How Often Should I have my well water tested?

When should drinking water be tested?

The most common time well water is tested is when there is a change of ownership in a home or property. Most often this is because a lender requires a potability test along with a flow test to ensure that the new occupants have safe drinking water. Typically this is called a well certification and testing the water is just one step in the process. 

Having your water tested while you are in escrow is essential. This is mostly because you and your family will be consuming the water from the well and you want to ensure your water supply is safe. Never take a seller or realtor's word for it and make sure you verify any results provided yourself. 

As a home seller it may be a good idea to get your water tested prior to listing your home so there are no unexpected surprises. We can help you select the right tests that align with what lenders are looking for. Keep in mind if you do this prior to being in escrow it is entirely possible that a lender may not accept the results because they are not recent enough. 

Another good reason to test your well water is if your well is newly drilled. If you think about it, human hands go into every detail of construction of your water well. And what do human hands have? BACTERIA. While bacteria is a relatively easily thing to remedy in your well it is important to ensure that your water is safe to drink after having a new well installed. Additionally, since the well is a new water source the amount and type of contaminants in that water is unknown. Most new wells will test positive for bacteria the first and most likely second time they are sampled, however other contaminants like lead and nitrates can only be handled by the use of a filtration system. 

The EPA suggests you sample your year annually to ensure its safe from bacteria and any other contaminant that may be approaching their recommended limits. 

Additionally, any time you notice a different smell, taste or look to your water its a good reminder to get the water tested to make sure you have a safe drinking water source. 

Don't fret about all of this, our team can make recommendations based on your unique situation. Give us a call at 951-763-2210 to discuss your needs and concerns. 

Here's a list of some common tests performed on water wells:

Bacteria - E. Coli and Coliform - presence or absence test

Nitrates

Nitrites

Lead

Arsenic

Uranium

Calcium

Copper

Manganese

Iron

Sulphur

pH


Call us at Heritage Well Service to schedule your next water test!




 




 


 


 

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