If you’re looking to purchase a new home in a rural area then you’ll most likely be getting one that uses well water. If you’re not experienced with these things then you might make the mistake of thinking that it’s as safe to drink as municipally-supplied water – but this isn’t the case at all. In fact, well water isn’t regulated by your local municipality and as a home owner you are the one responsible for its quality.
In order to ensure the safety of your well supply you will need to get it tested by a professional. The Super Plumber can help out by performing quality tests on your water supply to check for unpleasant tastes, odours, and contaminants, and determine whether it requires any treatment to be safe to drink.
What Happens When Your Water Gets Tested
When you hire someone like a local plumber to test your water they will test for both quality and quantity (whether or not there is enough to properly service your home).They’ll start by taking a sample and then bringing it back to a lab for testing. A standard test will typically testthe PH level, hardness, alkalinity, and turbidity of the water. If there is a mineral test, things like iron, calcium, manganese, copper, fluoride, chloride and others will be measured. Professionals will also check for coliform bacteriaas a standard test for well water.
You will also want to ensure that the person you hired is checking for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like gasoline compounds such as benzene, as well as radon – both of which are not part of your standard testing but are important nonetheless due to their presented health risks.
Radon, for instance, is a radioactive gas found naturally in the environment that when inhaled can lead to lung cancer. This toxic gas in completely unidentifiable (invisible, odourless, tasteless) and is only detectable by a professional who does a test. It’s definitely not something you want in your H2O so it’s important that you make sure that this test is performed.
Who is Responsible for the Quality of Well Water on a Property?
As already mentioned, wells located on a property aren’t the responsibility of the local municipality, but rather that of the homeowner. Depending on where you live, real estate laws may require homeowners with wells on their property to hire someone to test them and show proof of the test before selling their home.
There’s definitely a lot to consider when buying a home that has a well, which is why you should call on professionals to offer their expert advice and services that can help you with your new well. For instance, a plumbing company can install a well water filtration device to remove bacteria, odours, and other issues you might be having. They’ll also provide a regular servicing program to regularly test your water and ensure that it’s getting the treatment that it needs.
