Preparing Your New Rural Home Site

A home in the country is near the top of the life goals for many people, but it's easy to idealize that goal without really knowing what preparations need to take place. Once you own a plot of land, it's not hard to start getting it ready for a home long before you can actually afford to have that home built. Establishing your priorities should start with your water system, both supply and waste disposal, as these are often the least flexible parts of your construction.

Water, Water Everywhere

Depending on local geology, accessing the water table in your area can prove to be quite challenging. Before any drilling can commence, your well contractor will need to identify likely locations in order to have the greatest chance of finding drinkable ground water. Combined with this, there are several environmental factors they'll need to consider before drilling, including nearby agricultural and industrial operations whose operations may impact a well's water quality.

In order to find a ground water source which is both safe to drink and contains sufficient volume, your contractor may need to drill several test holes. Using geological survey data will reduce the number of test wells necessary, but equally important is a history of the property and surrounding area. Manure piles, septic tanks, fuel and chemical storage, and vehicle storage locations will all have an impact, so the more you know about your property and its history, the fewer test wells will be necessary.

Waste Water Treatment

If you're in an area without access to public water lines, you're almost certainly too far out for public sewage service, too. Installing a septic system on the property will overcome this challenge, but it's best to wait until after your well is established to do so. There are fewer limitations on the location of your septic system, making it easier to accommodate, and you'll be able to avoid setting a drainage field in range of your new well.

The location of your septic system and the depth of your well should be of particular concern, as these two factors will directly affect the likelihood of your drainage field interacting with your well water. Work with your well contractor to identify the area most likely to be occupied by your ground water source, and install your septic system well away from there. This will help to prevent wastewater contaminating your well water.

Taking the preparation of a new home site one piece at a time will help to spread the cost over a more manageable timetable, and help you more effectively plan the work. Your well's location will be the most restrictive component of this work, so the earlier you're able to establish this, the sooner you'll be able to start planning other steps along the way. Contact a company like Field Drilling Contractors Ltd for more information.