Well water & Septic tank question for Tampa Residents (Clearwater: rentals, how much)

[algia]

Does anyone have their water coming from a well? how is that? what do you pay to maintain it? does the well dry up? (I know, retarded question but I have to ask that)....

Is that water filtrated? or that is a separate procedure? how do you know if it has filtration?

What are the drawbacks?

& About Septic tanks...what are the drawbacks? how much do you pay to maintain that? how often does it need to be cleaned?

How do you pay the bills for that?

& IF wanted to have city water, is that possible in a "well" area?


Thanks,

[1coolcustomer]

Originally Posted by algia

Does anyone have their water coming from a well? how is that? what do you pay to maintain it? does the well dry up? (I know, retarded question but I have to ask that)....I'm on well water, won't drink it but will shower, wash dishes, boil pasta and chicken, etc. with it. I change a pressure switch on the pump once in a while, it hasn't dried up yet, in fact I've cut about 3 feet of pipe because i thought it was to deep in the ground.

Is that water filtrated? or that is a separate procedure? how do you know if it has filtration? Mine is not filtrated, look around your pump and may see a tank with a seperate container for salt for softening and inline sediment filters, some are underneath the sink faucets.

What are the drawbacks? The slightest airleak in the piping will affect the pressure and cause your pump to short cycle or not shut off, and the water IMO is not drinkable right out of the tap. It can be difficult to clean tubs, sinks, and the laundry can be ruined if you don't keep up with it. I Use Iron Out to clean the tub, sink and will occasionally run an empty load in the washer with Iron Out to keep the laundry looking good.

& About Septic tanks...what are the drawbacks? how much do you pay to maintain that? how often does it need to be cleaned? I'm hearing with my system once every 4 years for a family of 4......I just found a guy that will pump it out for $250.

How do you pay the bills for that?

& IF wanted to have city water, is that possible in a "well" area? I may be wrong but if the county or city installs city water and sewer, they force you to connect, they made my grandpa do it in Clearwater a long time ago and it's expensive. Unless they have the lines in place already , I don't think you'll have access to city water. I don't want city water.....I don't want a water bill.


Thanks,

I think they have already or are in process of requiring statewide septic inspections to the tune of $300.......kind of scary becuase if they find something wrong it could run into thousands.

[algia]

Awesome info, Thank You very much.

[1coolcustomer]

Originally Posted by algia

Awesome info, Thank You very much.

I went to Lowe's to buy some filtration devices and much to my suprise the customer service guy said.....don't buy anything here. He recommended this place:

Water Softener Systems, Iron Filters, Water Treatment Systems for Home or Business.

[bentlebee]

You need to buy special toilet paper and if you need a company I can provide you with a name that we have used for replacement of a septic in the rentals we manage....

If you have the choice, I would rather not have a septic....

[algia]

Thank you, someone asked me and I am clueless, always had "city" everything.

I will let you know if they need referral...Thank you.

Originally Posted by bentlebee

You need to buy special toilet paper and if you need a company I can provide you with a name that we have used for replacement of a septic in the rentals we manage....

If you have the choice, I would rather not have a septic....

[tampawatertreatment]

Different tampa water wells may have different characteristics from one well to the other. While one person's well may have iron, the other may have sulfur, manganese, or something else, however usually if you have a high iron content, the manganese on average may is usually lower in concentration. One of the best ways to fix a high concentration of iron, sulfur, or manganese is an air injection well water treatment system. It is important to have your well water properly filtered in my opinion to remove either the stinky water taste or smell if it exists, if you are sensitive to

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by algia

Does anyone have their water coming from a well? how is that? what do you pay to maintain it? does the well dry up? (I know, retarded question but I have to ask that)....

Is that water filtrated? or that is a separate procedure? how do you know if it has filtration?

What are the drawbacks?

& About Septic tanks...what are the drawbacks? how much do you pay to maintain that? how often does it need to be cleaned?

How do you pay the bills for that?

& IF wanted to have city water, is that possible in a "well" area?


Thanks,

I am on well and septic.

It has its pro's and con's. We don't pay anything to maintain it monthly but you there will be a time you have to replace the well pump, have the septic pumped, etc..

Getting septic pumped and started back up (they put bacteria in it to help it get going again) runs about 350 and should be done every 2-3 years.. more or less depending on how you take care of it.

water is definitely filtered. It will depend where your at but its VERY high in iron where I am (land O Lakes). We have culligan the water company with a softener, peroxide filter and reverse osmosis system for the kitchen. It costed about 8k and I would highly recommend NOT going with them, there are other companies that provide higher quality units for less with better service.

Generally, your going to need at least a softener, which would run 500-2k depending on how much you need. salt will run about 15-20 per month.

The only real draw back to a septic tank is that you should watch what chemicals your using to clean with and what your flushing down the drain. If it cant be disolved by water/bacteria, it shouldnt go down the drain. With that said, its not like one mishap is going to destroy your savings, some people on the internet seem to make it sound that way but they are full of it. if your just mindful of what goes down the drain, you will be fine.

Most of the time city water is not available in the homes that have a well and septic, otherwise they wouldnt have a well and septic lol. There may be some exceptions to that but not typically.

let me know if you have any other questions

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by algia

Thank you, someone asked me and I am clueless, always had "city" everything.

I will let you know if they need referral...Thank you.

I have used regular TP for years and never had an issue, not sure what experiences you have had but dont think its typical.

[sunigal99]

A friend of mine near Land O Lakes is always working on some well related problem. She has a filter system that is often broken, clogged with salt backups, and is having it replaced shortly. Many times her gray/white hair has a rusty orange tint.

And when the electric goes out, the well pump doesn't run, so no water.