Connection to Public System

Connection to a public or community water/sewage disposal system is required whenever feasible.

Water Quality

Water quality for an individual water supply must meet the requirements of the health authority having jurisdiction.  If the local authority does not have specific requirements, the maximum contaminant levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will apply.

If the health authority is unable to perform the water quality analysis in a timely manner, a commercial testing laboratory or a licensed sanitary engineer acceptable to the health authority may take and test the water sample.

Water Treatment Systems

Water treatment systems are not acceptable for wells which do not meet VA quality standards due to insufficient depth or a contamination source near the supply. 

However, if public water is not available and individual water supplies in the area are served by an aquifer confirmed by the health department to be contaminated, the property is eligible for a VA loan if the lender provides

·   a copy of the health department letter confirming the aquifer contamination

·   evidence that all of the requirements in HUD Mortgagee Letters 92-18 and 95-34, concerning individual water purification systems, have been met for the property, and

·   the veteran purchaser's written acknowledgment that he/she understands that the well water serving the property must be continuously treated by the homeowner, as required by the local health department, to be considered safe for human consumption.