HUD Eases Septic Rules For FHA Financing In Connecticut

EAST HARTFORD — The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a waiver on the minimum distance allowed between a septic system and domestic well to qualify for FHA mortgage financing in Connecticut.

This general waiver by HUD was issued on July 25, and expires on July 20, 2002. The waiver applies only to existing properties, not new construction.

It mandates at least a 75-foot separation between septic and well. This is less onerous than the 100-foot mandate imposed on other states. The public health code in Connecticut allows for 75 feet and has provisions for smaller distance if soil and other conditions warrant.

“This waiver is a good thing,” said Allyson Bernard, president of Connecticut Association of Realtors®, headquartered in East Hartford.

“The stricter requirement of 100 feet would truly have been a deal breaker for some potential homebuyers. This waiver allows for a greater number of properties to fall within accordance of FHA requirements and will encourage home ownership in the state,” Ms Bernard pointed out.

The Connecticut Association of Realtors®, along with Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association and Connecticut Society of Mortgage Brokers, participated in a combined lobbying effort to bring this waiver to fruition. Lenders can contact HUD’s Philadelphia Home Ownership Center’s Circular Letter PH 01-06 or to the Technical Support Branch at 800-440-8647, option #6, for more information.