Do you know that many organisms, organic metals, other toxins and even insects may be lurking in your well?
If you have a well on your property, do you experience any of the following issues?
- Smells that seem to be coming from your water? (sometimes a sulfur-like smell)
- Discoloration of laundry or cloudiness on your glassware after washing dishes?
- Does anyone in your family have digestion-related illness that is difficult to eradicate?
- Have you had a blood test performed by your doctor and been told you suffer from metal contamination?
All of these issues could be caused by one common problem: contaminants in your well water.
Why Test Well Water Every Two Years?
If you are a homeowner with a private well, you should test your well water minimally every two years. If you’ve owned your home for more than two years and never tested your water, you should do so ASAP. Perhaps you haven’t known how to do it or it didn’t seem like a priority.
You drink your well water, bathe or shower in it, wash your clothes and dishes in it—if you have contaminants in your water, you are constantly barraged with these contaminants, forcing your body to fight off toxins all the time. This can tax your immune system and make it harder to fight off viruses or bacteria you may be exposed to.
Important Water Facts
- Well water can be affected by environmental changes, such as being near a construction zone or roads salted for ice and snow. It is also affected if a new well is being drilled nearby since contaminants from tools and equipment can pass into the aquifer and into your well.
- If there are industrial sites nearby, contaminants can be carried into streams or lakes and enter the aquifer.
- If water is hard to find when drilling a new well, fracking will be used, and there are consequences of fracking, such as increasing your water’s iron levels.
- Even if there are no toxic chemicals or metals in the water, bacteria and fungi are an ongoing problem and must be monitored. Factors that can lead to bacterial or fungal growth include incorrect placement of the well cap and buildup of bacteria or fungi in the pipes. If it is a very old house or it has been unoccupied, a buildup of bacteria and fungi is likely. Once they are present, it can be hard to get rid of them.
- If well cap integrity has been compromised, insects and organic debris can enter the well. Well caps can be compromised by incorrect placement. They must be high enough above ground level to prevent seepage from ground water. Additionally, the well cap needs to be structurally sound.
Which Water Testing Should Be Done?
Don’t go more than two years without testing your well water. Ideally, you should test your water annually. If the house has been vacant or you suspect any of the issues outlined above, more frequent testing would be in order.
Also, you would want to be sure you have the most comprehensive testing available and not just something that says “yes” or “no” to E. coli or coliform bacteria being present. There can be many other forms of bacteria which would compromise water quality and these should be tested for as well.
Plus, you need to know what to do about toxins or pollutants if you find them. For the best determination, use a Premium Water Test. Even in a residential area, you could have industrial pollution in your soil. For example, when houses are built on filled land, that fill could be laden with tons of chemicals.
There could also be toxic chemicals buried in the ground or a junkyard down the road or leaking from a gas station nearby. Any of those factors could pollute your water supply with volatile organic compounds.
ETR Labs has the most modern testing equipment and friendly customer service representatives. To order water quality tests, visit our well water test kit page or call (800) 344-9977.