Why You Should Test Your Water: Common Contaminants and What They Mean

More than 43 million Americans rely on the purity of water in their own private wells. Each person supplied by a private well is solely responsible for the quality of that water. No city or state monitors or regulates the quality of private well water. For that reason, it’s essential for a well owner to regularly test their well water so they know if it needs filtering or treatment to keep it healthy. Well owners should understand that many well water contaminants can harm their health or the health of another person in their household. If you have a new baby, an older person or an immunocompromised person in the household, it’s even more important that you know exactly what is in your water. It’s easy to find out how pure your water is with a fast, accurate professional water test.

What Are the Most Common Contaminants in Well Water?

Private water wells are susceptible to a variety of contaminants, many with the potential to harm the health of those drinking the water. Here are some of the most common and concerning contaminants found in well water:

Microorganisms: Bacteria, viruses, algae and parasites find their way into well water through contamination by surface water, faulty septic systems or damage to the well cap or casing. Microorganisms can cause a wide range of digestive upsets such as diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps or vomiting. Some bacteria can cause severe infections requiring hospitalization. 

Nitrates and Nitrites: Nitrates are the most common well water contaminants. They enter groundwater from chemical fertilizers, human sewage, and animal waste. Babies are the most at risk if they drink formula or eat food prepared with well water. Nitrates or nitrites reduce the ability of the blood to carry oxygen which can cause a baby to turn blue. In adults, nitrates and nitrites can cause thyroid or reproductive problems and increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Heavy Metals: Naturally occurring deposits can add arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium, and chromium to your well water. Industrial operations can also release these metals into the ground or surface water which can then make their way into your groundwater. Even if there are no heavy metals in your well water, parts of your plumbing system can leach metals into your water, especially if your groundwater is acidic. It’s very important to know if your groundwater contains any heavy metals as they can cause liver and kidney damage, anemia, increased risk of cancer and neurological and developmental problems, especially in children. 

Organic Chemicals: Found in many household, agricultural and industrial products, organic chemicals can seep into groundwater through waste disposal, spills, and surface water runoff. These contaminants include pesticides, solvents, and petroleum products. Exposure to high levels of organic chemicals can damage the kidneys, liver, circulatory system, nervous system, and reproductive system.

Radionuclides: A radionuclide is an unstable form of an element that gradually releases radiation. Naturally occurring radium, uranium and radon can contaminate well water but can also be removed. Mining or nuclear power activities can also add radioactivity to groundwater. Long-term exposure to these contaminants can increase the risk of certain cancers and cause kidney damage.

Fluoride: City water services very often add fluoride to drinking water supplies because, at the right dosage, it can harden tooth enamel. Some parts of West Texas and the Western states, Wisconsin, some of the Midwest and New Mexico and Arizona have elevated levels of fluoride in well water. To prevent the kinds of problems that can occur from excessive fluoride consumption, test the fluoride level in your water and then install one of the types of water filters that remove fluoride.

What Can Make Well Water Worsen Over Time? 

Any well can become contaminated at any time. Here are some of the reasons that make it vital for you to test your well water on a regular basis.

1. Invisible Threats: Most of the contaminants in your well water can’t be detected by someone drinking the water. They are odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Even if your water looks, smells, and tastes fine, it could still contain harmful substances. Regular testing is the only way to detect these hidden threats to your health or the health of your family.
2. Changing Environmental Conditions: Changes in your neighborhood can cause new contamination in a well that has been healthy for years. New contamination can result from heavy rainfall or snow, flooding, landscaping or construction nearby, new industrial or agricultural activities or even earthquakes.
3. Contamination Sources Nearby: If your well is located near agricultural operations, manufacturing and industrial sites, airports, gas stations, or areas with known groundwater issues, it has a higher risk of contamination. Regular testing is more important in these situations.
4. Health Protection: Many well water contaminants can cause serious health issues, ranging from gastrointestinal problems to serious, life-threatening problems like cancer. By testing your water regularly and implementing the appropriate solutions, you can address water quality issues as soon as they show up.
5. Buying and Selling Real Estate: If you’re buying or selling a property with a private well, water testing is often required by lenders or savvy buyers. If you have recent test results in hand, this can help the real estate transaction proceed smoothly.

How Often Should You Test Your Well Water?

The ideal frequency of well water testing depends on several factors. Every year, you should run a basic test on your water. It should minimally look for bacteria, nitrate, nitrite, heavy metals, toxic minerals, radon, chloride, fluoride and sulfate. It should also look at alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, sediment, tannins and total dissolved solids. 

The first time you have a water test done, however, it should look for all the contaminants and attributes above plus industrial and cancer-causing chemicals. 

Other times you should run a basic or more comprehensive water test:

• If the taste, color, or odor of your water changes.
• If there is construction or a new airport, gas station or industrial or agricultural activity near you. 
• If you hear about any new chemical contamination in your region. Once a contaminant makes its way into groundwater from a landfill or chemical spill, it can travel through miles of bedrock until it reaches your well. Groundwater travels slowly but can contaminate wells far from the source.
• If a new baby or an immunocompromised person will begin being supplied with water from that well. 
• If there are any unexplained illnesses in the household. 

