1. Water Delivery Infrastructure
- City water vs. private wells: municipal water is preferred because testing, filtration, and pressure regulation are managed by the municipality. Wells require state testing, pressure tanks, softeners, and backup generators.
- PVC / PEX / HDPE: modern, durable, chemically inert, 50+ year service life.
- Galvanized steel: common in 1960s/70s parks; rust, scaling, reduced flow, and sudden pinhole leaks. Budget a full repipe if present.
- Polybutylene: common in 1980s construction; notorious for micro-fractures and widespread bursts.
2. Wastewater & Sewer Networks
- Municipal sewer connection: the lowest-risk profile — the park simply delivers to the city main.
- Private septic: verify tank pumping logs, soil percolation capacity, and reserve land for a replacement leach field.
- Wastewater lagoons: check berm integrity, aerator functionality, and active state DEP discharge permits.
- The mandatory sewer video scope: never close without a licensed commercial plumber camera-scoping all main trunk lines for root intrusion, bellies, cracked clay tile, or collapsed Orangeburg.
Key Takeaway
Never close on a park based on surface appearances alone; comprehensive diligence requires video scoping sewer lines, testing water pressure, and auditing electrical capacity.