Support point-of-sale real estate inspections

Onsite system installers need to support necessary checks for maintenance

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Real estate agents and homebuilders can work well with onsite system professionals to conduct required point-of-sale septic system inspections. A thorough system inspection, performed before a home sale by a qualified professional inspector, can aid the buyer and seller and help ensure failing systems are identified.

Expansion of required real estate inspections is a good thing for states and local municipalities. It protects the groundwater for residents in neighborhoods. It heads off legal battles over unidentified failing systems.

It’s also good for onsite system professionals. Systems that are not cared for and cause problems erode the public’s confidence in decentralized wastewater treatment in general. We all know that onsite septic systems are a better choice than municipal sewer systems in many cases. And we need to preserve that choice for homeowners.

But sometimes, Realtors and homebuilders don’t want to conform to more stringent regulations. Why? Because onsite system inspections could hold up some property sales, taking money out of interested parties’ pockets.

A commentary published this week illustrates how some homebuilders oppose strengthening of regulations over point-of-sale inspections. It ran at the Peoria Journal-Star website out of Illinois:

http://www.pjstar.com/opinions/forum/x1522335800/In-the-Spotlight-County-rushing-process-on-proposed-septic-code

For some homeowners, the septic system is out of sight, out of mind and they don’t take responsibility for proper maintenance. That brings about the need for real estate transfer inspections and, ultimately, necessary repairs and upgrades.

The writer of this commentary argues that tougher inspection regulations threaten the “American dream’’ of home ownership. I disagree. Ensuring clean water and public health standards preserves our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Let me know what you think. Add your comments below or send me an email at editor@onsiteinstaller.com.



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