Country living is a dreamy idea for many urbanites, but most people who decide to live the dream and move to a residential acreage soon discover that there are elements they never anticipated. 

If your acreage is not serviced by a municipal water supply, a water co-op or utility company, you most likely have a well.   A well must be drilled by a licensed driller and properly cited.  It should be easily accessed for cleaning, testing, repair and maintenance. 

Proper management and upkeep of your water well are essential for its longevity and efficiency. Conducting regular water testing is imperative for the safety of your potable water supply.

Water well shock chlorination is a simple treatment used to disinfect groundwater wells and inactivate harmful bacteria within the well and distribution system. It is a relatively inexpensive and straightforward procedure to control iron and sulphur bacteria in wells. Well shocking involves adding a large amount of chlorine to the water in the well and pumping it through the distribution system. The chlorinated water is left in the system until it is completely disinfected. It is highly recommended hiring our licensed experts for the job.

Have your well tested at least once a year for the presence of bacteria. You may not be able to see, smell or taste these contaminants, but they could still be there.

Additionally, have your well water tested occasionally for possible inorganic and organic chemical contaminants.

The best times to sample your well water are:

• in early spring just after the thaw

• after a long dry spell

• following heavy rains

For more information on water testing, visit:

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/Testing-Your-Drinking-Water-in-Alberta.aspx

Private well owners also have a legal responsibility and a vested interest in properly managing their water wells and protecting groundwater for future generations.

Allow us to seamlessly connect you with one of our trusted local experts, ready to assist you.

Real estate transactions almost always require a current Real Property Report (RPR).

An RPR is a legal document an Alberta Land Surveyor prepares. It’s basically a high level drawing of the property, the boundaries, and the buildings and structures on it, so buyers know exactly what they’re buying.

An RPR contains:

• legal description and municipal address of the property

• date of land title search and date RPR was done

• Certificate of Title (land title) number and names of registered owner(s)

• location and description of all buildings and structures (e.g. decks, fences) with dimensions, directions and distances from the property boundaries

• location and dimensions of any visible encroachments (i.e. buildings or structures that are too close or even beyond the property line)

• designation of adjacent properties, roads, lanes

• evidence of municipal compliance (i.e. the RPR has been reviewed by your municipality and adheres to all municipal bylaws and regulations. They usually stamp and date compliance directly on the RPR)

• illustrations of any easements that affect the property (an easement is an agreement between the property owner and some other party (usually your municipal authority or utility) for them to utilize part of your property as needed)

• Certified Land Surveyor’s duly signed certification and opinion on any concerns

• copyright of the RPR to the land survey company

Sellers

The typical seller representation agreement used in Alberta requires sellers to provide a current RPR to the buyer, unless otherwise agreed to by the buyer. In most transactions, a buyer’s lender and lawyer require a current RPR to complete the transaction.

A current RPR allows everyone involved to know if there are any issues with encroachment, easements or non-compliance with municipal bylaws.

A current, compliant RPR allows sellers to:

• meet the requirement of some seller representation agreements and purchase contracts

• know the location of the property boundaries and improvements

• know the measurements and distances for the property and improvements

• know any issues with the property or adjacent properties

• receive advice from a real estate professional concerning any property issues

• address compliance issues early in selling process before a sale

Existing RPRs

If you have an existing RPR, you can sign a Statutory Declaration or Affidavit stating the existing RPR is accurate and the property hasn’t changed since the RPR was prepared.

If there have been changes, you can contact the surveyor to see if they can update the existing RPR. If there have been changes, only an updated RPR with a compliance stamp can confirm the property complies with municipal regulations.

Your real estate professional can also help you find a surveyor if the one on the existing RPR is not available.

Compliance

Surveyors are responsible for completing the RPR, but they do not determine if the property is compliant. You have to go to your municipal authority, in person, to obtain a compliance stamp.

Before the municipality stamps your RPR, it will look for non-compliant issues, including:

Encroachment

If a structure encroaches on adjoining property, you and the adjoining owner may enter into an encroachment agreement. In order to do so, the owner of the other property has to agree to allow the encroachment. The parties register the agreement on their property titles. If the adjoining owner doesn’t agree, you may have to remove the encroaching structure.

Relaxation

If a structure is too close to the property boundary or over an easement or utility right-of-way, your municipality may grant a relaxation to allow it to remain. This will usually require a relaxation permit, for which your municipality will have to conduct a further review and may require additional information such as photos of the structure and an extra permit fee. If the municipality does not grant the relaxation, you may have to move or remove the structure. As part of the sale, the buyer or lender may require a holdback of part of the purchase price or mortgage proceeds until you have a relaxation permit.

If you cannot resolve non-compliant issues before the sale closes, title insurance may be an option to enable the sale to close on time.

Buyers

Most standard residential purchase contracts require the seller to give the buyer a current RPR with a municipal stamp of compliance. Your lender will typically also need an RPR for your financing.

Benefits to buyers include:

• knowledge of the exact property boundaries

• knowledge of issues with the property or adjacent properties

• knowing if a property can have further developments or improvements

• a current RPR on hand for when you sell (as long as you didn’t build anything new in the meantime)

Typically, sellers are responsible for resolving RPR issues before the sale closes.

An RPR should be available to you before you write a purchase contract. If it isn’t, your real estate professional can advise you of your options. You, or your lawyer, must have a reasonable opportunity to review the RPR before the property title transfers and the purchase funds are advanced to the seller.

Alberta residential real estate licensees must use the Residential Measurement Standard (RMS) when measuring residential properties. This measurement standard helps consumers easily and accurately compare different types of residential properties.

What is the purpose of the Residential Measurement Standard (RMS)?

The RMS gives consumers and industry professionals accurate and consistent property measurements, which they can use to compare properties and determine their suitability. Proper application of the RMS ensures real estate professionals provide reliable and verifiable property size and dimensions.

The RMS offers a consistent means of representing a property’s above grade space. Among other things, the RMS sets out what parts of a property can be included in its measured-area. For example, if a room has a dormer with a ceiling height of only 4 feet, is it included as floor space? What about finished basements that are entirely below grade? The RMS information benefits consumers because:

• sellers want their property size accurately described

• buyers want to ensure the property size meets their needs

• buyers and sellers want to be able to compare the size of different types of properties

  
  Residential Measurement Standard Principles

• Real estate licensees must use the RMS when measuring and advertising properties.

• Identify if the measurement system is metric or imperial, and apply it consistently. Measurements must be calculated to within 2% of the RMS size.

• For detached properties, measure the property using the exterior wall at the foundation.

• For semi-detached and townhouse properties, measure the property using the exterior wall at the foundation. If the thickness of the demising wall(s) cannot be determined the thickness of an exterior wall shall be used.

• For apartment style condominiums, measure the interior perimeter walls (paint-to-paint) at floor level. An additional area representation may be made assuming exterior measurements.

• Include floor levels that are entirely above grade and exclude floor levels if any portion is below grade. Below grade levels may be measured, but the area must not be included in the RMS area.

• Include all additions to the main structure and conversions if above grade areas within the structure if they are weatherproof and suitable for year-round use.

• The property must have a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 2.13 metres (7 feet). If the ceiling is sloped, the area with a floor-to-ceiling- height of at least 1.52 metres (5 feet) is included in the RMS area, provided there is a ceiling height of 2.13 metres (7 feet) somewhere in the room.

• Include extensions from the main structure that have a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 1.5 metres (5 feet), such as cantilevers, bay and bow window, and dormers.

• Exclude open areas that have no floor, such as vaulted areas.