water testing

What happens during water testing in a home inspection?

 

You are required to carefully check the quality of your tap water and your well water if you live in a house with a well. Unlike municipal water, which has been examined by specialists and filtered of dangerous substances, well water must only be inspected by the homeowner.

 

In short, ignoring it can be dangerous to you and your household—so let’s do this before the damage is done.

 

If you are planning to buy a home that has well water or you already know that you already have one, here are some tips about how to test the water and make sure it will be safe.

 

How is well water testing done?

 

If you rely on a regular home inspector for screening and inspecting well water, you could be in trouble. Hiring a well water testing expert is always a good idea in order to ensure that your drinking water remains pure.

 

A professional will visit the household and take samples of the water. 

 

The professional will then examine the water by looking to see if there are any signs of a dirty well, which can be things like cloudy water, low flow, and odor. He will also send the samples to a lab to check how high the levels of bacteria or nitrate concentrations are in the water.

 

What are common problems found in well water testing?

 

Upon testing the well water, the professional will generally sit with you to go over the results and to make sure that you are clear of all the facts. As a result, he will explain the issues that were found during testing.

 

You'll wanna watch out for the levels of bacteria, lead and nitrates, as these are extremely harmful for children and seniors. 

 

If issues are found in well water, can they be fixed?

 

Most well water issues can be fixed, and don't stop a potential sale of a property. 

 

The causes of most well water problems can be solved with specific water treatments to ensure good water quality for homeowners.

 

Even lead in the water can be corrected, but the source of the problem will determine how to go about fixing it.

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Call Bartnicki Inspections in Saint Lazare to have your well water tested

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Cost $150/test, both below highly recommended:

• Microbiology/pathogen Test;  detects harmful bacteria and various coliforms

• Harmful chemicals Test:  detects the levels of fluorides, nitrates, arsenic, manganese, lead, uranium and other harmful chemicals

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