How Can You Get the Best Test for Your Well Water?

You always have the option of choosing a do-it-yourself water testing kit but these kits are extremely limited. Most of them only check for a dozen or so contaminants like lead, nitrates, bacteria, chlorine and pH. They also don’t tell you how much of these substances exist so you have no idea of the seriousness of the contamination. 

To truly get a measure of the quality of your well water, professional laboratory testing is needed. A pro lab will send you special vials in which to collect samples of your well water, with exact instructions on how to take the sample. Your report will tell you how much of each substance tested is present in your water. Quality reports should also include data on the recommended limit for each contaminant along with a brief statement of its effects. 

By holding onto each report, you can compare new reports with former ones and see if any problems are increasing in your area. 

What Should You Do Once You Receive Your Well Water Test Results?

Once you receive your water test results, the next step is understanding what this report can mean for your and your family’s health and what you should do next. 

As you review your test results, pay close attention to any contaminants that exceed any limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency. These are the contaminants you may need to filter out, or that could indicate that your well or plumbing system needs repair. 

Here are some of the typical actions that might call for action.

• Bacterial Contamination: If coliform bacteria are detected, disinfection of your well may be necessary. This should be followed by a second test to ensure that disinfection fully addresses the contamination. Disinfection should be accompanied minimally by a visual inspection of the well to ensure that there is no damage that permits insects, animals or plant matter to make their way into the well.
• Nitrate Levels: If nitrates exceed 10 milligrams per liter, you should provide an alternative supply of water for the household, especially for infants and pregnant women.
• Heavy Metals and Chemicals: Any heavy metals or chemicals above acceptable levels should prompt the installation of a water treatment or filtering system to remove those metals.
• pH Imbalance: Adjusting pH levels can help prevent corrosion of plumbing and improve overall water quality.
• Hardness: If your water is hard, removing calcium, magnesium and other minerals that create hardness can extend the life of your water heater, water-using appliances and even your plumbing system.

How Can Water Quality Be Improved Once You Know What the Contaminants Are? 

If your water test results are less than ideal, you need to find the right water purification, treatment or filtration system for your situation.

• Water Softeners: This is the simplest way to address hard water issues caused by excess minerals in the bedrock around your well.
• Reverse Osmosis Systems: RO systems are effective for removing a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals and organic chemicals.
• Ultraviolet Disinfection: This is effective in eliminating bacteria, fungi, parasites and other microorganisms.
• Activated Carbon Filters: Carbon filters are useful for improving taste and odor, as well as removing some organic chemicals.
• Sediment Filters: For water with high levels of sediment, a dedicated sediment filter helps other filters last longer and work better.
• Ion Exchange Filters: These filters can remove hardness plus also heavy metals, nitrates, arsenic and similar substances.

How Can You Maintain a Healthy Water Well?

In addition to regular testing, there are several things you can do to maintain your well so the water is as pure as possible. Maintaining a healthy well requires a regular schedule of testing and year-round vigilance. What you get in exchange is a continuous supply of water that has been purified by the earth. 

Here are the ideal steps to work into your home maintenance schedule:

1. Have Your Well Inspected Regularly: Look for obvious signs of damage or deterioration in the well cap or surrounding area. Ensure there are no overhanging branches and no brush or weeds around the wellhead. If a test shows any sign of contamination, that’s a good time to schedule a well inspection to find out if the well casing or pump needs repair. 
2. Keep Sources of Contamination Away: There are many actions you can take to keep contaminants away from your well water. 

• • Keep livestock and domestic animals far away from the well.
  • Ensure that livestock, agricultural or industrial activities near your property do not release contaminants anywhere near your well. If you hear of accidents or incidents nearby, that news should trigger a new water test.
  • Ensure that septic systems are in good repair and that any unused septic systems are closed up properly.

1. Properly Abandon Old Wells: If you have unused wells on your property, make sure they are properly sealed to prevent contamination of the groundwater.
2. Stay Alert and Informed: Stay informed about local environmental issues that could affect groundwater quality in your area.
3. Test Your Water Annually: Water that is uncontaminated today could have a new source of contamination next year. Damage to the well cap or casing can allow surface water to contaminate your water, especially if there is heavy snowfall or rain or a flood. Check the water quality each year, choosing a time of year that helps you remember to do the test, such as New Year’s or your birthday. 

ETR Laboratories Helps Thousands of Private Well Owners with Water Testing

When you need to test the quality of your water, rely on ETR Laboratories. This laboratory does all its own testing, as opposed to the practice of many water testing companies that send their samples to ETR Laboratories for analysis. Because there is no middleman, your test results can get to you faster. And because municipalities and industries with stringent pure water needs rely on ETR Laboratories, you can rely on accurate test results. 

If you’re just getting started on water testing, choose our Premium Water Test today and learn exactly what’s in your well water!