Sludge, scum and effluent are not something most home owners have to worry about. We just flush and away it goes. But a surprisingly large number of homes are being built these days with on-site septic systems, and they're a lot closer in to big cities than you might realize.

About one in four houses rely on some form of on-site system to treat and dispose of "blackwater" from toilets and "greywater" from showers, tubs, sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, water softeners and now, even garbage disposals. But according to the Census Bureau, nearly 40 percent of the homes built in the last four years were onseptic.

"There has been tremendous growth in on-site septic systems," says Graham Knowles, program coordinator of an Environmental Protection Agency-funded study to determine the quality of on-site wastewater management. "They're a lot more prevalent than most people think."

Of the 25.6 million houses served by on-site systems, moreover, the majority are in the suburbs, not the country. In this area, for example, houses with septic systems can be found in affluent Montgomery County, Md., a few miles from the Beltway. And at last count in Los Angeles County, nearly 80,000 housing units were on septic.

But septic systems aren't a bad thing. Though they suffer from an image problem many people think of them as old-fashioned, undependable or temporary solutions until a conventional, gravity-type sewer system reaches their properties they actually can be the most efficient method of wastewater treatment, says Jennifer Hause, an engineer with the National Small Flows Clearinghouse at West Virginia University.

What is bad, though, is that unlike municipal sewer systems, they must be maintained by their owners, and they're often not. Knowles says his research indicates that on any given day, 7,000 tanks malfunction or experience a total breakdown. That's 2.5 million a year, which means about 10 percent don't work properly at one time or another.

Worse, only a relative handful of jurisdictions have what Knowles calls "a methodical, managerial approach" to routine inspections of septic systems within their borders. "It's a very serious dilemma," he says.

"A whole battery of states do not regulate on-site systems. Washington is very proactive. Of the 35 counties, 25 have ordinances in place. But Florida has 2 million septic systems in the ground and no inspections, and 92 percent of the state's population relies on groundwater for their drinking water."

With all this in mind, buyers who are considering houses that are not on conventional sewer systems are advised to pay particular attention to the home's septic system. It can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 to replace a faulty system, depending on site conditions.

If you are buying a new house, make sure the system is designed properly. If it hasn't been inspected and approved by a local health department inspector only 23 states require inspections make sure the subcontractor who installed the system is licensed and experienced. At worst, the installer should be a member of his industry's trade association. And be certain either he or the builder guarantees their work.

If you're purchasing an existing home, your concern is with the present condition of the system and possibility of future expenses. The easiest was to do that, of course, is to have the system examined by a private inspector. But septic tests are usually beyond the scope of most professional home inspectors, who are generalists, so you might have to pay an additional $50 - $150 for a qualified analysis.

The National Small Flows Clearinghouse at West Virginia University in Morgantown (800-623-8301 or http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/nsfc/ ) is a good source for materials about owning and maintaining septic systems. It has series of short, informative brochures on the topic for consumers plus a folder for keeping records and information about your system.

Published: March 27, 2000

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.