Well Water Testing Ensures Safe Consumption For Private Water Supplies

Water is one of the most important things in human life

. It is, literally, a life source protecting our organs, hydrates us, keeps us clean and cleans our belongings. It can also be an expensive commodity if you're not frugal about the usage. It is estimated that an average household in the United States uses about 80 gallons per day per person between drinking, showers, flushing, and laundry.

There are 20 million Americans who do not have access to a municipal water supply, and with it, regular and stringent maintenance. These homeowners have private wells to provide water.

A utility company is regulated by the EPA and state governments to meet specific guidelines. Private well water has very few government regulations to adhere to. When the well is installed, the water may be checked for microbiological contamination, and some local health departments are recognizing the need to require well water testing when the property changes ownership. Beyond these two instances, it is the home owner's responsibility to maintain quality through well water testing at regular intervals.

A professional laboratory can provide different analysis for well water supplies. One is for nitrates or nitrite presence to determine run off from any nearby agricultural land or contamination from an on-site septic tank. Another test that should be an annual check is for microbiological population. This looks for for coliform bacteria, disease causing microorganisms. A private lab can test for pesticide contamination, pH level, arsenic, gasoline contamination, radon, and water hardness.

You should do a yearly test in order to make sure that your water is at an acceptably healthy level. Also, regular testing prevents big emergencies. Preventative maintenance can avoid larger issues later on by catching problems when they're still manageable.

It is also good to know, since there typically aren't state or federal guidelines that have to be followed, what you're drinking and cleaning your clothes with. There can be more risk because the filtration process is different. Because there aren't a lot of regulations, things can be easily forgotten.

It is suggested that you test every fall and / or spring so that any repairs can be done more easily. There are typical tests that cover the basics (pH level, common contaminates, etc), but if there has been any flooding or other extreme weather, or if you notice a change in color, odor or taste, you should have those things tested for as well. Again, most things won't make you ill. However, it is important to test to make sure. Preventative maintenance is an essential part of having a well to be sure that your health is not badly affected.

by: Andrew Stratton

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