Well Water Testing 101

Well water testing helps ensure the health and safety of your family. Since there are so many substances that can contaminate water, including PFAS, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and more, testing your water can help identify the presence of these contaminants before they cause short-term or long-term damage to either the structure of your home or the well-being of your family. As with any potentially harmful element, early detection is crucial not only for preventing serious health complications but also for resolving any equipment or structural issues that could potentially be more difficult or expensive to address, if left unchecked.

The location of the water well may also be a factor in testing requirements. Therefore, it is important to learn about any local, state, or federal regulations regarding well water testing or contaminant assessment that may apply to your property. As a result, engaging with a local water professional, like the Aqua Pump Company, who will be familiar with any applicable requirements is a prudent decision. These regulations are often established not only for the safety of your individual water source but also for the protection of shared water resources. In some situations, there may even be potential legal ramifications for failing to comply with testing regulations, so make sure that you are aware of any applicable well water requirements or contact your local water experts to learn more.

To help homeowners understand well water testing, the following offers an overview of what you need to know, as well as which well water testing options are available and the value of engaging professional well water testing services.

What Do I Need to Know about Well Water Testing?

1. If your home water supply is sourced from a private well, it is especially important to have your water tested annually in order to ensure its safety. Floods, other natural disasters, and changes to your water’s taste, smell, and appearance merit immediate testing. If something changes in your water color or taste, then contact a well water testing company immediately, even if an annual test or inspection was already completed.
2. Minimally, water should be evaluated for the presence of bacteria and nitrates, as well as potential contaminants such as arsenic, uranium, iron, and manganese. During this assessment, pH levels should also be monitored to ensure that they are in an appropriate range for consumption and safe usage.
3. Well water testing kits can be found at a home improvement store or online. Water testing can also be conducted by professional water specialists, who will not only collect the sample for you, but also evaluate it. While testing kits may find common contaminants, water professionals make recommendations for improving your water quality or water delivery system based on the test findings.
4. Regardless of the water testing approach you choose, make sure that you carefully review and fully understand the results. Any indications of contamination that are outside of the recommended levels mean that you should take immediate action.
5. If the results show the presence of contaminants or even the possibility of them, make sure that you and any other additional human and pet residents avoid drinking or using the water until the potential bacterial or other contamination issue can be resolved.
6. For help in understanding your water test results or immediate service to help with any well water concerns revealed by testing, call a professional water expert in order to help you determine which water treatments, well or other water system repairs, or water filtration system installations may be needed. It is also wise to call the professionals if there are any concerns about testing accuracy or clarity of results.
7. Keep careful records of when well water testing was performed, the associated test results, and any additional measures that may have been required and/or taken as a result of these findings. This easy, but meaningful, record keeping enables the tracking of the water supply quality and associated safety assessment and services over time.
8. Well water testing records and awareness of any water testing compliance needs is also important to the value of your property. In the event that you want to sell your home, potential buyers may inquire about these records to ensure safe water quality access for their own families.

Why Should I Choose Professional Well Testing?

Understandably, having professional water testing performed by experts offers countless benefits compared to well water testing using a store-bought kit. While home testing kits may offer quick timing, they fail to understand your home environment and provide actionable recommendations. However, expert well testers, like those at the Aqua Pump Company, better understand the different types of contaminants that can compromise your well, along with how to properly acquire, examine, and evaluate the well water testing samples. Thus, engaging the professionals eliminates issues with test completion or any confusion about what is found in the water supply.

Furthermore, results that indicate contamination issues, hard or soft water concerns, or pH imbalances will necessitate contact with the water professionals. So, instead of having any discontinued use or delay in resolution to any well water issues that may stem from home testing, engaging professional well water testing from the outset saves you time, along with the additional benefits:

• decreases testing implementation stress.
• reduces any potential danger to your home or family that may result from delayed service or awareness.
• provides immediate expertise regarding recommendations for services and products, based on the test results.

Since well water records can also have legal implications, you’ll want to ensure that those records and any subsequent services or improvements are conducted by and legitimized through professional outlets.

In short, professional well water testing means that your home will receive a more comprehensive assessment of your water supply, a more accurate and thorough analysis of the results, and a clear, documented record of services performed and associated actions to ensure water quality and safety.

Why Homeowners Should Test Their Water

From peace of mind to protecting the health of you and your family, annual well water testing is vital to ensuring a high quality water supply. Additionally, well water testing should be done if any changes in your water become evident, including those relating to the water’s taste, color, and smell. The same supplementary evaluations may also be necessary if a natural disaster occurs in your area, such as a flood. To schedule your annual professional water testing or for any other emergency water service or routine maintenance, contact the Aqua Pump Company.