Wells and septic for rural Hickory County property

Outside Hermitage and the small towns, much of Hickory County is rural. Many homes do not get city water or city sewer. Instead, they use a private well for drinking water and an onsite septic system for wastewater. A septic system holds and treats waste right on your own land. Both come with jobs you have to keep up.

For a normal single-family home, the septic system is overseen by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and, in most counties, your local health office. The local office is usually the one that issues the permit. The rules cover the type of system, its size, and how far it must sit from other things. These rules matter most when a lot is small or close to the lake.

Bigger or shared systems work differently. The Department of Natural Resources handles systems over 3,000 gallons a day, systems that discharge to the surface, lagoons, and the wastewater plan for new subdivisions.

A private well is the owner’s job to take care of and test. The Department of Health and Senior Services gives help on testing private-well water and suggests testing at least once a year.

If you are buying, do some homework. Find out if the land has a well or shared water. Find out if the septic system has a permit and works well. Find out how close it sits to the shore.

The current well and septic rules are worth checking with the Department of Health and Senior Services and your local health office before you count on them.