Purchase preparation
Where the house gets its water: supply questions before buying
On paper every house has water. The difference is how it arrives: through the public network, from a cistern filled with rainwater, or by delivery. Each model works, but each means a different daily life and different duties.
Three supply models
Statistics on water collection and distribution show the public network covers most consumption, but on islands and in the hinterland part of the houses still live with a cistern or a combination.2
The national water authority's water footprint theme is a reminder of how much water a household actually uses, and that figure decides whether a cistern suffices or a top-up is necessary.1
Questions for the seller
The first question is where the meter sits and whose name it carries, the second how old the connection is, and with a cistern how large it is, when it was cleaned and how it fills in dry months.2
In places under seasonal pressure it is worth asking about summer pressure in the network: where consumption multiplies in summer, pressure on upper floors can drop.2,1
Signs on the ground
Gutters leading to an underground tank, a pump in the pantry and filters by the boiler are signs the house lives or lived with rainwater, which is not a flaw, but it is a fact.1