- A domestic well must meet HUD and NYS Department of Health Minimum Water Quality Standards.
- We must have a health report from a NYS licensed laboratory or County Health Department verifying water quality meets HUD’s minimum standards.
- A domestic well must be a minimum of 50 feet from a septic tank, 100 feet from the septic tank’s drain field and a minimum of 10 feet from any property line.
- If the appraiser is able to determine locations, they are able to show the location of the well and septic systems on the site map and note the distances. If they cannot, we must have a current survey/plot plan showing the locations and distances.
- Minimum well depth requirement of 20 feet.
- If the appraiser is unable to determine the type of well or depth, we must have written verification of these items from a qualified source (i.e.; well driller).
- Minimum flow requirement.
- If the appraiser is unable to verify flow because the water system is off at the time of the inspection, we must have written verification from a qualified source evidencing flow meets HUD’s minimum rates (see Engineer Survey Requirements below).
UNACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS
The following are unacceptable conditions and will be noted on the VC sheet:
- Mechanical chlorinators.
- Water flow that decreases noticeably when simultaneously running water in several plumbing fixtures.
- Dug wells unless a complete survey conducted by an engineer is delivered to us (see Engineer Survey Requirements). IMPORTANT: AT THE PRESENT TIME, DUG WELLS MUST BE APPROVED BY HUD AND CANNOT BE APPROVED BY THE DE.
- Properties served by spring fed wells, lake or river water or cisterns.
ENGINEER SURVEY REQUIREMENTS:
The survey must include the following:
- A health report with no qualifications.
- Indication that an inoperative well was cased, sealed and capped with concrete to a depth of at least 20 feet.
- A pump test indicating a flow of at least 3-5 gallon per minute for 4 hours for an existing well, and 5 gallons per minute for 4 hours for a new well.
- An acceptable septic report.
- No indication of exposure to environmental contamination, mechanical chlorination or anything that adversely affects health and safety.