Loxahatchee

Out here there is no city water and no city sewer. Almost every home in The Acreage and Loxahatchee Groves runs on a private well and a septic system, and that changes where the water comes from. Pressure tanks, softeners and whole house filters live in a garage or a utility closet, and a slow weep off a fitting can run for months without anyone noticing. Septic drainfields sit in a high water table, and in the wet season a saturated field backs up into the house. Lots are an acre or more, houses sit on raised pads, and the Indian Trail Improvement District swales and canals carry the runoff. When a swale silts in, the yard holds water and the stem wall wicks. Newer Westlake homes have the opposite problem. Tight envelope, oversized air conditioning, short cycles, and the humidity never comes down. We are about thirty minutes northwest of our shop.