Karst groundwater makes wells and septic siting a careful question

Many homes in rural Perry County get water from a private well and clean their wastewater with an onsite septic system (a tank and drain field that treats sewage on your own land). The county has karst land. Karst is ground with cracks, sinkholes, and caves, where water can move fast from the surface down into the groundwater. So a bad or broken septic system, or runoff into a sinkhole, can reach the water supply faster here than in many other places. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources sets the main rules for wells and septic systems. A county or regional health department often handles the local septic permits. Before you buy, find out if the land uses a private well or septic, look at any well records, and ask how karst was handled when the system was placed. This is general advice. Check the rules and who issues permits with the local office first.