Utilities

Water, sewer, septic, and well check

A plain first pass for finding who serves the address and what to ask before you buy or build.

Checklist Last reviewed June 30, 2026

Why it matters

A home needs safe water and a legal place for dirty water to go. Here, that can mean a city pipe, a small water system, a private well, sewer, septic, or a mix.

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Home projects

ADUs, solar, water, wells, sewer, septic, and permit checks.

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First moves

1
Find the address, parcel number, city or county, water bill, and seller papers.
2
Ask if the home has public water, a small water system, a private well, or hauled water.
3
If it has public water, search the water system and safety flags.
4
If it has a well, ask for the well report, pump test, water test, and permit file.
5
Ask who handles sewer: city, district, or county area.
6
If it has septic, call county health before you add bedrooms, an ADU, or a new building.
7
Ask if the lot is near a water-quality problem area, flood area, coast, or steep slope.
8
Before well work, check for the right well-drilling license.

Watch for

1
A green lawn does not tell you whether the drinking water is safe.
2
If you own the well, you need to test and protect the water.
3
A well report is not a current water test.
4
Septic can limit bedrooms, ADUs, additions, and building spots.
5
Water, sewer, septic, and fire-flow may each have a different office.
6
Old wells and old septic tanks may need repair, sealing, permits, or records.
7
City, county, district, and state maps can disagree until the exact address is checked.

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfHome projectsADUs, solar, water, wells, sewer, septic, and permit checks.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolADU first-stop checkWhat to check before a garage, backyard, or spare room becomes a small second home.Nearby toolSolar, battery, and panel checkWhat to ask before you sign for roof solar, a home battery, or panel work.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.