Macomb County, Michigan: septic system and well inspection at sale
Checked on November 9, 2026 against the official rule. Rule set by Macomb County Health Department.
General information, not legal advice. This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close.
The rule
| Question | What the official text says |
|---|---|
| What is required | Evaluation of the septic system (code compliance, performance and records; the tank is pumped with the evaluator on site) and of the well (code compliance, records, a bacteriological test and a partial chemical analysis) by a registered private evaluator or County staff; the report is filed at least 5 days before closing Source: macombgov.org |
| Triggered by | sale or transfer of property Source: macombgov.org |
| Deadline | evaluation report submitted to the Health Department at least five days before closing Source: macombgov.org |
| Who arranges it | owner Source: macombgov.org |
| How long a report is valid | valid one year from the evaluation date Source: macombgov.org |
| Exemptions |
Source: macombgov.org |
| If the system fails | A failed evaluation does not stop the sale: file a corrective action plan and put funds in escrow; repairs within 180 days after the Department approves the plan and authorizes the transfer Source: macombgov.org |
| Who may inspect | Macomb County Health Department registration. official page (macombgov.org) Source: macombgov.org |
| Official forms | macombgov.org Source: macombgov.org |
| In force since | August 1, 2002 Source: macombgov.org |
This is our summary of the official rule as we read it. The ordinance or code and the health department decide: confirm with them before you list, sign or close. Rule set by: Macomb County Health Department.
Checked on November 9, 2026: read on the official site.
Private wells in Macomb County
In 2015 about 41,876 of Macomb County’s 864,840 residents (5%) got their drinking water from a private well, by the USGS estimate. That is the 79th highest share of the 83 Michigan counties in the USGS table, and the 21st highest number of private-well users.
This rule covers the well as well as the septic system. USGS models about 1,201 private-well users in Macomb County with arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA’s limit for public water (2010 population base; 95% range 908 to 1,585), the 48th highest of 82 Michigan counties. It is a screening estimate, not a result for any one well.
Source: USGS county water use 2015 (Dieter et al., 2018); USGS domestic-well arsenic estimate (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017). Ranks count the Michigan counties in the USGS table (1 = highest).
Soils and septic systems here
USDA soil surveys rate 97% of Macomb County’s rated land “very limited” for a conventional septic drain field, 2% “somewhat limited” and 1% “not limited”, the 51st highest “very limited” share of 78 Michigan counties with survey data. The most common limits: slow percolation (dense or clay soil) on 84%; a high water table (saturated soil near the surface) on 82%; ponding on 37%.
Where soils are limited, inspections more often find drain fields that sit in seasonally wet soil, and replacement systems are often mounds or other engineered designs. A county-wide rating, not a test of one lot: a site evaluation decides. Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), via Soil Data Access, rating “ENG - Septic Tank Absorption Fields”, read November 15, 2026.
Certified labs nearest to Macomb County for a well water test
Labs on the Michigan certified drinking-water list that the list marks as taking samples from homeowners or outside clients, certified for coliform bacteria, nearest first. All of them are outside Macomb County.
| Lab | Town | Distance | Certified on the list for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Co. Health Division Laboratory | Pontiac, MI | 19 miles | coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic |
| Saginaw County Health Department Laboratory | Saginaw, MI | 76 miles | coliform bacteria, nitrate |
| EGLE Laboratory Services | Lansing, MI | 83 miles | coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic |
Source: EGLE - State of Michigan Certified Laboratories: Chemistry + EGLE - State of Michigan Certified Laboratories: Microbiological + EGLE - State of Michigan Certified Laboratories: Lead and Copper (SOM Certified Labs - Chemistry 3/11/2026 (chemistry, microbiological, lead and copper lists); read November 15, 2026). Straight-line distance from the centre of Macomb County (the average of its Census ZIP-area points); “approx.” = lab placed at its ZIP centre. Call the lab first: lists do not say which household tests each lab takes or what it charges.
Nearest other sale-time rules
Buying or selling near a county line? These are the closest other local rules in our census to Macomb County.
| Rule | State | Distance | Covers | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washtenaw County | Michigan | about 49 miles | Septic system and well | November 9, 2026 |
| Ingham County | Michigan | about 76 miles | Septic system and well | November 9, 2026 |
| Village of Moreland Hills | Ohio | about 104 miles | Septic system and well | November 9, 2026 |
| Village of Orange | Ohio | about 104 miles | Septic system and well | November 9, 2026 |
| Isabella County and Secord Township | Michigan | about 116 miles | Septic system and well | November 9, 2026 |
Straight-line distance between county centres (the average of each county’s Census ZIP-area points). Townships, villages and health districts are placed at the centre of their county.