Why Do You Need To Have Your Well Water Tested?
Over 15 million households in the U.S. depend on private wells to supply their drinking water. Unfortunately, many of those homeowners underestimate the importance of water testing. Because homeowners are responsible for having their water testing done, many often neglect this important task. This article is going to present a brief overview of the importance of water testing for well water.
Why Should Well Water Be Tested?
So, why exactly do homeowners need to test their well water? Ultimately, water testing is essential to ensuring you have safe and reliable drinking water. Annual water testing allows homeowners to detect any problems and address them efficiently. The results of these tests provide useful information that can then be used to decide between different water treatments to ensure the right contaminants are being targeted. These tests can also determine how effective a water treatment system is and how the quality of water changes over time.
When Should Well Water Be Tested?
For homeowners on well water, water testing should be done each year. This allows homeowners to ensure their water is safe. However, there are cases in which water should be tested more than once each year. For example, if any of the following occur, water should be tested even if it’s already been tested that year.
- Strange tastes
- Cloudy appearance
- Recent construction or repairs nearby
- Previous tests showed presence of contaminants
- Use of hazardous chemicals nearby
Which Contaminants Are Often Found in Well Water?
Oftentimes, contaminants seep into the groundwater, which is then used in wells. These contaminants can come from things like landfills, underground fuel tanks, septic tanks, and fertilizers or pesticides. Common contaminants found in well water may include lead, iron, arsenic, chloride, copper, radon, fluoride, manganese, and more. If levels of contaminants are deemed safe by health standards, then it’s nothing to worry about. However, if contaminant levels don’t meet health standards, it’s important to have your water treated right away.
While testing well water may not seem like an important task, using and drinking contaminated water can lead to serious health problems. Most of these contaminants won’t make water taste or look strange, so many homeowners may falsely believe their water is safe to consume. But with regular testing, homeowners can rest assured that their water does not contain any harmful contaminants and is safe to use. So, if you’re on well water, make sure to schedule your annual water testing.