"It might have been true 20 years ago," said McWilliams, who has been serving Lehigh for 25 years. "But there are still more buyers than there are properties for sale."Agents said Lehigh and Cape Coral are the notable local areas with open land tracts that likely will sell as individual lots and have homes built with well water. Michael Schneider-Christians of Century 21
Sunbelt Realty Inc. said less-populated northwest Cape Coral is one example.Well water is no deterrent for potential homeowners, particularly in a market where property and home values are climbing. "People go everywhere in Cape Coral," said Schneider-Christians, a Century 21 agent since 1986.Realty Executives of Cape Coral broker Chuck Nix, who has more than 20 years of real estate experience in the area, said prospective buyers usually know which water source they want before they start house hunting.
Although the people's choice is their own, city and well water considerations do exist.
Homes with city water
WATER QUALITYResidents have comfort in knowing city water is monitored. "In public water supplies, the water systems are operated by certified professionals," said Gary Maier, professional engineer for the Lee County Health Department. "The water is tested for different things at different times daily."
The detection of waterborne diseases results in notification of the public. Residents are advised of boil water notices, either by their utilities company or through the media, depending on how widespread the problem. In addition, they receive an annual water report identifying tests done and results. People should report any foul odor, taste or color.
COST
Homeowners, especially those with large families, may absorb a high monthly bill because of everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning, showering and laundering. The bill contains a minimum monthly fee and usage cost.
CONVENIENCE
As McWilliams said, city water is "no fuss, no muss" to homeowners. During power outages, residents have access to running water, albeit cooler than normal.Irrigation use is limited during times of water conservation. For example, people on Cape Coral's dual water system have been restricted to watering landscape two days per week because high irrigation use reduced canal and aquifer levels.
Homes with well water
WATER QUALITY
Wells are not subject to stringent testing, unless homeowners take the initiative. "It is the homeowners' responsibility to make sure the water is safe to drink," Maier said.Maier recommends annual testing, and the health department provides technical assistance to test for waterborne diseases. Per instruction from the department, homeowners can collect a water sample themselves and bring it to the health department for evaluation. Or they can pay a $15 fee to have a health department official collect a sample, he said. Testing costs $10 to $15, he said, and results are back within days.
Maier said it is imperative that water be tested if rain or floodwaters cover the well at any time because the well may have a crack undetected by homeowners. "Then they (homeowners) should be boiling the water until it's tested," he said.And, he said, people should keep pollution sources, notably pesticides and dog waste, away from the well.
COST
Lehigh attracts many young, first-time homeowners because property and home prices are typically lower there than elsewhere. Well water is an additional savings per month. "Young couples are stretched so much that in some cases, they prefer a well and septic lot because they don't have a higher water bill," McWilliams said.During the past 12 years, Rene and Larry Mollineaux of Alva have owned two homes with well water, and well water hasn't been an issue to neighborhood residents. "In the area we're in, we're more rural," said Rene Mollineaux, 38, whose two children and her parents live in the home. "It doesn't bother them. They just think that's what you get."
"We prefer it," she said. "It's more convenient."Nonetheless, homeowners incur a fee when they live in an area that is being or will be converted to city water and sewer. Those in the midst of the Cape Coral utilities expansion are being assessed for the hookup.
"When the city puts pipes in, you have to connect," Schneider-Christians said. "You pay again. That's an additional expense."
CONVENIENCE
Cost for well installation varies yet is normally a low-maintenance investment.Paul Lawrence Well Drilling in Alva installs 30 to 40 residential wells — a package deal of domestic for the home and irrigation for the landscaping — per month, said office manager Kathleen Justham. She said installation at a home in a typical neighborhood costs from $2,000 to $3,800 and takes six hours to two days. A lot near State Road 82 in Lehigh is an example of' a job that takes longer because of the volume of rock in the ground. An inspector is on site during installation to verify the system is up to code.Some wells may go dry. Older wells, such as those at the Cape Coral Yacht and Racquet Club in southeast Cape Coral, have dried up in the past, Schneider-Christians said. Justham said Paul Lawrence replaced dry wells in Buckingham during the past year.
The septic tank that goes with the well at the average home costs $6,000 to $9,000, said JoAnn Williams, president of Alva Septic Source Inc. Tanks in high-end developments cost as much as $20,000, she said. If residents do not pour grease down drains, she said, tanks can be cleaned every three to five years and last 20 years.Of course, customers lose running water during power outages.
