting before the money changes hands. You can reach the LMAS District Health Department at lmasdhd.org.